BACK TO SYROS
Table of Contents:
BREAKFAST.
LUNCH.
DINNER.
BEER/LIQUEUR.
DINING SUGGESTIONS.
SUMMARY.
Wines of Syros Greek Beers. Greek Spirits.
Not Just a Pretty Island.
The cuisine of Syros is a pleasant surprise. Due to its draw of more Greeks than non-Greek tourists, the restaurants can’t get away with things like they do in larger touristy areas.
I am so far behind on sampling every restaurant on the island. However, I have not had a bad meal anywhere on the island. Even the restaurants along the harbor promenade, a magnet for visitors, are above average. You can taste Syros in just about everything.
Syros Cuisine Today.
But what is Syros Cuisine? If you read the history of Syros, you know it was a major trading port with Asia Minor to the east, Europe to the North, France to the West, and Africa and the Spice routes to the South. At some point, it was ruled over by Genoa, Venice, and the Ottomans. It grows many of its own vegetables, and it harvests the sea.
You have the farmers, the workers in the shipyards, the sea captains, and the other elite who have access to a global source of food and spices. Now, mix all of this together, and you have Syrian cuisine.
Today, there are more supermarkets than greengrocers, butchers, or dairy stores, but they still exist.
The Central Market is no longer. It was across from the theater and now serves as a cinema.
Any foody worth their weight in fava must take a stroll along Chiou Street. From Miaouli Square to the port (three to four blocks?), you will find produce markets, butchers, and a few bakery/bread shops.
Specialists.
The Salibaki butcher (ΤΟ ΣΑΛΙΜΠΑΚΙT) is at #17, and Kreopoleio (ΚΡΕΟΠΩΛΕΙΟ) at #41. They specialize in pork, veal, lamb, and poultry. The cows on the island are for dairy.
Take a step inside the shop of Kostas Prekas (website in Greek) at #4. This will give you the closest glimpse into the life a century ago. Across from here, you will find the fishmongers.
Keep walking the streets near the square. On the east, one block off the square at Roidou 10, you will find Django Gelato, which follows the Zero Waste and Slow Food movements. That means they make their products with the best local ingredients following the most traditional methods. Throughout the year (seasonal), they feature over 70 different gelato flavors.
If you are staying in a place with a kitchen, check out the larger butcher shop, Roussounelos (website in Greek), at 50 Iroon Polytechniou (main road to airport/ Vaporia. Famous for their Louza Syros.
P.D.O. Products to Taste on Syros.
- San Michalis PDO cheese of Syros – This cheese is produced from pasteurized Syrian cows’ milk, which is collected under very strict conditions from selected herds of cows. The name comes from the village of the same name, which is in northern Syros. It is a hard, yellow cheese with a unique sweet and spicy flavor. The aroma is light and nutty. Some call it the parmesan of Greek cheeses.
- Kopanisti PDO Cheese of the Cyclades. – This iconic Cycladic cheese is known for its spicy and robust flavor. On Syros, the pungent and salty taste hits all taste receptors on the tongue.
Should taste on Syros.
- Capers – On Syros, they grow wild in (north) Apano Meria. Their sweet and salty taste makes them great for cooking or salads. Or in a spread. You should taste Syros capers. Capers grow wild on the steep cliffs and barren land of the Apano Meria area in the north.
- Fennel. – Growing abundantly on Syros, its leaves and seeds are used in many local specialties. They also make a puree from it. The crushed seeds go into sausages, while the leaves are the main ingredient in salads and marathopita (fennel pie).
- Sun-dried Tomato – Many of the Cycladic islands grow a variety of tomatoes that are especially tasty when sun-dried. In Syros, they use salt instead of olive oil for preservation. They can be found in many local recipes, including tomato fritters (tomatokeftedes.)
- Syros Honey – The local bees have a healthy diet of Thyme, and you can taste it in the local honey. You will see the white boxes (hives) all over the island. Save time and buy it already packaged. Some of the places to find Syros honey are:
Organic Beez, in Finikas.
Meli Syros, in Posidonia.
Taste Syros at Breakfast
Traditional breakfast is the same from town to town in Greece. Yogurt with an array of toppings appears on almost every table.
The toppings are quite often homemade.
