10 Best Restaurants in The Cyclades, Greece

A walled courtyard garden full of climbers and greenery, with well-spaced tables under the stars, is the setting for some similarly elegant and refined dishes. An imaginative and creative take on Aegean cuisine, the ingredients are local and traditional but are handled with a light touch with contemporary influences—this is very modern food. Presentation is a joy, befitting a chef who has worked in some of the finest European establishments. 

Fronted by beautiful Agios Ioannis Beach, Hippie Fish is one of the liveliest on-the-beach restaurants—an institution since the 1970s, it has continuously updated and moved with the times, but what it will always be famous for is making the big screen as the 1989 setting for the movie Shirley Valentine, about a dissatisfied housewife "finding herself" on Mykonos. Now offering private dining on the beach with the waves underfoot, visitors can re-create their own cinematic experience.

A century-old building on a tiny cobbled street hosts white-linen tables on a candlelit veranda. Chef and owner Panagiotis Menardos has worked in top kitchens across the Mediterranean, gathering techniques and ingredients to produce artful, contemporary interpretations of local dishes using the best produce from small suppliers. Comforting, sometimes surprising but always interesting and charming, M-eating is regularly regarded as one of the finest restaurants on the island.

An old ceramics factory with a jewel of a courtyard—all stone arches and climbing greenery—is the theater set for the most beautiful restaurant in Ermoupoli. With inspiration from around the globe, this is a very modern iteration of Greek food; ceviches and tartares feature, and some dishes are deconstructed to their constituent parts. An all-day brunch menu makes it an atmospheric place to hang out in the day but as dusk falls the romance notches up as gentle music plays, lights twinkle, and the food gets more ambitious.

Set on a platform on Ormos Isternion Bay, right up against the Aegean Sea with views of Syros, chef and owner Antonia Zarpa produces innovative, well-thought-out dishes that capture the local flavors of her beloved island. Just as pilgrims visit the cathedral, so do food worshippers head to Thalassaki for its ephemeral works of art—the restaurant has such a cult following that speedboats zip over from Mykonos for lunch.

Tucked in a quieter corner of Ornos Bay, Apaggio is sparsely decorated and lined with large open windows for a perfect, unobstructed view of the sea. Romantic fairy lights twinkle overhead as you peruse the menu of Greek classics but it is probably wiser to ask about the selection of local fish. Fresh and simply grilled, this is the authentic way to taste the Island.

Set above the private beach at the exclusive Santa Marina Hotel, Buddha Bar shows off its Greek-island incarnation as part of the renowned upscale chain known for world music, celebrity DJs and chefs, and inspired cocktails. A Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Peruvian-inspired menu may seem out of place in Greece, but the immaculately presented food is popular with the chic and well-heeled crowd who love the boho atmosphere.

In a former historic tomato cannery off the Agios Georgios section of Perivolos Beach, Forty One is a chic, stylish destination for fine Mediterranean dishes, with a calming sea view. Besides creatively presented favorites like regional salads, risotto, pasta, and freshly grilled seafood plates, there are a host of creative cocktails that steal the show and make a fine accompaniment to taking in the black-beach sunset.

With no telephone number or signs, this simple little family-run garden taverna would likely be missed if there wasn’t a constant line of people waiting to grab a table—in the summer, expect to wait up to an hour. The sea views of Agios Sostis Beach are relaxing, and the perfect thing to gaze at as you wait for your meat and fish dishes that will be expertly grilled on a barbecue. The specialty is the pork cutlet but most traditional Greek tavern dishes are served with salads and creamy dips. To find it, head down a few steps toward Agios Sostis, but before the beach, off the paved walkway, follow the smell of barbecue and look for a line of hungry people.

A lovingly decorated mansion is home to one of the island's best cellars with a deep and extensive international list. The food is no afterthought though; eclectic and creative magic goes on in the kitchen as a mainly Mediterranean menu is put through its paces. The rooftop terrace is a favorite for sunset views, but the vaulted-ceilinged dining room can be a wiser option on blustery summer nights—either way, it is a wonderful place to spend an evening.