There are so many amazing restaurants in Naxos Greece that you won’t want to miss out on.
In fact, after visiting neighboring Paros and sampling the restaurants there, I have to say, Naxos has some of the best food I had in Greece during my four-week trip there.
In addition to being packed with great restaurants, there are also tons of wonderful things to do in Naxos, too. Be sure not to miss a wander through the narrow cobbled streets of the old town, a visit to Apollo’s gate, and rent a car to get out into the mountains for fantastic hiking.
If you are stopping for a few days in Athens before your trip (and you definitely should if you’re looking for amazing Greek food!), then be sure not to miss our three-day guide to the city here.
How to Use this Best Restaurants in Naxos Guide
I have shared a little bit of information about each of the best restaurants in Naxos listed below including my personal favorite dishes on the menu, which town they are located in Naxos, and a link to the location on Google.
When I am planning a trip I love to save the location of the best places to eat so that when I am out and about traveling around, I can check my Google Maps App and see what good restaurants I’m near any time I get hungry.
That way you’re never making a hangry decision about where to eat and ending up somewhere average.
This list is mainly comprised of fantastic restaurants for dinner that serve traditional Greek and Naxos food. However, I have also listed a few cafes, bakeries, and kebab spots that are well worth visiting during your stay on the island.
Spending more time in Naxos? Check out our others guides to the island:
Metaxi Mas, Naxos.
1. Metaxi Mas
This is one of the best restaurants in Naxos town and indeed, one of the best restaurants on the entire island. I loved it so much that I visited it twice during my most recent trip to the island. It was also where I ate on the last evening in Naxos, so you know it’s good!
This restaurant has tables that spill out into the narrow streets of Naxos town and it also has two indoor areas where you can sit if you want to feel some air conditioning or want to get away from some of the crowds.
Wherever you sit, you will be welcomed like old friends. The Greek hospitality can be felt in most restaurants around the country, but the family-run Metaxi Mas feels like some of the best out there.
The food is exceptional. Everything from the simple mezze dishes; the spicy cheese dip, the dakos salad, the local Naxos cheeses, to the grilled lamb chops and classic Greek dishes like Mousaka and Naxos Kalogeros.
In addition to serving some of the best Naxos food on the island, the prices are also incredibly reasonable. You can share an appetizer, have a main each and a beer and finish the evening for less than $20 USD per person.
See the location of Metaxi Mas on Google Maps here.
Doukato Restaurant, Naxos.
2. Doukato Restaurant
This is one of the busiest and best restaurants in Naxos. If you are visiting during July or August and you want to have dinner here, it is highly recommended that you make a reservation at least a day or two in advance.
The best way to make a reservation is to call them. They speak excellent English. Their number is +30 2285 027013.
Doukato specializes in traditional Greek and Naxos dishes. The restaurant is located in a quiet courtyard a few minutes’ walk from the main port area of Naxos.
We didn’t have a reservation and they told us that the wait could be up to half an hour, but they let us sit at the bar with a beer while we waited for a table.
The service is a bit slow since the restaurant is usually quite busy, but the servers are friendly and the food is excellent.
They have the standard Greek restaurant menu which includes tons of mezze options like dips and fried zucchini or tomato balls. You can have excellent mousaka here as well as perfectly grilled lamb chops.
Their marinated pork is exceptional and juicy and serves two. Their traditional Naxos Kalogeros which is eggplant, beef, local cheese, topped with a cream sauce and then grilled in the oven is truly magical. But it’s also very rich, so be sure to share it with the table.
See the location on Google here.
Stuffed tomatoes and peppers and Kalogeros.
3. Naxos Bakery
If you want to have some fantastic bread or are looking for a place to try some traditional Greek pastries, this is an ideal spot right in Naxos town.
They have a nice selection of sandwiches which are served in their freshly made bread rolls. They also have cookies and beautiful cakes, coffee made to order, and ice cream for when it gets really hot.
But the number one reason I recommend coming to this bakery is for the bougatsa (custard-filled filo pastries), Revani (syrup-soaked lemon cake), and the kataifi (shredded filo dough filled with pistachio and walnuts and covered in syrup).
See the location on Google Maps here.
4. Maro’s Taverna
Maro’s Taverna consistently ranks as one of the best restaurants in Naxos. We were recommended this place by our hotel (and our hotel was located all the way in Agios Prokopios!) and it is a very popular option.
This family-run taverna has been serving up simple Greek dishes in Naxos for three generations and they continue to delight both tourists and locals. Expect to wait for a table if you haven’t made a reservation.