Depending on the available ingredients and cheeses, you can expect other Cycladic cheeses and sweet and savory pies.
The larger your hotel, the more you may find Western items on the buffet.
If your lodging does not include breakfast, check out the Greek Cafe (Ellinikon Bistro) on Miaouli Square for a traditional Greek breakfast.
Lunch.
Lunch is not the big meal of the day as in some European countries. However, most tavernas will offer moussaka, pastitsio, and other classic Greek dishes.
Cafes will have sandwiches, salads, and souvlaki.
Taste Syros Meze.
- Kaparosalata (caper salad) is often more like a spread of creamed capers, boiled potatoes, olive oil, and onions.
- Maindanosalata (parsley salad) is also more of a dip than what Americans think when you say salad. With parsley as the main ingredient, it also includes bread, onions, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, and spices.
- Marathopita (wild fennel pie) – While the Cretes have a similar pie, it does not use local Syros fennel or Syros cheese.
- Lachandolmades – Also not unique to Syros; however, the local ingredients of rice, spices, and raisins make these stuffed cabbage leaves special.
- Fried Syros Tomatoes – The local tomatoes are not picked until they are ripe. Then, they are dried in the sun, intensifying the flavor. Then, they are cooked in a light batter and served with a yogurt dipping sauce.
- Tomatokeftedes (fried tomato balls) feature the local, so tasty tomato.
- Crushed Olives – This Syros take on a tapenade, takes the local olives, crushes them, and then brines them in a fennel-based liquid. They are slightly bitter and a perfect accompaniment to ouzo or tsipouro.
- Ladopita – is not exclusive to Syros. However, this thin and crispy pie features local fresh mizithra or other cheese.
- Aetopita -While pies are not only found on Syros, this local fish and vegetable pie is unique.
Dinner in Syros.
Dinner comes after sunset. Wine and mezes come before.
It depends on what is fresh as to what Meze (appetizers) you might find.
Taste Syros Cheese.
In addition to the P.D.O. cheeses, the island has others worth sampling.
- Frangosyriani – can be difficult to find as they make it in small batches. To the cow’s milk, they add a small amount of goat’s and sheep’s milk. The gruyere-like cheese matures for at least three months.
- Kalathouni Myzithra –This cheese is made from whey and cow’s milk and is a young cheese. Its main flavor characteristic is the fresh raw milk. It is used more in salads or desserts but can be eaten with fruits, nuts, or honey.
- Xinotyro Traditional Cheese of Syros – This soft white cheese has a tight structure. The taste is fresh cow’s milk with a slightly acidic full flavor. Variations include adding herbs (thyme, oregano, peppers), garlic, dried tomato, or pesto.
- Petrota – is a local cheese made from Sheep’s or goat’s milk. It has a low-fat content and a unique flavor.
Tyrosyra, a small cheese store in Vissas (near Posidonos), produces and sells many of these cheeses. (On the right, as you drive towards Posidonos, hiding on the ground floor of what looks like a house.)
Sausage.
Syros sausages are traditionally flavored with fennel and garlic.
- Pikantika – is the Syros sausage with added spices, making it spicy.
- Skordoloukanika – sausage flavored with garlic.
- Louza Syros – The pork sausage with local fennel is a must-try while visiting. Other ingredients include red wine, cinnamon, clove, allspice, and pepper.
Taste Syros Seafood.
When you live by the sea, you have seafood on your menu. It is fresh and reflects whatever the fisherman caught that day. A few dishes with a distinctive Syros taste are:
- Kakavia Fish Soup – Taste the Syros version, which contains local Atherina fish in a stew of onion, tomato, and egg.
- Atherinopita – Small local fish is lightly coated with flour, parsley, and mint. Then they fry them and serve them with chopped tomato and either egg or onions.
And you will find all the regular grilled and fried seafood offerings, often with capers.
I prefer to eat near the water when I know it will be a seafood night. Is it any fresher than the restaurant two blocks inland? Probably not. But the sight or sound of the water just makes it seem better.
Non-Seafood.
Some local dishes not involving seafood include:
Kokkinista Karavola – are snails that slowly simmer in a rich tomato and sage sauce.
Melomenes Melitzanes (honeyed eggplant) – This recipe has no honey. The eggplant (aubergine) gets its sweetness from slow cooking in a tomato sauce.
