51 Best Restaurants in The Cyclades, Greece

Since 1922, three generations of the Roussos family have offered hospitality and fine food in this tiny blue-and-white taverna. Outside, tables overlook the caldera; inside, murals and paintings are by the owner. Traditional recipes and local ingredients are given room to shine and are presented well by the attentive staff. If you are lucky enough to get a reservation, the cozy atmosphere may well find you chatting with fellow diners who are just as pleased with their choice.

Dining here is on an elevated veranda right above the calm blue waters of Agios Georgios Bay. The line of drying octopus may be out, 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.

Who wants some tasty Italian food with a view? This place does what it says on the tin—great pasta and pizza for all. Handmade on the premises everyday, the dishes are authentic and use ingredients from the local area to great effect. A punky soundtrack and a funky cocktail list add to the happy aura in this hillside gem.

The standout option for locals and visitors alike amid the tavernas that cling to Pollonia's pretty waterfront. Small plates showcase local specialties artfully presented, while mains update traditional recipes to luxurious gourmet dishes. Into its second decade, service is assured and friendly and it is one of the best places on the island to while away an afternoon or evening.

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.

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, friendly and attentive staff ensure that every visit is memorable.

The old open-air cinema, steps away from the main street, has been lovingly reimagined as the island's gastronomic hot spot. A romantic pastel-painted courtyard festooned with greenery fronts the clearest expression of Tinos's outstanding produce, where clever contemporary trends are married to traditional techniques and recipes. Elegant and beautifully plated, dishes are offered by a brother and sister team proud of their island heritage. Every Greek child knows the song "There was a little boat" (Itan ena mikro karavi) and every visitor to Tinos should know its impressive namesake.

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.

On a cliff-side setting by the brilliantly painted huts of Mandrakia is the island's best fish taverna. The very essence of summer is to be had on the large terrace on the waterfront. The view is sublime but the food more than punches its weight. Order a bottle of white from their well-chosen list and enjoy the best seafood with the waves splashing by your feet.

An intimate little garden, away from the wind and noise, is a secret culinary haven where candlelit tables carry dishes for the gods in the moonlit sky above. Nostimon means delicious and it doesn't disappoint as it strives to offer modernized Greek classics. The cooking is authentic but elevated with interesting flavors and textures—an average Greek taverna this is not.

Magic happens in the kitchens of this farm-to-table eatery. A handwritten menu in a school exercise book guides you around the local approach of the Psatha family; if they can't grow it or rear it themselves, they don't sell it. The ingredients in front of you shout of the sun and the earth, all served in a leafy courtyard where geraniums fight for space with herbs for the pot. Quirky touches abound—your bread hangs from the back of your chair in a string bag, and meals are served on handmade terra-cotta—but it all makes sense in this singular evocation of the islands terroir.

Fancy dining with the sand between your toes and the waves lapping nearby? Palatia on Agia Anna Beach fits the bill with traditional fare and a stunning view. Decorated in simple Cycladic style, with tables on the beach itself the menu features fresh seafood specialties and Naxian plates created with locally sourced ingredients. The whole beach dining scene can only be bettered if accompanied by a blazing sunset.

A 19th-century mansion is the stage for one of Santorini's most storied eateries; a traditional white exterior and glossy painted door lead to a chic interior and a stupendous terrace with caldera views on all sides; people call to not only make reservations but to request specific tables. The food is a match for the surroundings; assured and confident, it is an elevated take on the traditional island cuisine with a very seductive wine list to complement it.

A pastel-yellow courtyard hidden among the sea captains' mansions is where those in the know come to eat in Ia. Elegant and delicious, these modern Greek updates on classic cooking are rays of sunshine among the more tourist-oriented fare elsewhere. Rooted in island ingredients, this is food to make you smile. Friendly and down-to-earth staff help to make the experience memorable and the all-Greek wine list is particularly strong on the local Santorini offerings.

For many repeat visitors a trip to Paros is unthinkable without a visit to Siparos. This storied eatery is along the coast of Naousa Bay in the beach town of Santa Maria and well deserves its reputation as one of the island's finest. A stunning seaside location is enhanced by an elegant and modern design. Bold, contemporary tastes are teased from traditional recipes but it is in the fish dishes that the local Paros flavors sing loudest.

The first of the Ammoudi fish houses that opened in the 1980s is still a standout among the several excellent tavernas that line the quay in this tiny fishing port just below Ia—you can walk down and take a cab back to town. Lapping waves, bobbing fishing boats, and tables so close to the water's edge that a clumsy move might add a swim to the evening's entertainment, testify to the freshness of the fish, which is simply grilled. Most diners arrive in time to witness the sunset, but the meal often steals the show.

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.

Located right off 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 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.

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.

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.

A jasmine-shaded 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 family taverna. All the classics are there, but perhaps the best approach is to order from the sizeable meze selection, wash it down with the very palatable house white, and soak in the cozy atmosphere.

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.

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 speciality, and the fresh catch kept on ice is nicely grilled and served with generous salads.

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.

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. The house wine comes from their own vineyards.

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.

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 superfresh juices.