JUNE 2024
I usually travel at a rapid pace, but a herniated disk caused me to slow down and enjoy travel in a different way. I was supposed to go island hopping in Greece, but changed this holiday into a long stay in Paros. We stayed in Paros for 8 nights, so we had all the time in the world to enjoy the amazing restaurants that Paros has to offer. Of course it is impossible to try all, but we certainly tried to visit as many as possible. In this blogpost you will find all my food recommendations for Paros!
Greek island cuisine
Paros is part of the Cyclades island group and of course you can find lots of seafood on the menus of restaurants. Paros also has it’s own cheeses and wine. We did a wine tasting & tour at Moiratis winery for 20 euro, where we tasted three glasses of wine and had some little snacks. Make sure to reserve in advance because the tours do get fully booked. If you browse the menu card of Paros’ restaurants, you will often see that they serve Moiratis wine! Furthermore you will find all the typical dishes that the Greek kitchen is known for, such as moussaka, lamb, feta, saganaki etc. Paros, and especially Naoussa focuses a bit on the more up-scale, luxury seeking tourist, so you will find lots of trendy bars and restaurants that serve variations on the traditional menu.
Naoussa restaurants
We stayed in Naoussa so most of my recommendations are Naoussa based. The central square of Naoussa was also what attracted me to visit Paros, I loved the terraces with blue and white chairs situated at the old harbor. Eating in the old harbor of Naoussa is a must for every Paros trip!
Sigi Ikthios: Sigi Ikthios is quite an institution in Paros, it is located in the square overlooking the old harbor. The waiters are super charming and the seafood is fresh. We had the best meal of our week in this restaurant, so we went back another evening. You pay a premium for the beautiful location, but the portions are very generous, which makes it worth it! The pictures with the empty square were taken early in the day, on sunny days it gets absolutely packed and a reservation is recommended.
Daverona restaurant: We walked by this restaurant on our way to our hotel and were very happy that we bumped into it. The pink bougainvillea invited us for dinner and the modern Greek food won us over. If you choose fresh fish it is a bit more expensive than when you take a regular meal. I absolutely loved the ceviche!
Safran restaurant: Another very stylish and upscale restaurant. The lamb was delicious, even though we would have loved to have a bigger side. The waiters were very friendly too. It overlooks a little alleyway, so lots to see during dinner!
Statheros: This iconic restaurant is located right at the beach, overlooking the “little Venice” of Naoussa. I absolutely loved the location, make sure to book for a non-windy day… Not a lot of choices for food but it was good enough and we received a delicious treat after our meal.
Calypso restaurant: We went here for drinks when it was too windy to be outside. It is a charming restaurant, however the food is not authentically Greek, so I decided not to eat here, but it was very well rated, so probably a good choice!
YIANIYAMAS Paros: I debated whether to include this restaurant or not… This restaurant looks lovely, but is highly focused on luxury which made us slightly uncomfortable. They kept filling up our water glasses, it was a bit too much. We wanted to have sushi, so therefore we ended up here, we liked it, but did not love it. The sushi had a bit too much sauce, which wasn’t needed because of the high quality ingredients, but to each their own.
Ντράβαλος Μεζέ: If you are looking for good, authentic, traditional Greek food, this is where you have to go. Definitely the most affordable we ate in Naoussa. From the wine glasses you can see it is not upscale, however the location is great and the food was very tasty.
Rada: This is a restaurant/beach club, I absolutely loved the vibes and the Asian streetfood. You definitely did not feel like you were in Greece, but it more felt like Mallorca… The restaurant is incredibly beautiful and the food was heaven! Again, quite expensive, but a good way to treat yourself.
Ταβέρνα Η Βίγλα: This traditional tavern overlooks Kolympethres beach. They have classic meals, for a reasonable price. It wasn’t great, but it was good and affordable.
Sante cocktail bar: My mother and I didn’t feel like we looked on trend enough to have cocktails at this bar, but the location is such a vibe in the heart of the little alleyways of Naoussa!
Parikia restaurants
Taverna Alexandros: I usually visit restaurants in alleyways, but those hadn’t opened for lunch in May, so we visited this seaside tavern. I felt invited by the beautiful trees that grow over the terrace and luckily the food didn’t let us down. We shared a moussaka and lemon lamb dish, both were very good. The staff was incredibly kind and it was affordable. What more do you want?
Lefkes restaurants
Kafénion, traditional greek café: One of the only open restaurants in May in Lefkes, but a great choice. Lots of homemade sweets and good coffee. And we loved the backdrop with the blue shutters. It overlooks the main cathedral of Lefkes and the owner was kind enough to take our picture.
Marpissa restaurants
Charoula’s Tavern: In Marpissa there also wasn’t a lot of choice of restaurants in May, but this was the restaurant I wanted to visit anyway. The location is lovely and the decoration is great with the blue chairs. The menu is classic and has lots of choice!
Chrisi Akti restaurants
Blue beach bar: We were looking for a location for drinks on the beach, but most of the beach clubs hadn’t opened up yet in the beginning of May. Luckily, we found Blue that answered our prayers. It is located right at the beach, you could even have your lunch at the beach. We loved the music they played: hip versions of sing-a-long songs. You need a car to access though!
Anti Paros restaurants
We visited Anti Paros for Fanari Beach Club, but that wasn’t open yet in the beginning of May (shame on you google!). We therefore had a simple lunch at Bougainvilles instead. The setting is great, the food was okay and affordable. Affordable and tasty margaritas, so make sure to go for drinks!
Naxos Chora restaurants
Chances are high that when you visit Paros, you will visit Naxos too. I found the vibes very different and highly worth at least a day trip. We explored some of Naxos’s restaurants too!
AVATON Coffee & Wine roof: We accidentally bumped into this rooftop bar, that serves small dishes as well. It is located behind a museum and worth it for the views alone. Though the restaurant is quite large, service was personal and the dishes were good.
520 Cocktail Bar Restaurant: Beautiful cocktail bar style restaurant that overlooks the harbor of Chora. I can imagine it being a real vibe when tourist season starts.
Flamingo Restaurant: This restaurant is fully overgrown with a bougainvillea, absolutely charming. Make sure to at least go for drinks!
