Where to eat in Naxos Greece! Includes the best restaurants in Naxos, what local dishes to look for, and the best food in Naxos.
Where to eat in Naxos Greece
Naxos in Greece is known for its amazing food. It’s an ideal place to taste delicious traditional Greek food in the local tavernas, or to take a Naxos food tour if you only have limited time to explore the island.
I’m Vanessa from Athens. I spent the whole of May 2024 in Naxos with my partner Dave, and we had the pleasure to visit many fantastic tavernas with great food! We also went to a couple that were decent, but wouldn’t necessarily recommend them based on our experience on the day.
As we visited in the shoulder season, none of the tavernas were crowded, and we had a chance to chat with the taverna owners and waiters. You can expect things to be different in peak season, when you may have to wait for a while to be seated, and service might be slow.
So, here are some of the best places to eat in Naxos Greece.
Best food in Naxos Town – Maro’s taverna
Maro’s taverna is a local, no-frills taverna serving huge portions of traditional Greek food. I’ve been here a few times over the years and love their dishes!
If you want to taste a selection of dishes, you can actually ask for half portions, which are really good value. This was their stuffed cabbage leaves with mince meat and rice, lahanontolmades.
Maro’s taverna, also known as Stis Maros, is located a short distance from Naxos castle and Agios Georgios beach. Here it is on Google Maps.
Naxos Chora – Ta Filarakia
Ta Filarakia is a small, no-frills taverna in Naxos Town where many of the locals hang out for a meal or just a drink. The food is pretty good, and the local ambiance makes up for the absence of any view.
In my experience this was the best budget restaurant in Naxos Town, and worth visiting once – or twice – for simple Greek food without the tourist price tags.
Ta Filarakia is tucked away in one of the backstreets, just behind Naxos castle. Here it is on Google Maps.
Where to eat in Chora Naxos – To Kati Allo
This restaurant is located on one of the backstreets in Naxos town, very close to the seafront. They have a good selection of starters and mains, and prices are reasonable – but it’s not a budget restaurant.
For some reason I had enjoyed that restaurant more the last time I was there, back in 2020, but this year it was still very early in the season and they hadn’t opened up fully yet. Still, there was nothing wrong with our meal, and the portions were quite large.
Here is To Kati Allo on Google Maps.
The best food in Naxos – Galanis in Chalki
Chalki is a village in the center of Naxos, about 16 km from Chora. Here, you will find a small local taverna called Galanis. This was our favourite restaurant in Naxos, and in fact we ate here twice.
Everything is delicious, especially their incredible homemade Naxos fries and fried meatballs. On top of that, our meals were really good value, the waiter was super friendly, and we even had their trademark galaktomboureko dessert on the house!
Galanis is a lovely place to sit for an hour or two if you can actually find a seat. We struggled finding a table the second time we visited, and it was only early in the season, so I can’t imagine how popular they’ll be in summer.
Here is O Galanis on Google Maps. Close by, you will find O Vallindras, where you can have a taste of the local kitro liqueur.
Delicious food in Naxos – O Vassilis in Melanes
In my opinion, this is one of the best places to eat in Naxos Greece. It’s a family-run taverna with yummy food, and all ingredients are their own.
We visited on a very quiet day, but the food was amazing nevertheless. The view here is great!
This is a lovely taverna to go before (or after) you’ve visited the two nearby Kouroi – in Flerio and Faraggi.
You can find O Vassilis in Melanes village – here it is on Google Maps.
Tip: Apart from the Kouroi statues, another landmark near Melanes is the abandoned monastery of Kalamitsia. There’s a dirt road in not-so-great condition leading there. If you like abandoned buildings, check it out for sure!
Where to eat in Filoti Naxos
Filoti is one of the largest mountain villages in Naxos, and we visited on Easter Sunday, with very overcast weather. We had a meal at a local taverna that had been recommended, called Boukia Boukia – which means “Bite Bite” in Greek.
We had the dish of the day, called patoudo – goat stuffed with rice, spinach and herbs, and a nice Naxos salad. The main dish was tasty, but came out cold – it’s true that the taverna was busy on that day, but the dish would have been a lot better if it was warm.
In any case it was a nice little taverna, portions were big and it was good value for money.
Here is Boukia Boukia on Google Maps.
Great food at Apollonas Naxos
Apollonas, or Apollon / Apollo, is the northernmost village in Naxos, and it’s right on the coast. Most people come here to see the Apollo Kouros. At 11 metres tall, it’s probably the largest Greek statue I’ve ever seen!
We had a simple but delicious meal at taverna Apollo, right by the quay, with a view to the sea. Grilled sardines, a burger made with local beef, horta, the famous Naxos fries, and a very cool view!
Here is Apollon Grill Restaurant on Google Maps.
Traditional homemade food in Naxos – Matina and Stavros in Koronos village
Koronos is one of the more remote villages in Naxos, and one of the most interesting and picturesque ones to explore.
It’s worth the long drive just to walk around the quaint alleyways, and to go for a meal at a beautiful taverna known as “Matina and Stavros”.
