42 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 Ayios Georgios Bay. The line of drying octopus may be out, evidence of Captain Pipinos's pride in serving the freshest seafood on the island. Marcos Pipinos's family boats come in each day with fresh seafood.

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.

Chef George Mavridis is an expert at merging the flavors of traditional Greek dishes with contemporary tastes to offer an exciting menu that is beautifully presented. The dining space, a whitewashed indoor room and garden dining area shrouded by vines, is inviting. Menus change seasonally but expect Asian and Italian flavors to sit aside the best Greek produce. Attentive and unhurried service makes for the best dining on the island.

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 flavorsof her beloved island. Just as pilgrims visit the Cathedral, so do foodie-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.

A jasmine-shaded front garden, candle-lit at night, and an antique-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.

Dimitris and Koula Kapris's beachfront taverna is popular both with sun worshippers on Ayia 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.

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 Ayios 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 Ayios Sostis, but before the beach, off the paved walkway, follow the smell of barbecue and look for a line of hungry people.

This long-established fresh-fish taverna is where many fishermen themselves come for solid, no-frills food. There are a handful of meat dishes but the best choice is the catch of the day—you can pick your own fish—and ask for it to be simply grilled. The menu depends on the weather—high winds means not many fish. Even in simple places such as Kounelas, fresh fish can be expensive.

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.

This traditional taverna's stone terrace, which sits in the old hilltop town of Ano Syros, offers one of the best panoramic sea views beyond Ermoupoli and the port. The tavern has been in the Roussos family for three generations, establishing it as a local favorite. Trained chef Leonardo Roussos has taken over and still believes in the simple beauty of local flavors and it shows, with classic flavorful dishes such as a caper dip and local sausage with anise. Try his homemade kokkinisto, a tomato beef stew. Below the restaurant the original enclosed tavern space, opened by his grandfather, is filled with memorabilia including a working jukebox and original tavern furniture. It's still in use and gives a glimpse of what original taverns and rembetika places were like in their heyday.