You can make a reservation by calling ahead +30 2285 025113.
This is the only restaurant in all of Greece that not only offered us a free drink while we waited for our table, towards the end of our meal they offered us a second free drink (ok, just in time for the bill to come and the tips to be decided, but they were still free!).
We had the lamb chops and the slow-roasted pork and both dishes were exceptional. The pork was so tender and juicy, and the sauce it was served with was packed with flavor.
The prices are incredibly fair with almost all of the dishes on the menu costing under $10 and even beer and wine under $3 for a glass.
See the location on Google Maps here.
Lamb and slow-cooked pork from Maro’s Taverna.
5. Naxos Grill
If you want a late-night kebab spot after you’ve enjoyed the beach and drinks near Agios Georgios or you are finishing a night out in Naxos town before heading back on the bus to the hotels by the beach, Naxos Grill is one of the best souvlaki restaurants in Naxos.
It’s certainly the only kebab restaurant I’ve ever been to where I can have my toes in the sand while I dine on souvlaki.
If you’re not sure the difference between souvlaki, gyro, and kebab, let me quickly explain. A souvlaki is chunks of meat, usually chicken or pork, that have been skewered and are then grilled.
Gyro meat is the large shwarma-style meat that is slice thinly and then piled on top of each other and after cooking on a large pole. it is sliced and put either on a plate or in a pita.
Kebab meat is usually made from beef mince and it is pushed together into a long thin stick-like meatball that is then skewered and grilled.
I personally prefer kebabs because I think they are the juiciest followed after that by souvlaki (especially a good pork souvlaki) and then gyros, which can often by quite salty (but taste great after a few beers of course!).
Naxos Grill has all of these options and as mentioned above, the kebab is my personal favorite. For only $2.50 USD you can enjoy a huge pita wrap packed with meat, sauce, and vegetables.
See the location of Naxos Grill here.
Souvlaki with fries and pita.
6. Taverna Perama
Located just on the edge of the beach town of Agios Prokopios, this is well worth venturing to regardless of where you are staying in Naxos.
This taverna is owned by a Greek-German couple and their son, who speaks excellent English, Greek, and German, helps out with the tables.
The family couldn’t be nicer and the Greek man in the kitchen is without a doubt serving up some of the best Naxos food on the island.
All of the tables are located outside in the restaurant’s courtyard where you can enjoy the cool Meltemi breeze most summer evenings.
Everything from the seafood (the whole grilled fish!) to the classic Greek dishes (the stuffed tomatoes!) are memorable and made with care.
They are one of the few restaurants on the island that serve up local Naxos rabbit, however, I didn’t get a chance to try it because it was already sold out for the night, so be sure to come early if you want to try that dish.
See the location on Google Maps here.
Grilled lamb chops with fries (everything always seems to be served with “fried potatoes” unless you request rice instead).
7. O Giannoulis
This is certainly the best restaurant in Agios Prokopios and is one of my favorite restaurants in Naxos.
You cannot make a reservation here, you simply have to get in line and wait until a table is available.
While you wait, a small glass of white wine is offered for free to keep you happy (unless you don’t like white wine I suppose!). There are plenty of tables and the line tends to move pretty quickly.
The service here was really exceptional with friendly waiters who spoke several different languages (I heard one speaking French and another speaking Spanish in addition to our waiter speaking to us in English).
The menu is pretty extensive with a nice selection of grilled meats and seafood. They also have a nice selection of traditional Greek and Naxos dishes. Their selection of Naxian dishes is particularly fantastic, so good it’s hard to choose just one (we came back twice to try some more!).
The spicy pork pieces, which are called Bekri Meze were very delicious (if you like mildly spicy food), but my personal favorite was the Rosto from the Apiranthos Village. It was made of slow-roasted pork with tomatoes, garlic, and bell pepper. It was simple and so very delicious.
See the location on Google Maps here.
Slow cooked lamb in tomato sauce with fries.
8. Lefto’s Souvlaki Kebab House
If you are staying in Agios Prokopios or you are visiting the beach area and want a quick, cheap meal, this is the best restaurant in Naxos for that.
Lefto’s is serving up the best fast food in town (sorry Naxos Grill, you’re good, but these are something special!).
During the day they have a spit-roast going with pork and lamb. If you come early enough, you can get a plate of spit-roast pork with fries, pitas, and sauce for under $7 and it’s more than enough food for two people. It’s a bargain and it is utterly delectable.