There is no view here, but the setting is fantastic, and the owners are just lovely. Our portions were very large, and really good value – bring with you plenty of appetite!
Here is Matina and Stavros on Google Maps.
Where to eat in Apeiranthos – Amorginos
Along with Chalki, Apeiranthos is probably the most visited mountain village in Naxos. It’s charming, with lots of stone houses, and several places to sit for a coffee or drink. There are also a few museums, and a handful of shops.
As we visited during the shoulder season, few restaurants were open, and we went to Amorginos which had come highly recommended. There were no other Greek people there, which is never a great sign! They were half-full even in May, so I am sure they are super busy in summer.
When we visited, they had a rather limited selection of dishes. Our meal was very decent, nothing wrong with it, but not too memorable. They treated us to both a starter and a dessert though, which was really nice of them!
On our way out, we caught these local men playing traditional music on the street. This was one of our highlights in Apeiranthos.
Here is Amorginos on Google Maps.
Afterwards, we wanted to go for a coffee at the picturesque Aeriko cafe, but it hadn’t opened for the season yet. Next time!
The most photographed taverna in Naxos – Paradiso in Agia Anna
Taverna Paradiso, close to both Agia Anna and Maragas beach, is the most photographed taverna in Naxos – and maybe the whole of Greece! The setting with the chairs under the trees right by the beach is very iconic.
We very much enjoyed our meal of grilled meat, and two vegan dishes, briam (mixed veggies in tomato sauce) and gigantes (giant beans).
We also found that the waiters were quite happy to chat, given that we visited on a fairly quiet day. Τhe setting is really magical, and we stayed here for over 2 hours!
Your experience would probably be different in peak season, when the restaurant gets super busy, as everyone wants to sit here. But this is true for many places in Greece – which is one of the reasons why I don’t recommend visiting the Greek islands in peak season.
If you come here, you can just perhaps get a coffee or a beer, and enjoy the view.
Here is Paradiso on Google Maps. If you are coming here on the bus from Naxos Town, the bus stop is called Paradise.
The most famous restaurant in Naxos – Axiotissa
Axiotissa is probably the most famous restaurant in Naxos. It’s located close to Mikri Vigla and Glyfada beach, south of Plaka beach. They have a nice garden, and you would typically need a reservation as it’s very popular.
My (unpopular) opinion is that it’s slightly overrated. I’ve enjoyed eating here in the past, but it’s not necessarily a place I’d recommend, as I don’t think it really lives up to its fame anymore, especially considering their prices. If you try it, I’d love to know what you thought.
You can find Axiotissa here: Google Maps.
The best local Naxos dishes and drinks
It’s worth mentioning here that many of the products in Naxos, like dairy, cheese and potatoes are produced locally. The Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Naxos has been around for almost a century!
So, here are a few local foods and dishes to taste in Naxos:
The local potatoes from Naxos
Naxos produces thousands of tons of potatoes on an annual basis. The local soil and weather conditions are ideal for the production of this yummy staple vegetable.
As you will quickly discover, the local tavernas serve amazing home-made fries. Until you’ve tasted them, you won’t believe how good they are!
The local cheeses in Naxos
With so many cows, sheep and goats, it’s no surprise that Naxos produces many types of cheese.
You will easily find the Xinomizithra (soft white cheese that often goes in salads instead of feta) and the Naxos graviera, a mild yellow cheese that is also very nice when grilled.
You can buy the local cheeses and other local products at several shops in Naxos Town and beyond. Naxos cheese Koufopoulos has an incredibly wide selection, and you can taste before you buy!
Local dish called Kalogeros
The word “Kalogeros” means “monk” in Greece, but the local Naxian dish with the same name is something entirely different.
It contains meat, tomato, aubergine, and lots of local cheese. Yum!
Patoudo or Mpatoudo lamb
This is a dish that you will find at local restaurants in Naxos on Easter Sunday. It’s a whole goat stuffed with rice, spinach and herbs.
Rosto pork
This traditional dish consists of pork cooked in a tomato sauce with a lot of garlic. It’s served with the delicious Naxos potatoes.
Gouna fish
Gouna refers to fish, usually mackerel, which has been caught and hung to dry in the sun, as a means of preservation. It is popular primarily in Paros and Antiparos, but also in Naxos.
Kitron liqueur
Kitron liqueur is one of the most distinctive products of Naxos. It is derived from the fruit as well as the leaves of the kitron tree, which is native to Naxos. It resembles a lemon tree, but has a slightly different flavor, and the fruit itself is very big.
There are three varieties of the Kitron liqueur – green, clear and yellow. The green one is the sweetest, while the yellow one is the strongest.
You can taste the kitron liqueur, and also other kitron products, in a few shops and restaurants in Naxos. We really enjoyed sitting at Kitron bar in Naxos Town.
If you go to Chalki, you can try Vallindras, where you can also have a tour of the historical distillery.
Here are some more Greek drinks to try during your Greek vacation.
More Greek food guides
If you’ve enjoyed this article, you’ll probably be interested in these other guides:
Hi! I’m Vanessa from Athens and I love travelling around Greece and the Greek islands. Follow me on my social media:
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