Restaurants on Naxos – and local food to try

Text and photo: Helena Bergström

There are plenty of restaurants on Naxos, not least in Naxos town where the selection ranges from traditional Greek tavernas to hip rooftop bars and restaurants with food from different parts of the world. During our days on the island we managed to try several different restaurants, while of course we took the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with some of Naxos' local specialties.

Here we tell you about three restaurants in Naxos town and one in the mountain village of Apeiranthos. There will also be local cheese, spoon sweets and a visit to a distillery where Naxos' special Kitron is made.

Apostolis in Naxos Town – popular and charming

Apostolis is incredibly charmingly located in the middle of the old town, on a small square that almost feels like a courtyard. Colorful lights hang on ropes above the tables and right at the entrance an old yellow bicycle hangs on the wall. It's definitely an environment that looks good in pictures.

And it's popular! While there were tables available at several other restaurants nearby, the queue to Apostoli's was long and many guests had booked tables in advance. The staff worked hard to accommodate everyone and did an impressive job, but the atmosphere almost became a bit hectic.

Why is Apostolis so popular? The charming setting and location are of course important, the food has a good reputation and the restaurant is frequently seen on social media. When many people want to go to the same place, popularity tends to breed even more popularity.

We got here quite late in the evening and after a bit of queuing we didn't get food until around 10pm. Way too late for us! A small tip for Scandinavians who are used to eating earlier is to come at 7 or 7:30pm. Then the big dinner rush hasn't really started.

Many small dishes at Apostolis

Even before we ordered, we were given a small mini carafe of pumpkin soup and some bread. After that, we ordered three starters and a salad to share.

There were meatballs, deep-fried lamb balls, Greek salad and a really good cheese dish: breaded kefalotyri saganaki with tomato marmalade. The combination of the salty cheese and the sweet side dish was very successful. The dish is also described as one of Apostoli's specialties, where the cheese is breaded with nuts.

The portions were generous and we realized once again that we had ordered too much. Everything was very tasty, though. The restaurant also offered a dessert to share, a kind of cheesecake with a crispy, deep-fried coating. And yes – it was also very tasty!

As if the evening wasn't Greek enough already, it ended with a man appearing and playing languid melodies on the accordion. It certainly felt very Greek all the time!

Avaton in Naxos Town – Dinner on the Rooftop

Avaton offers a fantastic rooftop terrace with a view of Naxos town. It is really nice to come here in the early evening, order a drink and watch the red-yellow sky slowly change into the evening. The environment could hardly be better. The atmosphere is young and happy, but at the same time relaxed and chill.

Of course, it's perfectly fine to stay after the drink and order something to eat. By now we had learned not to order too much, so we had a starter and a main course to share.

Both dishes came at the same time – the starter and main course thing doesn't always work quite like it does back home in Sweden – and the amount of food was more than enough for the two of us. We had tomato balls with feta cheese and a lamb stew with eggplant puree. Both dishes tasted excellent.

Spoon sweets with yogurt

For dessert we chose something more traditional: spoon sweets, or Glyco tou koutaliou. It is about fruit or other ingredients that have been preserved in a sweet layer and which were traditionally served with a spoon when guests came. On Naxos they are made from cherries, lemon fruit, among other things lemon, quince and sour cherries.

We got our spoon sweets with creamy yogurt. The taste and texture were almost a bit like marmalade candy with yogurt. Delicious and definitely a fun thing to try, even if it might not have qualified as one of our absolute favorite desserts.

The biggest asset at Avaton was the location, the view and the lovely atmosphere on the rooftop. You can come here just for a drink, or let the drink turn into dinner.

Paloma Cocktail Bar & Restaurant in Naxos Town

When you are in Greece, you naturally want to eat Greek food. But sometimes it is also fun to break away with something completely different. Paloma Cocktail Bar & Restaurant serves Mexican and Japanese as well as other internationally inspired dishes. The restaurant has a nice location by the harbor and we got a table right by the windows with a lovely view of the water.

Once again we discovered the advantage of arriving early. It is easier to get a good table and the staff has plenty of time.

As a starter we ordered a shrimp cocktail to share. It didn't look at all like the shrimp cocktail we had imagined, but oh how delicious it was! Large, fine shrimp were served in a reddish sauce with lime. Yum! As a main course we had chicken skewers with teriyaki sauce, rice and sesame seeds. Also very tasty.

We finished with a really delicious cheesecake that almost melted in your mouth. This was the kind of dinner when you leave the restaurant wonderfully satisfied with the entire meal.

