2 Best Restaurants in Isternia, The Cyclades

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.

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.