Sisira (Tsigarides) – is a Cycladic pork delicacy of boiled pig skin cubes that are then fried. There is a lemony twist at the end.
Pork with Quince – Slow-roasted pork served over rice with a few pieces of quince.
Syros Pork or sausage with cabbage – They slow cook the meat with cabbage and (surprise) fennel.
Choirosfagia – this traditional taste of Syros is popular at Christmas. Not wasting any of the meat from the pig, they make sausages, Glyni (a type of lard), and pychti (pork jelly). The preparation is accompanied by dancing and a local dinner.
Even traditional dishes from other parts of Greece are given a special Syros twist.
Taste Syros Desserts.
Why would you not want to taste Syros’ desserts?
Loukoumi.
It is believed that the first recipe for Loukoumi (Turkish Delight) came to Syros with the refugees fleeing The Chios massacre during the Greek War of Independence in 1822. The treat itself probably arrived on many ships calling on Syros.
At its height, there were more than 120 confectioners in Ermoupolis making loukoumi and halvadopites (nougat pies).
Today, there are still a few old workshops on Syros, still boiling the sugary mixture in copper cauldrons, following recipes from the refugees from Chios.
Greece’s Directorate of Modern Cultural and Intangible Cultural Heritage added this Syrian delight to the list in 2019.
A mixture of boiling sugar, water, starch, and a touch of citric acid makes the base of the sweet. They then add the various flavors, such as rose, bergamot, and Chios mastic, before cooling the mixture in special wooden pans. It cools for 24 hours. They then cut it and sprinkle it in powdered sugar before packing.
Confectioners.
Korres (ΚΟΡΡΕΣ) The Korres loukoumi workshop was founded in 1967. It can be found at Chios #29 on the west side of Miaouli Square.
A & B Leivadaras – owns the two oldest workshops, dating back to 1923. As you stand on the promenade facing the ferries, turn right. Straight ahead, where the road bends to the left, look for the blue lettering on a white storefront.
Figs – Royal Lombardy, Mount Athos, White Maroni, and others grow throughout Syros in gardens, backyards, and small orchards. Figs are popular in this part of the world because you plant and forget them like the almond tree. They require little water or care. Taste Syros figs by themselves, in jams or spoon sweets, or in a Syrian pasteli, the Greek power bar from ancient times.
Spoon Sweets – While they fall under the preserves category, Greek spoon sweets are different from jam or marmalade. The main ingredient is fruit, often whole or sliced, with its color and texture preserved. The Greeks soak the fruit in a lime or lemon bath mixed with water. On Syros, try the Arom brand of marmalades and jams. To this American, they are more of a spoon sweet (fruit over sugar).
Taste Syros Wine.
Wine in Greece goes back to when the gods of Olympus gave it to the Greeks. The ancient history of wine on Syros is not really known. They probably produced some of their own, but being on a major trading route, importing would have been easy. By the late 1990s, only one winery remained and was owned by a shipowner. When he passed in 2001, it soon closed. It would be 10+ years before a new winery would appear.
Chatzakis Syros Winery – Starting in 2011, Nikos Chatzakis, an oenologist who had worked for Boutari and other wineries, moved to Syros to make wine. To date, he is making three distinct wines. Currently, the winery is only open to reserved bookings.
Ousyra Winery – In a short time, this private family-run winery in the southern part of the island has expanded to several varieties of wine featuring Cycladic grape varieties. Visits must be pre-arranged.
Para Kopois Winery – Petros Roussos took his family’s farm and turned their few vines into a small vineyard. With the help of oenologist Elias Roussakis, they produce several wines using local grape varieties.
Freris Wines – (website in Greek) Markos Freris inherited vines planted by his great-grandfather more than 100 years ago. He created Syros’s first certified organic wines by working the land with blood, sweat, and a few tears.
Kritsinis Wine Shop – about 6 doors east of El. Venizelou is this wonderful shop along the waterfront, hidden behind a cafe. In addition to Syros wines, they carry a large selection of international wines and liquor. Dating from 1917, it is now run by the founding family’s third generation.
Taste Syros Beer.
Greek beer? Is there such a thing? There was, and then there wasn’t, and now there is again.