They also make spectacular grilled meats that you can have in a pita wrap for about $3 each. The wraps are pretty big and tend to be enough for one person unless you’re feeling very hungry.
See the location on Google Maps here.
Kebabs topped with yogurt and sauce over pitas with fries and Greek tomatoes (the best type!).
9. Anesis Spiros
This restaurant in Agios Prokopios is most famous for its whole hog roasts. They only do this on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so be sure not to miss out on the experience if you are in Naxos on one of these days.
The pork is so tender and delicious and with a few mezze dishes is more than enough for two people to share. It sells out relatively early (almost gone by 6pm) so it’s better to come for a late lunch or early dinner to avoid disappointment.
Besides the pork, it’s well worth coming here for some of the other grill dishes such as the pork chops and the grilled fish. Both are very well cooked and incredibly juicy.
The staff are very friendly and the location couldn’t be better. It’s located right across the road from the beach, making it a very popular happy hour spot to watch the sunset.
See the location on Google Maps here.
Grilled sardines are a popular menu item at restaurants in Naxos.
10. Macao Beach Naxos
I discovered this restaurant in Agios Prokopios because my hotel’s breakfast was actually located here each morning.
The breakfast here is sensational, the staff couldn’t be nicer, and the iced coffee might be the best on the whole island (maybe the best I had in Greece?).
If you are looking for a beach club in Agios Prokopios that does exceptional food and makes cool cocktails, then be sure to make a reservation ahead of time. You save a little bit of money if you book your beach chairs on their website here.
The menu is mostly focused on fresh, healthy foods like smoothies, yogurt bowls, homemade granola, and eggs, but they have plenty of indulgent options like pancakes and eggs benedict, too.
Besides breakfast, they have everything from burgers and tacos to pasta and salads. It’s certainly not the place to come for traditional Greek food, but the food here is a nice break from the heavier options offered by other restaurants in Naxos.
See the location on Google Maps here.
Slow-cooked rabbit from Axiotissa.
11. Taverna Axiotissa
A bit out of town somewhere on the road between Plaka Beach and Alyko Beach, this is definitely a destination restaurants in Naxos.
However, many promised me that it was absolutely the best restaurant in Naxos, so I had to check it out.
The restaurant opens at 2 pm for lunch service and by 2:10 the restaurant is full. You absolutely must make a reservation otherwise you will most likely be turned away at the door.
We arrived at 1:55 and they had only two tables available that weren’t already reserved. We got very lucky.
To make a reservation, simply call +30 22850 75107.
It’s a true family-run farm-to-table experience that shouldn’t be missed. They source much of the menu from small farms around the island, in particular the meat and cheeses.
This restaurant is best enjoyed with as many people as possible because you will want to order everything on the menu.
The cheese selection is exceptional, the rabbit and stuffed sardines are worth the wait, and you will want to save room for the homemade desserts that are made daily (and change depending on what’s available).
See the location on Google Maps here.
Stuffed sardines from Axiotissa.
12. Apolafsi Restaurant
If you didn’t get the chance to make a reservation at Axiotissa and they don’t have any tables available, this restaurant located just next door is equally fantastic.
In fact, many who frequent this restaurant say that it is even better and it should hold the title for best restaurant in Naxos.
You’ll have to make that decision for yourself.
This restaurant has a wide selection of Naxian cheeses, Naxos olives, and Naxos meats. The most popular items on the menu include the local goat cooked en papillote as well as the Kalogeros veal.
See the location on Google Maps here.
Incredible Kalogeros from Doukato Restaurant.
13. Giorgis
Located in the mountains as you head out of Naxos town to the east, this is one of the best restaurants in Naxos for local Greek food and for one of the more local experiences on the island.
Giorgis is in the small village of Melanes and is about a 20-minute drive from Naxos town.
It’s a great place to stop if you are planning to explore the different things to do on the island like the nearby Flerio Melanes Kouros or the hiking trails in the area. You’ll definitely need your own transportation to get out here as buses are incredibly infrequent.
This is one of the few places in town that cooks the local Naxos dish of rooster in tomato sauce. They also make an incredibly delicious rabbit in onion sauce and lamb in a clay pot. The food here is really wonderful, you can’t go wrong with pretty much anything on the menu.
It’s definitely not one of the cheaper restaurants in Naxos, but if you are looking for homestyle Greek food in a beautiful mountain setting, then this is the place. Dishes range from $12-25 USD.