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We've compiled the best of the best in The Cyclades - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Since 1922, three generations of the Roussos family have offered hospitality and fine food in this tiny blue-and-white taverna. Outside, tables overlook the caldera; inside, murals and artworks are by the owner. Traditional recipes and local ingredients are given room to shine and are presented well by the attentive staff. If you are lucky enough to get a reservation, the cozy atmosphere may well find you chatting with fellow diners who are just as pleased with their choice.
This beautifully designed patisserie offers a range of delicious bijou creations that look like works of art. Gorgeous and chic, they are the best sweet treats on the island and would not look out of place in a Parisian boutique. A breezy shaded terrace with views is a great place to take a break and indulge yourself.
The life-size black-and-white cow outside tells you that you have arrived at the best ice cream shop on the island. Made from Syros milk by an Italian ice-cream maker, funky flavors exist alongside the classics.
Who wants some tasty Italian food with a view? This place does what it says on the tin—great pasta and pizza for all. Handmade on the premises every day, the dishes are authentic and use ingredients from the local area to great effect. A punky soundtrack and a funky cocktail list add to the happy aura in this hillside gem.
Descend into the rustic interior of this bakery and you will feel like you have stepped back in time; Gioras dates back to the 18th century and is the oldest working wood-fired bakery in the Cyclades. Take a couple of pies for the beach, or sit with a coffee and a slice of baklava and breathe in the history.
A short walk through Isternia's mazelike streets leads to an unexpected terrace in the shade of a plane tree that overlooks the Aegean. Sitting here makes you understand how the gods must have felt, idly toying with the people below. Grab a table at the front if you can, order a spritzer and soak in the rays of the dying sun—the view is one of the best in the islands, a pure blue wall of sea and sky.
On a cliff-side setting by the brilliantly painted huts of Mandrakia is the island's best fish taverna. The very essence of summer is to be had on the large terrace on the waterfront. The view is sublime but the food more than punches its weight. Order a bottle of white from their well-chosen list and enjoy the best seafood with the waves splashing by your feet. With a no reservations policy, be prepared to wait for a table.
An intimate little garden, away from the wind and noise, is a secret culinary haven where candlelit tables carry dishes for the gods in the moonlit sky above. Nostimon means "delicious," and it doesn't disappoint as it offers tasty modernized Greek classics. The cooking is authentic but elevated with interesting flavors and textures—an average Greek taverna this is not.
Magic happens in the kitchens of this farm-to-table eatery. A handwritten menu in a school exercise book guides you around the local approach of the Psatha family; if they can't grow it or rear it themselves, they don't sell it. The ingredients in front of you are born of the sun and the earth, all served in a leafy courtyard where geraniums fight for space with herbs for the pot. Quirky touches abound—your bread hangs from the back of your chair in a string bag, and meals are served on handmade terracotta—but it all makes sense in this singular evocation of the island's terroir.
Fancy dining with the sand between your toes and the waves lapping nearby? Palatia on Agia Anna Beach fits the bill with traditional fare and a stunning view. Decorated in simple Cycladic style, with tables on the beach itself the menu features fresh seafood specialties and Naxian plates created with locally sourced ingredients. The whole beach dining scene can only be bettered if accompanied by a blazing sunset.
Tables meander out onto the alley at this relaxed Plaka restaurant where the focus is on fresh flavors, and classic recipes are refined but still recognizable. This is traditional Greek cooking at its best with a confidence in ingredients that taste of their environment. The personable staff keep things moving, even handing out wine to those waiting to dine. It is worth the wait.
Dining here is on an elevated veranda right above the calm blue waters of Agios Georgios Bay. The line of octopus and mackerel drying in the sun outside is evidence of the captain's pride in serving the freshest seafood on the island. Marcos Pipinos's family boats come in each day with fresh seafood.
Candy lovers of all ages will adore this bright little shop where sweet alchemy happens when multicolor lollipops and sweets are made before your eyes.
A breezy veranda at the edge of the village looks down to the sea and across to Naxos. You'll come for the views, but stay for the food—the terraced fields all around supply the raw ingredients that go into the traditional regional cooking. This is food like grandma used to make: hearty, wholesome, and honest.
