Visiting Mykonos is a beautiful way to spend a holiday. This Greek island has fantastic beaches, villas, bars, and restaurants that can help you immerse in the culture. If you’re curious about food, let’s see what are traditional Greek dishes in Mykonos and where they can be found.
What Are Some Traditional Greek Dishes in Mykonos? Are They Different From Mainland Greece?
What is traditional Greek food? You’ve likely heard of gyro, baklava, souvlaki, tzatziki, and moussaka. These are staple dishes for the culture of Greece and are still some of the most famous meals in domestic and international restaurants.
Typical Mykonian food isn’t too different from the common delicacies of Greece, but there are particular kinds of cheese, meat, and desserts that would make anyone’s mouth water. Cheeses like kopanisti and ksinotiri, delicious meat like louza, and sweet desserts like amygdalota are just some of the diverse dishes native to this island.
When You Visit Mykonos, Make Sure to Try the Traditional Cuisine
Mykonos attracts people from all over the world, which is why it can offer a more international and diverse dining experience. From vegan food places to some of the best international restaurants, any visitor can find something up to its taste here.
But, if you book one of the private villas in Mykonos and want a very authentic experience, you shouldn’t just ask what to eat but also where. Look for authentic restaurants that serve local cuisine, such as the following:
- M-Eating – this place has the best melopita around,
- Kiki’s Taverna – the most famous Mykonian eatery,
- Sakis Grill House – home to fantastic gyro,
- Fokos Taverna – a remote but wonderful dining experience on Fokos Beach,
- Kostantis – excellent beach restaurant with local cuisine, located on Ornos Beach,
- Hippie Fish – serves the most delicious seafood in the area.
The Most Authentic Mykonian Food Is Kopanisti
If you ask locals about typical Mykonian food, they’ll include kopanisti on that list without a doubt. This type of cheese goes through a unique maturing process over two months, so the final result is spicy, aromatic, and filled with rich flavors.
Kopanisti goes well with tomatoes, wine, and some bread. It’s ideal for mezedes or a form of tapas, so it’s perfect for entrees and light snacks if you’re focusing on drinking the finest Mykonian wine.
This cheese is used to make mostra, a tapas-looking dish consisting of bread, tomatoes, olive oil, and oregano.
Ksinotiri Is Another Traditional Cheese to Try When Visiting the Island
As opposed to kopanisti‘s spicy and aromatic flavor, ksinotiri is more sour and sharp in taste. It’s made from fermented buttermilk and left out in the sun to firm up. This process gives it incredible flavor, it goes well with sweet-ish ingredients such as tomatoes.
White, aromatic Mykonian cheeses are excellent meal companions
Don’t Leave Before Trying the Delicious Louza
It’d be tough to determine the ultimate Mykonian food, but louza comes very close. It’s a cut of pork dried in the sun during early winter and later marinated with various spices. In many ways, it’s similar to prosciutto because it’s dried and cured before it’s consumed.
This delicious meat is served in thin slices, often like an appetizer, with cheeses and bread. Many Mykonian restaurants serve it in a “Mykonian salad” with cherry tomatoes, arugula, cheese, fennel, and rusk. It’s also served on pasta with tomatoes and locally-made cheeses.
Book a Restaurant Tour to Eat Louza Here
Louza can primarily be found in local butcher shops. Some butcheries around Athens may have this delicacy, but it’s more often sold in Mykonian shops because it’s the island’s delicacy. Besides local butcheries, some of the best restaurants on the island serve louza.
Here are some great ones to check out:
- Bakalo Eatery,
- Kastro’s Restaurant & Bar,
- Roca Cookery.
Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth With Delicious Amygdalota Cookies
We know some foodies prefer sweets and want to learn more about the best and juiciest Mykonian desserts. There’s good news for sugar lovers – Mykonian desserts are aplenty, and they all taste heavenly.
Such is the almond cookie called amygdalota. They’re sometimes called the “Greek macaroons,” but the most significant difference between amygdalota and classic French macarons is that the former contains no coconut.
Flavors dominant in this cookie are pistachio, lemon, almond, and rose. Mykonians make them by shaping them into oblong cookies and baking, while other islands have their own shape and version of the desert. The cookie has a hard exterior and a soft, chewy middle.
When You Eat Melopita, You’ll Dine Like the Greek Gods
Another famous dessert that wins over any palate is the honey, cheese, and nut pie called melopita. This cheesecake is a mouthwatering dessert similar to what the ancient Greeks used to eat in the olden days.
It’s made from Mykonian tyrovolia cheese and is simple to make. After baking, the cake is soaked with honey and garnished with chopped nuts. You can eat it at numerous authentic restaurants or stop by a local bakery to get a slice to go.
Honey cheesecake topped with nuts is one of the finest Mykonian desserts
Don’t Skip a Sip of the Greek Authentic Drink Soumada
The culinary tradition of Greece isn’t rooted only in food. Ancient Greeks loved to feast and drink wine. Today, fabulous wineries are all over the island, and you can find excellent wines in shops and restaurants.
But this isn’t about wine. It’s about soumada, a delicate and delicious non-alcoholic drink typically served during happy occasions in Greece. Its main ingredients are almond syrup, rose water, and sugar. Sometimes, orange blossom water is used instead of rose water.
This drink is refreshing, sweet, and memorable. You can find it in many restaurants and dessert shops. Besides this, our tip is to give a chance to ouzo, the most famous alcoholic drink in Greece.
Sip on the almond and rose water drink to refresh yourself on a hot summer day
Don’t Want to Wait for a Table? Book a Private Chef and a Mykonos Villa With The Ace VIP
You can search for the best hotels on the island, but you won’t find fantastic luxury Mykonos villas for rental like we offer at The Ace VIP. Besides our Mykonos luxury villas being the best places to watch the sunset, they’re modern and well-equipped to accommodate small and large groups of travelers looking to unwind.
Every time visitors leave their luxury villas in Mykonos, they contact us to hire a car rental service, allowing them to explore the area alone. They also enjoy getting yacht rentals to lounge atop the Aegean Sea and book a table at one of the Mykonian authentic restaurants.
If you don’t want to wait for your turn at a popular eatery, hire a private chef with the help of our concierge services. They’ll prepare delicacies for you to try without the hassle of waiting in line and making a reservation. Whatever you need to make your trip dream-like, contact us, and we’ll help.
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