87 Best Restaurants in The Cyclades, Greece

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.

Tucked in a quieter corner of Ornos Bay, Apaggio is romantically decorated with a ceiling of hanging lights and lined with large open windows for a perfect, unobstructed view of the sea. Octopus dry in the sun 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.

Overlooking pretty Platis Gialos Beach, Avli tou Thodori offers beachfront dining in an elegant Cycladic setting. More of a taverna than banging beach bar, the focus is on an eclectic Greek-centered menu and excellent presentation. The name of the restaurant translates to Thodori's yard, a dedication to owner Thanassis Kousathanas's late father, a Mykonian fisherman whose black-and-white portraits are hung with pride.

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.

A jasmine-scented front garden, candlelit at night, and an antiques-filled salon are the charming settings in a centuries-old sea captain's house for this traditional taverna. All the classics are there, but perhaps the best approach is to order from the sizable meze selection, wash it down with the very palatable house white, and soak in the cozy atmosphere.

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.

In a former 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 is a sushi menu and a host of creative cocktails that make a fine accompaniment to taking in the black-beach sunset.

The reward for the trek to the highest point in Pyrgos is a seat at Franco's Café where cocktails and light snacks are served on breezy terraces overlooking the village, vineyards, and the sea. This spot is especially popular at sunset, but does a brisk business throughout the day, when the bar brews great coffee.

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.

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 it will always be famous for making the big screen as the 1989 setting for the movie Shirley Valentine, about a dissatisfied housewife "finding herself" on Mykonos. Now offering dining on the beach with the waves underfoot, visitors can re-create their own cinematic experience.

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.

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.

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.

For more than 50 years this fresh-fish taverna is where those in the know (as well as many fishermen themselves) come for solid, no-frills food. The best choice is the catch of the day; you can pick your own fish or seafood and ask for it to be simply grilled. The menu depends on the weather, but there is always a grilled meat option if the weather is bad, and there are fine classic side dishes to choose from.  Attentive service, a more than adequate wine list, and a quiet setting add up to a recommended destination.

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.

Hidden away in the Dilou quarter, this is one of the most reputable restaurants on the island, featuring the best of both French and Greek cuisine, which makes it well worth the search to find it. Once you're here you'll see a handful of linen-laden tables sat under a canopy of brilliant bougainvillea in an iconic Mykonos photo pose, while the lovely whitewashed candlelit interior features Cycladic arches and a faded 16th-century tapestry from Constantinople. It is very elegant, very sophisticated and very expensive but the fine food and excellent, hospitable service keep people coming.

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.

Good food is enhanced here by the pretty location, a few feet from the fishing boats on Naousa's harbor. The taverna specializes in fresh fish (from the fisherman a few feet away) and also fine cuisine. Such starters as tuna carpaccio with aromatic oil and smoked salt, and grilled octopus with bucovo and caper sauce segue to complex entrées like seafood pasta with diced asparagus and saffron, or fresh fresh fish baked in a salt crust (order this in advance). For dessert, try the traditional spoon sweets made by Mario's mother.

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.