The best restaurants in Paxos are spread across Gaios, Loggos and Lakka harbours. Loggos is known for seafood tavernas such as Vassilis and Nassos, Gaios has the widest choice, Lakka mixes Greek and Italian, and Erimitis near Magazia is the sunset favourite.
For a small island, Paxos eats well. The three harbour villages each have their own character: Gaios has the widest choice, from waterfront fish restaurants to family tavernas a few lanes back; Loggos is the place for a long seafood dinner by the water; and Lakka mixes harbourside tavernas with a couple of Italian-leaning kitchens. Add a clifftop sunset dinner on the west coast and a grilled-fish lunch on Antipaxos, and you have the best of eating on Paxos. Book ahead in July and August, when the island fills with yachts and villa guests.
Quick facts
- Main eating areas: Gaios, Loggos and Lakka harbours, plus Magazia inland and a few beach tavernas.
- What to order: fresh fish, Paxiot olive oil, rooster pastitsada, bourdeto, sofrito and island pies.
- Season: most restaurants open roughly May to October; few stay open in winter.
- Booking: strongly advised for dinner in July and August, especially by the water.
- Payment: cards are widely accepted in the villages, but carry cash for beaches and Antipaxos.
What to eat on Paxos
Paxiot cooking shares much with Corfu, its larger neighbour, but with its own island emphasis. Olive oil is the foundation of everything: the olive groves planted under Venetian rule still cover most of the island, and local oil is used generously in every kitchen. If you know the dishes from our guide to Corfu’s local food, you will recognise many of them here.
- Fresh fish and seafood: grilled whole fish, sold by weight, is the classic order in the harbour tavernas. Ask what was landed that day.
- Bourdeto: fish cooked in a spicy red pepper and tomato sauce, a speciality shared with Corfu.
- Sofrito: thin slices of veal cooked in white wine, garlic and parsley.
- Pastitsada: rooster or beef slow-cooked in a spiced tomato sauce and served with pasta.
- Tsiligourdopita: the best known traditional Paxiot recipe, a pie of lamb’s offal and rice, more likely in homes and at festivals than on summer menus.
- Patelorizo: a rice dish with limpets, an old island recipe you may occasionally find.
- Antipaxos wine: the vineyards of Antipaxos produce a strong, dark wine, mostly made at household level and served in some tavernas.
Where to eat in Gaios
Gaios, the island’s main port, has the most restaurants and the longest season. The waterfront facing the islets of Agios Nikolaos and Panagia is lined with tables, and the setting is lovely, but the best value and the most home-style cooking are often found a few minutes back from the quay.
Carnayo
A few minutes’ walk from the seafront, Carnayo is known for traditional Paxiot home cooking with a Mediterranean slant. It is a good place to try island dishes rather than the standard tourist menu. A beach venue under the Carnayo name, Carnayo Gold Lounge, operates at Mongonissi in the south of the island.
Genesis
Genesis serves traditional Greek food in Gaios and is a reliable choice for familiar taverna dishes at moderate prices.
The waterfront fish tavernas
Along the harbour and around the main square you will find several restaurants specialising in fish and seafood, with tables close to the moored boats. Quality varies, so look for places displaying fresh fish on ice, check the price per kilo before choosing, and ask for your fish to be weighed in front of you.
Where to eat in Loggos
Loggos is the smallest of the three harbours, a horseshoe of houses around a tiny quay on the northeast coast, and many visitors think it the most beautiful place on the island to have dinner. Tables are set right at the water’s edge.
Vassilis
A family-run taverna on the harbour that has been serving for decades, Vassilis is known for its starters and fish, with Ionian dishes given a slightly contemporary touch. It is one of the most frequently recommended restaurants on Paxos; book for dinner in high season.
Nassos
Also on the Loggos waterfront, Nassos is a classic Greek taverna focused on fresh seafood and Ionian staples, with dishes such as baked fish with tomatoes and olives.
Bouloukos at Levrechio
Just east of Loggos on Levrechio beach, Bouloukos serves grilled fish and Greek staples under the olive trees beside the sand. It works well for a long lunch between swims, and you can walk there from Loggos.
