Kopanisti
A peppery, fermented soft cheese with protected status from the Cyclades. Spread it on barley rusk — or order mostra, the Mykonian rusk salad topped with kopanisti and tomato.
Eat & drink like a local in Mykonos
Kopanisti and louza, octopus off the grill, Kiki's above Agios Sostis — what to order, where to sit and what it should cost.
- Taverna dinner €25–50
- Coffee €3–5
- Kopanisti & louza
- Fish sold by the kilo
Order this
Seven tastes of Mykonos
Cycladic island cooking is simple: sharp cheese, cured pork, wild herbs, fish straight off the boat. Look for these on the menu.
Louza & island charcuterie
Air-cured pork loin seasoned with pepper and herbs, sliced thin. It arrives with kopanisti on a meze plate, often with spicy island sausage alongside.
Grilled octopus
Sun-dried, then charred over coals and dressed with oil and vinegar. Order it with a small bottle of ouzo at a harbour table.
Horiatiki
The village salad — tomato, cucumber, onion, pepper, olives and a slab of feta. On Mykonos, ask if they can swap in local kopanisti.
Souvlaki & gyros
The budget saviour: a pita wrap costs a fraction of a beach-club bill and the counters in Chora stay open late into the night.
Amygdalota
Soft almond sweets dusted with sugar and scented with rosewater, sold in bakeries all over Chora. The classic edible souvenir.
Add kremidopita, the island's onion pie, and fresh fish sold by the kilo. Most tavernas also cook the mainland classics — moussaka, gemista (stuffed vegetables), fava and lamb from the oven — and Greek cooking makes eating vegetarian easy.
Where
Tavernas by area
Chora: view or value
The waterfront tables of Little Venice and the Old Port are about the setting; walk five minutes into the lanes and the same money buys better cooking and quieter rooms. Long-running fish tavernas such as Kounelas, near Taxi Square, and Niko's Taverna are Chora institutions.
Kiki's Tavern, Agios Sostis
A taverna above the beach with no sign, no electricity and no reservations, famous for charcoal-grilled food and big salads. Arrive before noon or expect to wait up to two hours in summer (pariseater.com, 2026).
Ano Mera
The village square has family tavernas with local meat, cheese and wine — and island prices that remember the off-season.
Beach tavernas
Ornos, Platis Gialos and Kalo Livadi have tavernas with tables on the sand. Better value than beach clubs, and easier with children.
Splurge
Fine dining and famous names
Nammos & Scorpios
Lunch as a social event. Nammos on Psarou for seafood and champagne, Scorpios on Paraga for a robata grill and the sunset set.
Book ahead
Zuma & Noema
Zuma brings Japanese izakaya cooking to Chora; Noema is the pick for a late dinner (discovercyclades.gr and pariseater.com, 2026).
Hotel restaurants
Several five-star hotels open their restaurants to outside guests — book through the hotel's own website.
How it works
When Mykonos eats — and how to self-cater
Meal times
Lunch runs from about 13:30 to 16:00, dinner rarely starts before 21:00, and in August Chora's tavernas are still seating at 23:00. Eat at 19:30 and you will find a table anywhere; eat at 21:30 and you will eat with the island. Many kitchens close between lunch and dinner.
Supermarkets and delis
Supermarkets cluster around the Fabrika bus station and on the roads out of Chora, with smaller shops near the beaches. Delis in the lanes sell kopanisti, louza and island honey — compare the price per kilo in two shops before you buy, and carry a cool bag in summer. Many small shops close for the winter.
Morning
Breakfast, coffee and bakeries
A coffee costs about €3–5 in Chora, and the price includes the seat — nobody will hurry you. Order a freddo espresso or freddo cappuccino (Greece's iced coffees), or a traditional Greek coffee boiled in a small pot.
The cheapest good breakfast is a bakery pie — cheese (tiropita), spinach (spanakopita) or onion — eaten on a bench with a view. If your hotel sells breakfast separately, compare it with the nearest bakery first. Before the Delos boat, buy water and a snack in town: food options on Delos are limited.
Drinks
Wine, ouzo and sunset cocktails
Wine
Ask for Cycladic wines — Santorini's Assyrtiko is on every good list — or the house wine by the carafe at simple tavernas.
Ouzo & tsipouro
Served with water and ice and a plate of meze. Sip slowly; it is strong.
Cocktails
The most expensive part of a Mykonos evening. Check the menu price before ordering a second round in Little Venice.
Money
What a meal actually costs
| Item | Typical price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee in Chora | €3–5 | Seat included |
| Taverna dinner per person | €25–50 | Before wine and fish by the kilo |
| Fresh fish | Priced per kilo | Ask the price and watch it weighed |
| Beach-club lunch | Often a minimum spend | Ask when you book |
Bands from the Visit Mykonos cost model, checked October 2026. Prices rise in July and August.
Three money rules
- Agree the per-kilo price of fish before it goes on the grill.
- Check whether bread, water and service have been added to the bill.
- Tipping is not compulsory; rounding up or 5–10% for good service is appreciated.
Common questions
Food questions
What food is Mykonos known for?
Kopanisti, a peppery fermented cheese; louza, air-cured pork; mostra, a rusk salad with kopanisti and tomato; kremidopita, onion pie; and amygdalota, rosewater-scented almond sweets. Add grilled octopus and fresh fish sold by the kilo, and you have the island on a plate.
How much does dinner cost in Mykonos?
A taverna dinner is about €25–50 per person before wine and before fish sold by weight (Visit Mykonos estimates, October 2026). A souvlaki wrap is the cheapest hot meal; waterfront tables in Little Venice and beach clubs cost much more. Prices peak in July and August.
Do I need to book restaurants in Mykonos?
In July and August, book famous names — Nammos, Scorpios and the hotel restaurants — days ahead, and Little Venice sunset tables at least a day ahead. Most tavernas take walk-ins if you eat early (before 20:30) or late. Kiki's Tavern takes no reservations at all.
Is it easy to eat vegetarian in Mykonos?
Yes. Greek menus are full of vegetable dishes: salads, fava (yellow split-pea purée), gemista (stuffed vegetables), briam (roast vegetables), cheese pies and saganaki (fried cheese). Vegans should ask about cheese, butter and honey — and check whether pies use animal fat.