George’s Tavern – Fried Calamari
Whenever I’m visiting another country I love to emerge in the local culture. I find there’s no better way of doing that than indulging in the local cuisine. Ok and probably visiting museums and stuff… but I love food so for me, that’s one of the priorities. Thassos was no exception. Greek food is so good! And that’s why I’ll take you on a gastronomical tour of the island.
Greek cuisine is rarely sophisticated or pretentious. It’s simple, flavourful and delicious! I could live on tzatziki with pita, fried calamari or musselssaganaki. Usually, when we go to Thassos we have our favorite restaurants that we have to check off the list, but this time we explored a little and I was pleasantly surprised.
1. Giorgo’s Tavern (George’s Tavern) – Limenaria
We probably had our best dinner here. It’s quite popular on Trip Advisor, so it’s best to either book a table in advance or go earlier. We went at 6 and it was perfect. Although it doesn’t look like much, just a regular blue tavern, with traditional dishes, George’s Tavern is a delight.
I loved that it played Greek music so slowly in the background. It made for a very relaxed atmosphere, with people talking to each other without having to raise their voices in order to cover the music.
This trip we opted to choose several starters and one main dish to share in order to sample more options. At George’s Tavern, we went for the usual tzatziki, grilled bread with olive oil and oregano and a Greek salad. To these, we added fried calamari, served with chips – absolutely delicious and grilled cheese. The cheese wasn’t necessarily my favorite, but my boyfriend loved it, so it really depends on what you crave at the moment.
Also, this was probably one of the cheapest meals we had on the island, except for the 2,5 Euros gyros you find everywhere, so a totally winning combo.
2. Agorasto’s – Kinira
We went to this restaurant simply because it’s perched somehow upper on a hill with a breathtaking view over the sea and a neighboring island. We didn’t regret it!
Whether at sunset or sunrise the view is spectacular. You get to enjoy your meal on a beautiful terrace, decorated with bougainvillea contrasting the white wood of the balcony. Once we were seated I thought it would take for a really crapy meal to disappoint me with that view, but fortunately, it wasn’t the case 🙂
The dinner was exquisite. I ordered some simple fettuccine with tomato sauce and basil. I really appreciated the fresh and sweet tomatoes. My boyfriend wanted a chicken with mustard sauce that was good, but not necessarily the best option in their menu. We also chose to share a grilled pepper stuffed with cheese and a spicy cheese dip served with chips made of fried phyllo – so good!
And since we loved it so much here we decided to come back for breakfast. However, we were a bit disappointed by the lack of options. It was either a 10 Euro per person open bar that seemed a bit expensive and with not too many options. Or anything from the menu that was tailored more for lunch or dinner. So we chose tzatziki with grilled bread, a Greek salad and cheese croquettes, all delicious. Such a great start for the day.
3. Pizza Pub Mama – Potos
When in Greece my first choice would never be pizza. Partly because you can find it anywhere and also because there are so many traditional dishes to enjoy that pizza would seem like a waste of opportunity.
However because my boyfriend really craved pizza, on our last day we asked around and got to Pizza Pub Mama. It was supposed to be really good especially being baked in a pizza oven – and it really was. I especially liked that they had some “Greek” options such as gyros pizza and a lot of options that included feta cheese.
I went for a vegetarian one while my boyfriend had Pizza Mama, they were both delicious and not expensive.
4. TavernaGiorgo’s – Kinira
There are a lot of Giorgos in Greece so make no mistake, it’s not the same tavern as the one mentioned above. This one was located right at the end of the street where we stayed. So we went there twice when we were too tired to figure out something for dinner.
The food was good and so were the prices. We had tzatziki and they were actually the first to suggest grilled bread with olive oil and oregano since they didn’t have pita. That’s where we picked up the idea and asked for it at all the other restaurants. We also had a Greek salad, delicious gyros and really good calamari that went so well with Mythos beer.
Unfortunately, we always went there late at night so the photos don’t really do justice to the dishes. that’s why after a few failed attempts, we stopped taking photos and just enjoyed the food.
