My 7 favourite restaurants in Skyros

When people ask me which Greek island is my favourite, or which one to visit (a frequently asked but rather difficult question to answer), Skyros is always the first to come to mind. I have to admit that I am somewhat biased, as this is my late grandfather’s home island; not only do I have precious memories of spending my early childhood summers there, I also have beloved relatives still living on the island. For this reason, I’ve visited Skyros more times than any other island, which is why I am convinced it really is the best Greek island to visit. Having recently shared the list of my 7 favourite bars in Skyros, it’s now the time to share my 7 favourite restaurants in Skyros.

Stefanos

Every time I visit Skyros, I start my holiday with a swim in the clear blue waters of the Aegean. Molos beach, located on the east coast of the island, is one of my favourites. This is a large organized beach, extending south to the coastal settlement of Magazia and north to Pouria and Gyrismata. Most of the accommodation on the island, from rooms for rent to luxury hotels, is located here. Here you will also find bars and taverns and restaurants just a few meters from the sea.

I then head to one of my favourite restaurants in Skyros. Stefanos is famous for the lobster spaghetti (astakomakaronada), the speciality of the island. Apart from the lobster spaghetti, Skyrian cuisine is also famous for its lemony goat (katsikaki lemonato). Typical appetizers/side dishes are the teroptes (cheese pies made with trahana) and the ladopita (bread fried in oil), served with soft and easy-to-spread locally produced xynotyri (sour cheese). Apart from xynotyri, other locally produced cheeses are mizithra and graviera. Other traditional products of Skyros are fava (yellow split peas), honey, fruits (i.e. figs), spoon sweets, and locally produced wine.

Oi Istories tou Barba

Oi Istories tou Barba (Barba’s Stories) is another seaside fish tavern in Molos. Although I first dined there only last summer, I went back several times and it has now become one of my favourite restaurants in Skyros. I found the menu particularly interesting, and I tried dishes I had never had (or even heard) before, especially the pasta dishes with seafood.

O Mylos tou Balabani

O Mylos tou Balabani (Balabani’s Mill) offers a wonderful view of Hora (also spelt Chora), the capital and main settlement of Skyros. Although this is also a seaside tavern, I always order meatballs.

O Pappous Mou Ki Ego

Built amphitheatrically on the slopes of a 179-meter-high hill, Hora offers panoramic views of the Aegean Sea. From the Central Square, it is worth ascending in the direction of the Castle (Kastro), at the top of the hill. Whilst strolling around the snarl of cobblestone alleys that make up the village, you will breathe in the soft yet distinctive aroma of jasmine. You will also come across several small churches and chapels, painted white, sometimes with blue domes. Many of these are dedicated to Virgin Mary (Panagia): Panagia Melikarou, Kyra Psomou, Panagia Eleimonitria.

Just a few metres away from the latter, there’s another one of my favourite restaurants in Skyros: O Pappous Mou Ki Ego (My Grandfather and I).

To Skyriani

This is another tavern in Hora, just a few metres away from the Central Square. Here I first tried homemade Skyrian pasta, traditionally made during the Carnival, a festival that takes place in February/early March. In Greece, the Carnival season is the 3 weeks preceding the 40-day fast leading up to the Greek Orthodox Easter. In Skyros, men wander around wearing black capes and white trousers with clanging goat bells hanging from their belts.

Stamatia

Pefkos is a picturesque bay on the west coast of the island, north of the port town Linaria. Here you’ll find Stamatia’s tavern, where I’ve had a delicious seafood kritharoto (orzo with squid, cuttlefish and shrimp) and pastitsio (a baked pasta dish with minced meat and béchamel sauce).

Mouries

South of Linaria, there is Kalamitsa beach. Not far from there, but inland, there is the tavern Mouries (Mulberries), where I had delicious moussaka in the shade of huge mulberries.

From there, you can return to Hora through the coastal settlement of Aspi. On your way, your will come across farms with the characteristic small horses. Standing just 3.2 to 3.6 feet (90 to 100 cm) tall, they are commonly but mistakenly referred to as ponies. The Skyrian Horse is a breed of miniature horse unique to Skyros. One of the rarest horse breeds in the world, the Skyrian horse is a protected species; only a couple of hundred horses now remain. Once also found in mainland Greece, nowadays, they can only be found in Skyros (either in the wild or in farms).

After dinner

After dinner, return to Hora and stop at Hiotis or at Faltaina’s for takeaway dessert, or ice cream. I would recommend ‘amygdaloto’ – a marzipan-based bite-size dessert, or even the ice cream of the same flavour.

Afterwards, it’s time for a cocktail or two; Hora is not short of choice. Akamatra and Agora, both situated by the Central Square, really come to life in the late evening; their roofs are not to be missed as they offer a wonderful view of the Castle and the monastery. If you follow Megali Strata’uphill, you will come across Oino, another excellent choice for cocktails. There’s also the café-bar Rodon, which also has a roof. You’ll find it next to the church Panagia Melikarou.

Further reading

To better prepare for your trip, I would recommend the Lonely Planet Greek Islands Travel Guide.

For more up-to-date information, you can check out the site visit-skyros.gr.

You can also check out my previously published posts about Skyros:

Traveling around Skyros with a local

Skyros: the island of wellness & wellbeing

Alex

(the Traveling Psychiatrist)