On the road to the windmills, this is the prettiest place to relax over breakfast. Under a bougainvillea shade, healthy plates of yogurt, muesli, and fruits are perfect pick-me-ups to start the day, alongside classic eggs and crepes.
A jetty juts out into the sea and is a memorable setting for lunch, while on calm nights the moon playing off the water makes this quiet outpost on the southern end of the island one of the most romantic spots around. By day it's not unusual to see fish being hauled into the kitchen fresh from the docks. Lobster spaghetti, a quick meal fishermen used to prepare in their boats, is the specialty, and the fresh catch kept on ice is nicely grilled and served with generous salads.
The smart option for tasty street food in Fira—the Middle Eastern--inspired dishes are a delight here—quick, healthy, and inexpensive. There is a small indoor dining area but the steps and benches outside are a great place to swap tips and photos with fellow travelers.
Dimitris and Koula Kapris's beachfront taverna is popular both with sun worshippers on Agia Anna Beach and locals from Chora, who come here year-round to get away and sometimes to dance until the late hours, often to live music. The daily-changing menu is extensive and the fresh fish comes from the caïques that pull up at the dock right in front every morning.
This pastry shop and bakery is the local go-to for anything traditional and sweet. It's known for Tinian specialties such as almond paste candies called psarakia tinou, and cheesecake bites made with Tinian cheese called gliko tiropitaki tsibiti. You’ll find yourself walking away with little gift boxes filled with your favorites, but before you go try their homemade ice cream.
Bright, multicolor decor sets this apart from your average grill shop as does the freshest of food. Family-run, the owners take a real pride in their establishment. Superclean, superfriendly, and all at superprices. Perfect for a just-off-the ferry souvlaki as well as for dinner.
If the thought of another Greek salad fills you with dread, turn to this exotic offering on a headland near Cavo Paradiso. Very popular, Indian Palace is a breezy take on Indian classics with great beach views. Fragrant and delicately spiced, the dishes from the tandoor oven are authentic and are best taken with a lassi or Indian beer as the sun sets over Paradise.
Part grocery store, part taverna, this step back in time is the real deal for homecooked dishes. Matsata, a Folegandros specialty of handmade pasta with meat sauce and traditional soutoto cheese, is the star. Utterly charming and special, it feels like dining in somebody's living room.
Run by the Paros Kite Pro Center and EuroDivers crew, this is the best place to recuperate after a session on the waves. Great omelets and breakfasts are offered along with pizza, burgers, pasta dishes, and fresh juices. Indulge in retail therapy at the sister surf shop next door.
The name means "ark of flavors" and the number one bakery in Milos is the place for breakfast in the shaded yard, or to stock up on lunch essentials before a trip to the remote beaches.
Winding whitewashed streets lead to this little beauty serving superlative local products at great prices. A tiny courtyard with a treasure trove of a shop behind it awaits in Ano Syros—small plates of delicious homemade joy are your reward. Tuck in with a flask of ouzo or their hand-squeezed lemonade with ginger.
For a calming view of Naousa harbor and a taste of Greek seafood specialties done to perfection, head to Mediterraneo. Spruced up in 2022, here's the place to try traditional Greek taverna appetizers, including fresh grilled octopus and marinated anchovies, taramosalata, and zucchini balls with tzatziki, before mains that add a bit of contemporary creativity. The all-Greek wine list includes some local gems.
In the winding alleys of the Palia Agora in Naxos Town, Metaxi Mas is the local favorite for home-cooked taverna specialties year-round, making the meaning of its name, "just between us," very appropriate. For over two decades the Flerianos family has focused on the local flavors that Naxos has to offer—fresh vegetables, meats, cheeses, and seafood cooked in the traditional ways.
On a trellised lane by the harbor, this family-run taverna is a Tinos favorite, serving a wide range of Greek traditional and Tinian dishes. Main-course favorites include spicy lamb cooked in paper and calamari stuffed with cheese, tomatoes, and peppers. Starters such as local artichokes in vinegar sauce or hot eggplant slices wrapped around cheese, mint, and green pepper, and a light, rich mille feuille dessert might bookend a meal here. The name means "between us," and a friendly air prevails. The decor is traditional—pale stone walls and high stone arches—the staff is welcoming, and a fireplace in winter and summer air-conditioning keep it open year-round.
