Charcoal grills, family kitchens and tsipouradika β the traditional Greek tavernas on Skiathos that locals actually eat at, ranked and reviewed.
65Restaurants listed
130Reviewed island-wide
8.2Mean score
A taverna is not a restaurant with Greek food on the menu. It is a specific format: family-run, unfussy, built on a charcoal grill or a pot of the day, and priced for people who eat there every week rather than once a holiday.
Skiathos still has real ones. Mesogia has been in the same family since 1923 and is now run by the founder's grandson and great-grandson. Kabourelias opened the Old Port's first ouzeri in 1969. Taverna To Kalo Pigadi is a tsipouradiko β you drink tsipouro and eat a rolling series of small plates β established in 1987 and named for the only well in the area with drinkable water.
These places rarely have a website and often rank poorly on Tripadvisor, because visitors score them against restaurants doing something entirely different. Read the score, not the rank.
The hilltop taverna locals name first when you ask where to take someone on their last night. Huge view, genuinely good cooking, prices that have not been inflated to match the panorama.
A husband-and-wife taverna on a tiny north-coast bay, blue wooden tables set a few metres from the water. One of the loveliest places to eat on the island, and one of the hardest to reach.
A tiny beach taverna on the north coast that reviewers describe as looking like it came straight out of Robinson Crusoe. Genuine cooking, made to order, and warm people.
Reopened after two years dark and immediately climbed to #7 on the island. Valley views, staff in traditional dress, and a kitchen that is trying hard.
A family taverna on the hillside above Megas Gialos, looking north-east across the open Aegean towards Skopelos. One of the highest and most consistently rated kitchens on the island.
A proper tsipouradiko β small plates, tsipouro, no theatre. Named for the only well in the area with drinkable water. The locals' pick, and it shows in the value.
A fish taverna literally on the water's edge, looking across to the Bourtzi. Busy with locals as well as visitors, which is the compliment that matters.
A family taverna at Agia Paraskevi since 2001, with homemade Greek cooking, a strong wine list and β decisively for some β a children's play area below the veranda.
Family-owned taverna and cocktail bar opposite bus stop 16. Al fresco dining under vine leaves, live music, and traditional Greek dishes given a modern turn.
Tables set among ancient olive trees, flowers, candles and strung lights. One of the most beautiful settings on the island, with homemade food to match β at a price.
Family-run since 1923 β the oldest taverna on Skiathos, now in the hands of the founder's grandson and great-grandson. In the historic Plakes district, and very popular with locals.
A family taverna in a quiet alleyway behind the harbour, run by Nikos and family. Fresh seafood, oven dishes and one of the town's better-kept secrets.
4.8 across more than two thousand reviews β one of the highest-volume, highest-rated kitchens on the island, and almost entirely absent from the English-language guides.
Family-run for over thirty years at the highest point of the Old Port steps, under huge plane trees. Wonderful setting, genuinely uneven service record.
A three-venue beach operation at Nostos Village β taverna, beach bar and main bar β with waiter service to the sunbeds and a boat shuttle to the Old Port.
A quiet spot with big sea and island views and an unusually adventurous seafood menu β skate, monkfish, swordfish done properly. Consistency is the question mark.
A newer seaside taverna right on the Old Port, serving fresh fish, grilled meats and mezedes by the harbour. Promising, with some service wrinkles still being ironed out.
A family taverna on the side street opposite the National Bank, with garden dining or an air-conditioned room β and a genuinely modern commercial setup behind it.
A busy, buzzy seafront taverna on the waterfront with terrace seating over the port. Great location and generous plates; service is the weak link when it gets busy.
The only food operation on Mandraki and Elias beaches β a family canteen behind one of the most beautiful and least accessible stretches of sand on Skiathos.
A long-standing Koukounaries taverna with a 4.0 average but very little recent review activity β currently ranked last of the fourteen restaurants in the resort.
A seaside taverna overlooking the old port with superb views and genuinely divided opinion about everything else. Included for completeness and honesty.
At the end of the airport runway, where the planes come in low over your head. Rustic and unpretentious, with reviews that swing from charmed to furious.
One of the island's best beaches with a taverna and beach bar attached. The swimming is superb; the eating has drifted towards fast food and slow service.
Vromolimnosβ¬β¬G4.0T3.8
Frequently asked questions
What is the oldest taverna in Skiathos?
Mesogia Taverna in the Plakes district, family-run since 1923 and now in its fourth generation β comfortably the oldest continuously operating taverna on the island.
What is a tsipouradiko?
A taverna format built around tsipouro, the Greek grape spirit. Rather than ordering a main course you drink tsipouro and receive a rolling series of small plates. It is one of the best-value and most sociable ways to eat on Skiathos. Taverna To Kalo Pigadi is the island's best-known example.
The twenty best places to eat on Skiathos, ranked by an independent score for food, setting, service, value and atmosphere, with Google and Tripadvisor ratings compared.
Every restaurant in Skiathos Town worth eating at, ranked and reviewed β from a charcoal grill running since 1923 to the island's best-rated seafood terrace.
Where to eat fish on Skiathos: the seafood tavernas and fish mezze houses that consistently deliver, ranked with Google and Tripadvisor ratings compared.
Hilltop tavernas, harbour terraces and beachfront tables β the Skiathos restaurants where the view is worth the climb, ranked by setting and by kitchen.