5. Leonidas Tavern – Aliki Beach
We ate here before and I remembered they had delicious grilled octopus so of course, that was my first choice. It was a bit chewy-er than I remembered, especially for 12 Euros. I also had toast there in the morning (toast bread, ham, and cheese), we shared tzatziki and a really good baked feta with tomatoes and pepper.
A couple of years back I also had moussaka there. Although by anyone else’s standards it might have been great, I found it too greasy. But then again that’s the case with any moussaka you have in Greece if you ask me.
6. Beautiful Alice – Aliki Beach
Lunch here was nothing spectacular, but it was the only place that had pita bread, go figure. To understand why this is a big deal, pita bread is a traditional option for bread in Greece. So not being able to order in any restaurant was a bit strange and disappointing, but not a tragedy by far 🙂
I had grilled gilt-head bream fish that was tasty, my boyfriend had chicken schnitzel with a white mushroom sauce that was really good. We also shared tzatziki and Greek salad.
Beautiful Alice – Tzatziki, Greek Salad and Pita BreadBeautiful Alice – Schnitzel with Mushroom White Sauce and FriesBeautiful Alice 2
7. Skidia Tavern – Kekes Beach
We loved Kekes Beach so much and having the lunch with a beautiful view of the sea was the best way to end our trip to Kekes.
As usual, we shared a Greek salad, tzatziki, and a gyros portion – and we were stuffed. The best thing? Desert on the house: a traditional semolina and cinnamon cake that I vaporized in minutes. Thank God my boyfriend didn’t want to share it!
8. Elena’s Tavern – Panagia
Two years ago we had an impromptu dinner here and one of our friends had skewered goat meat. I thought it was fantastic so I had to order it this time. It was still good, but not as good as I remembered.
My boyfriend ordered a gyros portion that was generous and tasty and we called it a night. If in Panagia you can give it a try, but I wouldn’t cross the island for it.
9. Gkoumas Pastry Shop – Potos and Panetteria – Panagia and SkalaPotamia
All Greek cakes are to die for! Whether they’re made of phyllo and drenched in syrup, made of semolina and spiced with cinnamon or soft, silky custards – once you taste them you’ll be hooked.
Well, Gkoumas is a famous pastry shop in Potos, the only place on the island where you’ll find the Politikos cake. Made of a semolina cake base and a masticha custard, powdered in cinnamon, this cake is perfection on a plate! I went to Potos twice just for it and I never regretted a bite 🙂
On the other hand, there is Panetteria. With at least 2 locations on the island (not sure if there are others too), it’s pretty hard to escape the temptation of stopping by and dropping 20 euros on boxes filled with syrupy, nutty treats. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you twice you need to give it a try.
10. Special mentions
During our previous vacations in Thassos, we visited a lot of places and tried a lot of dishes. Though I cannot give an accurate update on them based on this year’s trip, since we haven’t checked them, I would still encourage you to give them a try.
Paradise Beach Restaurant
Not to be mistaken with the beach bar situated at the other end of Paradise Beach, this restaurant used to have the best mussels saganaki I had. We also tried gyros and pizza here and I highly recommend it, especially since this is my favorite beach ever!
Hotel Dyonisos – Golden Beach
The first time we set foot on the island we asked the owner of a charming beach shop in Golden Beach where we could eat well. He recommended 2 options. For fast food, Palude, for anything else Dyonisos.
We had a lot of lunches and dinners there and we enjoyed it every time. Add to that the perfect view of the sea and there’s not much else you could ask for. Tip: listen to your waiter’s recommendations and order the bifteki with homemade tomato sauce!
Zorba’s – Limenas
We passed through Limenas a couple of times and we never stayed long enough to explore it. But, accidentally we discovered a lovely little restaurant where we had lunch twice. Given the chance, I would definitely go back.
There are so many places where you can eat well in Thassos! I think it’s safe to say that you can’t really go wrong, whatever you choose. Whether you grab gyros to go, experience a traditional meal at a taverna or try something more international at a hotel restaurant – everything is fresh, light and delicious.
But what I love most is the way Greeks serve their meals: no particular order, each meal arrives at the table once it’s ready and the food is always shared so that you can experience more at once.
P.S.: Make sure to check my other article to see the best beaches on Thassos. I have updated with the latest discoveries after our trip, this year.
