Greece › Naxos › Best Restaurants
By Santorini Dave
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Typografio restaurant in Naxos Town.
Dining in Naxos
- Meal Times: Greeks eat late. Lunch is typically around 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. and dinner around 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. Restaurants in Naxos Town and the beach resorts start serving earlier, so eating at 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. is easy, though restaurants get busier later. Breakfast is not a major meal in Greece.
- Reservations: Most restaurants in Naxos don’t require reservations. For small restaurants, popular places, and anywhere you want a good sunset table, book ahead in July and August.
- Water: Tap water in Naxos is safe to drink but doesn’t taste particularly good. Restaurants generally serve bottled water.
- Naxian Food: Naxos has some of the best local produce in the Cyclades. The island is particularly known for potatoes, cheeses, lamb and goat, citrus fruit, honey, wine, kitron liqueur, and fresh fish. Look for graviera cheese, arseniko cheese, rosto (pork cooked with wine and garlic), and kalogeros (beef with eggplant and cheese).
- Wine: Naxos produces some good local wine, and most of the better restaurants have a solid selection of Greek wines. For whites, look for Assyrtiko, especially from nearby Santorini. Moschofilero is another good Greek white to try. Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro are two of the better-known Greek red varieties.
- Tipping: Tipping is customary but modest. At a casual taverna, I usually round up or leave a few euros. At a nicer restaurant, 5 to 10% is plenty. At bars and cafés, round up for counter service or leave a small tip for table service.
The Best Places to Eat in Naxos
- Greek Cooking Classes: The Half-Day Cooking Class at Basiliko Family Tavern is my favorite cooking class on Naxos, with local dishes prepared in a small inland village. It often sells out, so book early. If it’s full, try the Greek Cooking Class & Dinner.
- Where to Eat: Naxos Town has the island’s largest selection of restaurants and almost all of its nightlife. The waterfront is best for harbor and sunset views, but I generally prefer the restaurants in the Old Town for food. All restaurants below are in Naxos Town unless another location is listed.
- Best Romantic Restaurant: Doukato.
- Best Traditional Greek Taverna: To Elleniko.
- Best Restaurant with Sunset Views: Boulamatsis.
- Best Gyros and Souvlaki: To Souvlaki tou Maki.
- Best Beach Club: Yazoo Summer Bliss on Plaka Beach.
- Best Ice Cream: Mitatos Ice Cream on Plaka Beach.
- Best Hotel Restaurant: Nissaki Restaurant at Nissaki Beach Hotel on Agios Georgios Beach.
The 17 Best Restaurants in Naxos
1. To Elleniko – Naxos Town • $$
+30 22850 27050
Family-owned traditional Greek restaurant with indoor seating and a large garden patio. Excellent local vegetables, cheeses, seafood, and meat, including Naxian goat, plus plenty of vegetarian dishes. Portions are enormous and service is friendly. Open for lunch and dinner. Reservations are recommended for dinner.2. Doukato – Naxos Town • $$
+30 22850 27013
My favorite romantic restaurant in Naxos Town, set in the courtyard of an old monastery with tables on the cobblestones under a large tree. The menu is Greek and Naxian; specialties include gouna (sun-dried mackerel) and saganaki kataifi (fried cheese wrapped in shredded phyllo). Dinner only. Reserve ahead in high season.3. Nostimon Hellas – Naxos Town • $$
+30 22850 25811
Excellent breakfast and lunch spot near Agios Georgios Beach, with Greek and Mediterranean dishes, good vegetarian options, coffee, fresh juices, and a pleasant garden. A good choice when you want something lighter than a traditional taverna meal.4. Barozzi Restaurant & Cocktail Bar – Naxos Town • $$$
+30 22850 27672
The best fine-dining restaurant in Naxos Town, in a renovated 1930s mansion. The menu changes regularly and uses local ingredients in more ambitious, modern dishes than you’ll find at the island’s traditional tavernas. Excellent Greek wine list and cocktails. Open evenings from May through October.5. Boulamatsis – Naxos Town • $$
+30 22850 24227
My favorite Naxos Town restaurant for traditional Greek food with a harbor view. Moussaka, grilled fish, courgette fritters, local vegetables, and cheeses are all good. About half the menu is vegetarian. It gets busy around sunset, so reserve ahead if the view matters. The entrance is on the street behind the waterfront.6. To Souvlaki tou Maki – Naxos Town • $