Greece had several large breweries during the 1900s. Beginning in the 1960s, corporate invaders descend from the north. They are buying up the Greek breweries until there are none with Greek owners.
In the 1990s, a microbrewery opens in Athens. Greece has a Greek-owned brewery again. Since then, over 100 microbreweries have opened throughout Greece.
Syra Beer (website in Greek)- This Syros micro-brewery began hand-crafting lagers, ales, and weisses circa 2022. You can visit the brewery by making a reservation through their website. Or, just taste Syros beer at a local taverna.
Taste Syros Liqueurs.
There are several liqueurs made on Syros. Of course, none of them are exclusive to the island. However, each island gives its twist due to water, local produce, or their recipe.
Makrionitis Distillery – In 2017, they took Tsipouro distilling, which, up until that time, was only homemade in people’s kitchens, and created a commercial distilling plant. Using grape pomace from Santorini and other Cycladic island vintners to create high-quality liqueurs. Oak barrels and desalinated seawater also add to the distinctive taste. They distill tsipouro, ouzo and mastiha. In 2020, they created a distillate made from Syros fresh figs.
Where To Taste in Syros.
This list is just a few restaurants I would return to.
Emouipolis
Maritsa’s Arhontariki– You cannot go wrong with Maritsa in the kitchen. The setting and friendly staff don’t hurt either. One block SE of the main square, next to Django Gelato.
Laoutari Kafreneio – This traditional taverna is a block behind the bus station, a 15-minute walk along the harbor from the Resistance Statue. The food and the decor are traditional/rustic. The menu is heavy on meze (appetizers), so it is a great place for lunch. Live music at night creates a festive atmosphere but not for talking.
Stin Ithaki Tou Ai – is a cafe offering Greek comfort food. It has a few tables outside a block south and east of the main square and is usually crowded at dinner.
Mazi – is an upscale fine-dining restaurant down a small street to the right of Korres Confectionaries. The menu is creative (meant non-traditional), so why would I recommend it? Although not Mama’s recipe, the food is great (one of my favorite grouper dishes anywhere), and the garden setting is worth the cost alone. The good Greek wine list did not hurt.
Ano Syros.
Maison De Meze – is a cafe with a small shop or the opposite. Specializing in small plates, you can buy many ingredients after eating. It is a great place for breakfast (before the mobs decent, or lunch. Access it from the lower entrance to Ano Syros. Closed in the winter.
Taverna Lilis – is a family-owned taverna with incredible views from its rooftop terrace. Traditional recipes are based on what is available at the market. I have only been there in the fall, and the service and crowds were both good. I have heard complaints about mid-August, but no one should go to the Mediterranean in August if they want service. Access from the lower gate to Ano Syros, and then, like anywhere in Ano Syros, you go up the stairs, down the stairs, up, down, up… It is on the “main” pedestrian street.
Alithini.
O Mitsos – Unless you are staying in Alithini, you need a car to get here. Alithini is the next hill SW of Ano Syros. This is not a restaurant for vegetarians, although you can find vegetables in ANY Greek kitchen. It is known as the House of Meat. Incredible views over Emouipolis, sunsets, Greek wine, and Greek meat. What’s not to love?
Galissas
Taverna Iliovasilema – Although putting a modern spin on recipes, the traditional ingredients are still present.
Posidonos.
De La Gracia sits on Agathopes Beach in Posidonos. It is a picture-perfect Greek seaside seafood restaurant that also has a cocktail bar. Pricey with mediocre food for tourists? The prices are a little higher due to the location. Mediocre food? No! and there were as many Greeks as Ksenos when I was there. Reservations are highly recommended.
Vari
Cafe Wine Bar at the Giosifaki Hotel. – Another traditional cafe with modern touches that do not hide the original.
Kini
Ailou Gialos – A little more modern than traditional, the fresh local produce and seafood carry the day. The location right on the beach, doesn’t hurt.
Taste Syros Summary.
The main town and villages have a few places geared more toward tourists looking to eat cheap rather than travelers looking to experience. Luckily, not many. Even the cafes and restaurants along the harbor are more traditional than on many islands. Or, explore a nearby village. Here, you can taste Syros’ centuries-old cuisine the way it should taste.
To read more about Greek Cuisine.