Cuisine of Naxos for gourmets. Places for dinner - best restaurants

Naxos restaurants will impress even the most sophisticated Greek cuisine admirers. Apart from traditional ethnic dishes the eating houses of the island offer plenty of special treats typical only for this locality. Ethnic dishes are rather simple. Culinary experts use uncomplicated ways of processing of the foods and give preference to the foods of local production only.

Meat dishes admirers should necessarily try the stuffed lamb “patudo” which is one of the main festive treats on the island. Some ethnic dishes may seem to foreign travelers rather unusual. Among local delicacies tourists will discover wine stewed chicken “rosto”. Each cook prepares the dish following his or her own original recipe.

Italian cuisine and sea foods fans will estimate the astakomakaronada treat which is traditional spaghetti with lobsters which is served in every upscale restaurant of the city. One of the most popular gastronomy establishments of the city is the A Putia restaurant. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The eating house offers all the mentioned above ethnic dishes as well as original chef’s specialities. The restaurant features an excellent wine list to add to the pleasure of tasting inique delicacies. The visitors can enjoy the dainty treats and excellent entertaining program till late night in the restaurant. Sweets addicts will love the La Dolceria café offering a huge selection of sweet treats and refreshing drinks. During day time the café is mostly visited by tourists traveling with kids.

The best restaurant of the city offering Italian cuisine is justly considered to be the IL Covo eating house. More than ten varieties of pizza, spaghetti added with speciality sauces, inimitable dishes of sea foods and the best sorts of Italian wines will seduce any sophisticated gourmand. It should be noted that all dishes feature not only excellent taste and flavor but original chef design and serving.

Among budgetary cafes and eateries the Trattoria I Limoni restaurant is best worth tourist attention. In the heart of its menu visitors will find the dishes of Mediterranean cuisine. A speciality of the house is considered to be fish soup and the youngest visitors of the eating house will love various sorts of pizza. The Antica Pasticceria Salamone café is a perfect place to rest and recharge after exhausting tours and excursions and try speciality ice cream. In the morning the café attracts admirers of aroma coffee and hot pastry meanwhile during the day the café visitors may choose various sorts of ice cream, fruit desserts and refreshing drinks.

The island of Naxos is one of the leading meat suppliers in Greece so it is not surprising that the menus at most local restaurants are mainly based on meat dishes. It serves the freshest meat cooked over an open fire, grilled steaks, and various kebabs. Local restaurants also offer such popular local Greek dishes as “moussaka” and “souvlaki” - small pieces of skewered meat or seafood.

Vegetarians will surely enjoy the local cuisine. Thanks to the special warm climate, fruits and vegetables are cultivated on the island all year round. They prepare wonderful salads of fresh vegetables, while an important component of many salads is local cheese. Besides the world-famous feta cheese, they also make exclusive "Formaela" cheese, which is distinguished by a rich pungent taste. This type of cheese is often used in salads, which do not need salt at all due to its taste characteristics. Gourmets will also be able to try a special kind of soft cheese "Teleme", as well as sweet "Graviera" cheese.

At Naxos restaurants, meat and fish dishes are served with Interesting vegetable garnishes. A common compliment to meat is "Horta Vrasta" boiled greens. A great vegetable side dish can be prepared from spinach and dandelion stalks. Fresh greens are blanched for just a few minutes, which allows it to maintain its unique taste and healthy qualities. After blanching, it is simply sprinkled with olive oil and lemon juice before serving.

The traditional Naxos cuisine is unimaginable without classic pastries. They prepare a special kind of puff pastry called “Tyropita”. A mixture of cheese and fresh herbs is most often used as the filling for these pies. The fruit filling is a less common option.

A popular local dessert with the complicated name of “Galaktoboureko” is also prepared from puff pastry. Honey and special semolina custard are added to this dessert to make it incredibly sweet and at the same time very light. Many popular desserts are prepared with honey on the island, and honey itself has long been a popular souvenir among tourists. It can be bought at many Naxos markets where they also sell locally produced olive oil and spices common in the region.