Amorginos in Apeiranthos – here we tried rosto

During our guided bus tour of Naxos, we made a one and a half hour stop in the mountain village of Apeiranthos. This gave us just enough time for lunch and the guide recommended the restaurant Amorginos.

We got a nice spot with a fantastic view of the mountains and decided to try something that really belongs here: roast.

Rosto is strongly associated with Apeiranthos and is traditionally made from pork that is seasoned heavily with garlic, salt and pepper, browned and cooked with wine, among other things. In the traditional recipe published by the official Naxos tourism website, the meat is served with pasta that is mixed with the sauce.

At Amorginos we got fries instead with our roast. Maybe not the most traditional side dish, but it was delicious! The meat was very tender and the sauce was rich and flavorful with a real garlic flavor.

Local cheese from Naxos

We also ordered a small piece arsenic, one of Naxos' traditional hard cheeses. The cheese is made in the island's mountainous regions from sheep's or goat's milk and develops an increasingly strong and piquant flavor as it ages. Our piece was really flavorful, and very good.

We were very happy with the lunch and really only regretted one thing: that we happened to order a portion of rosto each. One would have been more than enough to share!

Vallindra's Kitron Distillery in Halki

During the bus tour we also made a stop in the charming village of Halki. Here is an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with one of Naxos' most special drinks: Lemon.

At Vallindras Kitron Distillery you can try different varieties and at the same time see old copper boilers and other equipment used in production.

The family distillery business started around 1870 and in 1896 Markos Vallindras developed the type of Kitron that has become a specialty of Naxos. The drink is made with leaves from the lemon tree – Citrus medica – and should not be confused with regular lemon liqueur.

We bought a sample and got to taste the different varieties. Fun, and delicious! Quite strong, yes. Afterwards there is of course the opportunity to buy a bottle to take home, and there are also small bottles for those who don't want to fill their suitcase with alcohol.

What to eat on Naxos?

Naxos is a bit different from many other islands in the Cyclades in that the island is large and fertile. It produces potatoes, vegetables, fruit, honey, wine and an impressive variety of cheeses. Some local dishes and products that can be fun to look out for are:

• Rosto – slow-cooked pork with plenty of garlic, particularly associated with the mountain village of Apeiranthos. We tried it at Amorginos.
• Arsenic – a tasty, aged hard cheese from the mountainous regions of Naxos. A cheese for those who like a little more power in the taste.
• Engrave Naxou – perhaps the most famous of Naxos’ many cheeses. Graviera Naxou is a protected designation of origin and is made mainly from cow’s milk, with the possibility of a smaller proportion of sheep’s and goat’s milk.
• Mizithra and xinomizithra – fresh, softer cheeses. Xinomizithra has a slightly sour taste.
• Potatoes from Naxos – the island is famous for its potatoes, which are grown in the fertile soil and are considered one of Naxos' most important local products.
• Lamb and goat – meat from the island appears in many traditional dishes and is worth looking out for on tavern menus.
• Spoon sweets – fruit and other ingredients cooked in sugar syrup and traditionally served as a small sweet to guests. We ate ours with yogurt.
• Melachrino – a traditional walnut cake that contains a dash of Kitron and is often served with kaimaki ice cream. We missed this one ourselves – reason to return perhaps?
• Honey – another local product produced on the island.
• Lemon – Naxos' characteristic liqueur, made with leaves from the lemon tree Citrus medica.
• Local wine – winegrowing has a long tradition on Naxos and there are several local grape varieties. Feel free to ask for local wine at the restaurant.

Some reflections on restaurants on Naxos

Having previously visited several smaller Greek islands, we found the food scene on Naxos to be quite international, especially in Naxos town. There are rooftop bars, hip restaurants and a wide range of food from different parts of the world – not just traditional Greek food.

It's fun in its own way, while we personally often find that the most fun is discovering what's local and genuine.

We ate very well at all the restaurants we visited. At the same time, we noticed how hugely popular some places were. At one restaurant there could be a long line while there were plenty of free tables at another just a short distance away.

Of course, this could be due to quality, service and environment. But we also got the feeling that some restaurants simply get really hyped. When we spoke to the staff at our hotel, they confirmed that there are many really good restaurants on Naxos – not just the ones that all the tourists seem to be queuing up for.

So perhaps our best advice is still: Try yourself. Eat rosto in the mountain village where the dish belongs, taste a local cheese you've never heard of – and sometimes dare to choose that little tavern that has no queue at all.