Restaurant Cyclades - The 10 best restaurants Cyclades in 2024

Practical information : Eating out Cyclades

Timetable

Lunch is around 2pm, and dinner rarely before 9 or 10pm. But it is not uncommon for an establishment to also serve coffee and snacks from 9am. In the summer, restaurant owners and taverns and ouzeries in the most touristy areas know that they must ensure the season, so they are open every day from morning to evening, in continuous service. The hours of service last on average 15 hours, sometimes more, and they often close with the last customer... In Athens and on the islands, some of the more upscale restaurants are only open for dinner in the evening, or have the luxury of closing one or two days during the week. On the islands, most restaurants close between the end of October and Easter. But others - and this is often a guarantee of quality - remain open all year round to satisfy their local clientele.

Budget & Tips

Although restaurants(estiatório) are slightly more expensive than taverns or ouzeries, eating out is still very affordable in mainland Greece. Unless you go to a trendy or very chic restaurant (in Mykonos, for example...), you will have to count about 15 euros per person for a complete meal with a carafe of local wine or raki/ouzo. There is one exception: fresh fish, sold by the kilo, is always expensive. To avoid unpleasant surprises at the time of the bill, go and choose your fish in the kitchen and ask for the price before ordering it, because the bill goes up quickly. In taverns, dessert (watermelon slices, halva plate, cake...) is often offered. In spite of the crisis, Greeks still do not depart from this pleasant tradition. But it is not a due: in the most touristic places, like Santorini, you can always wait!

What costs extra

Some taverns and restaurants charge an additional fee of about €1 for cutlery and bread, which is not always offered. Water in a carafe is free, but in some of the more upscale restaurants, you will often be served a bottle of mineral water as standard. This is not a big charge, but it is better to know this before you dispute the bill! Finally, when paying, always bring cash, as credit cards are not accepted everywhere. And leave a tip of about 10%.

The local way

The service can be very long: there's no need to get upset, but plan ahead and don't wait until you're starving to sit down, especially with children. Also note: dishes arrive as they are prepared, so don't expect to eat an appetizer first and then a main course. The dishes that arrive are shared, and guests often pick from the same dish. Another sign of hospitality: a small dessert or a glass of liquor is often offered at the end of the meal. But in Greece, you will never be pressured to leave the table or recommend that you leave once your meal is over. Unless you ask for the bill, you will be left to enjoy your meal without necessarily clearing the table. And if there are a lot of leftovers on the table and you are renting, don't hesitate to ask for a "paqueto" (a doggy bag) to extend the experience at home...

To be avoided

Greek cuisine is generous and should be shared. In taverns, avoid ordering one dish per person, as in the French. And if you go to a restaurant with Greeks, pay the bill or have the meal offered to you, but avoid counting what each person has eaten to pay only your share. This is not a common practice, if not downright rude. Also, if you are celebrating your birthday at a restaurant during your stay, it is your responsibility to invite, not the other way around.

Kids

Children are kings in Greece. The advantage is that they are welcome everywhere and well received. Here, there is no separation of generations, no attempt to silence noisy children or to force them to sit still. The children are invited to the adults' table and can run their own show (often with a cell phone), without trying to contain themselves or the adults. The result is a joyful - sometimes noisy! - hubbub. And in the evening, when dinner drags on, they can play in the streets until well after midnight, while their parents quietly finish their ouzo.

Smokers

The law against smoking in public spaces has been in place since 2008, but has never been enforced. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the conservative Prime Minister elected in July 2019, has promised that the law will now be enforced. Since his election, fines have been put in place to charge both establishments and customers who would not respect the law. It remains to be seen whether this will finally materialize in practice...

Tourist traps

Let's just say that, as everywhere, it's rarely in establishments with a reel at the entrance that one eats the best...

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