+30 22850 26002
The best souvlaki and gyros in Naxos. This tiny grill house serves locally raised meats and excellent hand-cut fries made with Naxos potatoes, along with homemade wine and Greek beer. Indoor and outdoor seating. Cheap, casual, and consistently good.7. Giannoulis Taverna – Agios Prokopios Beach • $$
+30 22850 42333
Family taverna serving traditional Greek and Naxian food in Agios Prokopios. Local specialties include rosto (pork cooked with wine and garlic) and rabbit stew. Meals usually begin with a complimentary black-eyed pea starter and finish with dessert and ouzo. No reservations. Get there early for dinner or expect a wait.8. O Vasilis – Melanes • $$
+30 22850 62374
One of my favorite inland tavernas. The family raises or grows much of what they serve, including rabbit, lamb, pork, vegetables, and other produce. The garden terrace looks across Melanes toward the church and surrounding mountains. Worth the drive for a long lunch or dinner away from the beach resorts.9. Rotonda – Filoti-Apeiranthos Road • $$
+30 22850 61254
One of the best restaurant views on Naxos, on the mountain road between Filoti and Apeiranthos. The terrace looks across the mountains and western Naxos to the Aegean and is especially good around sunset. The broad Greek-Mediterranean menu includes traditional Naxian dishes, grilled meats, pasta, and salads. Open for lunch and dinner.10. Lithos – Naxos Town • $$
+30 22850 26602
Small restaurant in the Old Town with tables on the cobblestone steps leading toward the Kastro. The Mediterranean menu is especially good for seafood, risotto, grilled meats, and salads with Naxian vegetables and cheeses. Good house white wine and friendly service. Seating is limited, so reserve ahead for dinner.11. Kitron Café Cocktail Bar – Chalki • $
+30 22850 32964
Small café and bar near the Vallindras kitron distillery, serving kitron-based cocktails, excellent coffee, Greek sweets, and light food. It’s busier with visitors during the day and much more local at night. Hours vary. There is another Kitron bar in Naxos Town, so make sure you’re heading to the one in Chalki.12. Yazoo Summer Bliss – Plaka Beach • $$
+30 22850 41233
My favorite beach bar in Naxos. Yazoo sits directly on Plaka Beach and serves Greek and Mediterranean food with plenty of Naxian ingredients, plus good cocktails and Greek wines. It’s lively later in the day and regularly hosts DJs, live music, and summer events. Good for breakfast or lunch, but even better for late-afternoon drinks that turn into dinner.13. Santana Beach Club – Agia Anna Beach • $$
+30 22850 42841
The most stylish beach club in Naxos, right on Agia Anna Beach. Good cocktails, Greek and international wine and beer, and a casual Mediterranean menu with pizza, grilled meat, and pasta. Regular DJs and parties in summer. Come for the beach and drinks rather than making a special trip just for the food.14. Oniro Wine Bar Restaurant – Naxos Town • $$
+30 22850 23846
Two rooftop terraces in the Old Town with sunset views toward the Kastro and sea. The menu focuses on Naxian dishes and ingredients; look for kalogeros (beef, eggplant, and cheese) and graviera kataifi. One of the better wine selections in the Old Town, though choices by the glass are limited. Good for a quiet dinner away from the waterfront.15. Typografio – Naxos Town • $$
+30 22850 22375
Set in a former newspaper press at the base of the Kastro, Typografio serves contemporary Greek food on two outdoor terraces. The upper terrace has the better view over the Old Town toward the sea. A good choice for a romantic dinner; reserve ahead in high season.16. Patatosporos – Plaka Beach • $$
+30 69787 33402
Excellent seafood taverna close to the sand. Patatosporos moved from Agia Anna to Plaka Beach in 2025 and is now next to Nomad Beach Bar (photo above is from the Agia Anna location). Fresh fish and seafood are the reason to come, along with Naxos potatoes and simple Greek meze. Good for a late lunch or sunset dinner. Reservations are recommended in the evening.17. To Spitiko – Naxos Town • $
+30 22850 26212
Family-run grill house at the port specializing in souvlaki and gyros, with plenty of other meat and vegetarian dishes and a good selection of Greek beer and wine. Very casual and good for a quick meal, sunset people-watching, or food before heading to the nearby bars.
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