Between Loggos and Lakka, Monodendri beach has a beach bar and taverna serving simple Greek food, handy if you are walking the coast. Our guide to walking trails on Paxos covers the paths that link these bays.
Where to eat in Lakka
Lakka sits at the northern tip of the island around an almost circular, sheltered bay that has long been a favourite anchorage for yachts. Its waterfront is lined with cafes and tavernas, and the atmosphere in the evening is relaxed and sociable.
Akis
Akis is a fish bar and restaurant in Lakka with a Mediterranean menu, popular for seafood and drinks by the water.
La Rosa di Paxos
For a change from Greek food, La Rosa di Paxos in Lakka cooks Italian dishes using Paxiot produce, a reminder of how close the island feels to Italy in its history and its visitors.
Beyond these, several family tavernas around the square and harbour serve grills, salads and fish. Walk the waterfront and the lanes behind it before choosing; menus are usually displayed outside.
Inland and on the west coast
Erimitis, Magazia
On the cliffs of the west coast near the village of Magazia, Erimitis is the island’s famous sunset spot, with a restaurant and bar overlooking the open sea. It serves Paxiot and Mediterranean cooking and cocktails, and it is the one place on Paxos where you really must book ahead in summer, particularly for a table at sunset. Go for the view as much as the food.
Village tavernas
Inland villages such as Magazia and Fontana have simple tavernas where locals eat, with home-style Greek food, occasional live music and a quieter atmosphere than the ports. Bournaos in Magazia is one example, known for simple, authentic Greek cooking. These places often do not take bookings and may keep irregular hours, so it is worth asking at your accommodation.
Eating on Antipaxos
Day trips to Antipaxos almost always include lunch. At Vrika beach, Taverna Spiros grills fish and meat over charcoal and serves Greek mezze, and other seasonal tavernas operate around Vrika and Voutoumi, including one on the hillside above Voutoumi reached by steps. Prices reflect the fact that everything arrives by boat. See our guide to the Antipaxos beaches for how to plan the day.
Practical tips
- Book in summer: in July and August, waterfront tables in Loggos and Lakka and sunset tables at Erimitis fill days ahead.
- Eat late, or early: Greek dinner time is 21:00 or later; arriving at 19:30 often gets you a table by the water without a booking.
- Fish prices: fresh fish is sold by the kilo. Agree on the fish and its weight before it is cooked.
- Getting home: roads between villages are narrow and unlit. Taxis are limited, so arrange a lift back in advance if you are not walking.
- Season: from November to April only a handful of places stay open, mostly in Gaios.
- Things change: restaurants on small islands change hands and close; check that a place is open before making a special trip.
For planning the rest of your stay, see our Paxos travel guide and the ferry details in how to get to Paxos. If you are only visiting for the day from Corfu, our guide to the Paxos day cruise explains how much time you will have for lunch ashore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to eat on Paxos?
Loggos is many visitors’ favourite for dinner, with seafood tavernas such as Vassilis and Nassos right on the water. Gaios has the widest choice and Lakka has a lively harbour front. For sunset, Erimitis on the west coast cliffs is the best known spot.
Do I need to book restaurants in Paxos?
In July and August, yes, especially for waterfront tables in Loggos and Lakka and sunset tables at Erimitis. In June and September you can usually find a table by arriving early, around 19:30.
What local food should I try on Paxos?
Try fresh grilled fish, bourdeto (fish in a spicy red sauce), sofrito, pastitsada and dishes made with local olive oil. On Antipaxos, ask whether the taverna serves the island’s own wine.
Are restaurants in Paxos open in winter?
Most restaurants open roughly from May to October. In winter only a few places stay open, mainly in Gaios, so check ahead if you visit off season.
Is there anywhere to eat on Antipaxos?
Yes, in summer. Vrika has tavernas including Taverna Spiros, known for charcoal-grilled fish and meat, and there are places to eat at Voutoumi too. Bring cash.
