8 Best Restaurants in Syros, The Cyclades

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. 

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.

French-trained chef Kostas Bougiouris lends his expertise to this waterside restaurant. Almost on the beach, the setting is elegant and the cooking focuses on seafood and local Syros products, presented in a modern, creative style. The most gourmet of Syros eateries, crisp linen and a sophisticated white design are the background to the immaculately plated dishes. Romantic and intimate in atmosphere, attentive staff ensure that every visit is memorable.

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; there are ceviches, tartares, and foams, and some dishes are deconstructed to their constituent parts. As dusk falls the romance notches up as gentle music plays, lights twinkle, and the ambitious food matches the dramatic setting.

Located right on the beach in Kini, on a raised, whitewashed dining space lined with pretty white curtains, Allou Yialou is known for its spectacular sunset dining. It's also where everyone goes for Greek dishes that take on a delightful and delicious gourmet twist. Chef Lina Fournistaki and her husband Yiannis pay close attention to service, and the presentation is impressive—it is rightly an island favorite with the locals for a special meal.

The colorful taverna-style restaurant is set in a bougainvillea-laced courtyard at the end of the "Dining Mile" in Ermoupoli. Local Cycladic ingredients are fused with modern techniques and cooking styles to good effect on the menu, with influences from Thessaloniki and the further Mediterranean. Presentation is intricate and picturesque and the service is welcoming from the proud husband and wife owners.

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.

Located in the central market, To Kastri is run by the Women’s Union of Syros, a group of ladies who cook 10 dishes a day—home cooking so good that local housewives secretly buy food for their husband's midday meals here. Open all year, this cafeteria often sells out by early afternoon.