What's at each bus stop

A smarter take on the traditional taverna, on a narrow cobbled street with tables under tree-strung lights — and house wine from the owners' own vineyard.

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 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.

Alexandros buys his meat from the best butcher on the island and starts prepping at 6am himself. It shows.

A quiet spot with big sea and island views and an unusually adventurous seafood menu — skate, monkfish, swordfish done properly. Consistency is the question mark.

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.

Chef Niko Vrettos cooking high-end Greek and Mediterranean from an open kitchen in the heart of the old town. One of the best-rated dining rooms in Skiathos.

On the pine-covered peninsula that splits the two harbours, on the site of the old fort. Unbeatable position and sunsets; service is the recurring gamble.

Open since 1975 and arguably the island's original fine-dining Greek restaurant. A stone's throw from the water, ranked third of nearly 300 restaurants in town.

A stylish deli-meets-restaurant-meets-coffee-shop, recently rebranded from Ergon Mezedopoleio to Mandara Skiathos. Meticulous presentation, excellent fish.

Fifty-plus sandwich combinations, snacks, fruit salads and organic ice cream. A useful stop rather than a meal out.

A breakfast spot that regulars rate for omelettes, pastries and what several describe as the best coffee in town.

4.8 on Tripadvisor, 4.9 on Restaurant Guru, ranked #8 on the island — the highest-rated venue this research sweep found anywhere. Directly on the waves at Megali Ammos.

The beach and snack bar of the Anemoni Beach Hotel, open to non-residents and called by several reviewers the best daytime bar on Megali Ammos.

Described by the Greek Gastronomy Guide as arguably the most interesting restaurant on Skiathos. Tuna tartare and octopus carpaccio, on the beachfront at Megali Ammos.

A family beachfront taverna on Megali Ammos with its own sunbeds, so people arrive in the morning and stay all day.

Elevated above Megali Ammos with a big view and a reputation for the best steak in this part of the island. A 4.8 average, if on a modest review base.

A relaxed, authentic taverna a short walk from town at Megali Ammos, with superb grilled meat and no pretensions whatsoever.

A Megali Ammos taverna with a pleasant setting and genuinely divided reviews about the cooking.

A family taverna directly above Vasilias beach with open sea views, serving from midday until late.

The newest venue in this guide — a family taverna near Vassilias Beach Hotel that opened in May 2024.

A beachside garden taverna at Achladies with live music on Mondays and a host reviewers name personally.

A very good grill house at Achladies with a friendly owner and a 4.5 average. The best-rated option in the resort.

A boho-chic beachfront relaunch on the site of the 1970s Achladies Taverna. Coffee from 09:00, food to 22:30, drinks to 02:00.

The three family-run tavernas that Achladies regulars recommend to each other. Little formal review data, a lot of repeat custom.

Ranked #1 of 4 in Achladies on 505 reviews — an enclosed-garden restaurant on the main road, known for lamb and for desserts.

Tables on the sand at a small pine-backed cove. The setting is the Skiathos of the brochures; the pricing is the part people complain about.

A styled Mediterranean beach club at Tzaneria playing house all day to a young crowd — and rated #295 of 299 on the island. The starkest split in this guide.

A proper taverna that happens to be on a beach, rather than a beach bar that serves food. Shaded dining room, sea views back towards the port.

A terrace restaurant and cocktail bar on the pool deck of the Kanapitsa Mare, 200m above Tzaneria beach, open to non-residents.

A three-venue beach operation at Nostos Village — taverna, beach bar and main bar — with waiter service to the sunbeds and a boat shuttle to the Old Port.

A beach bistro below the Nostos Hotel at Kanapitsa, right on the sand. The lowest-rated entry in this guide, and included so you can make an informed choice.

The beach-club end of Vromolimnos — wooden decks, sunbeds, cocktails and a dining area. Great for the day; the food ratings are the weakest part.

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 — at a price.

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.

The middle of Kolios bay's three beach bars, and the one reviewers repeatedly call the friendliest and most authentic.

A family-run restaurant above Kolios beach with a view that lives up to the name and a genuinely large menu of fresh fish and modernised Greek cooking.

A terrace over Kolios bay with a good outlook and a weak record. Included so the beach's three options can be judged against each other.

A traditional taverna directly on Kolios beach, best known for its grilled sardines, taking bookings through its own site.

The upmarket end of Kolios bay — tuna carpaccio and sunset views, with sunbeds at around €30 a day.

The à la carte taverna of the Atrium Hotel, on a pine-covered hillside with panoramic views over Platanias.

Directly on the sand at Agia Paraskevi, open to non-residents, with fish bought from Alonnisos fishermen.

A family-run taverna with a big breezy terrace, and reviewers who are not shy about calling its Greek food the best on Skiathos.

The main beach bar operation on Agia Paraskevi, with sunbeds, watersports and souvlaki reviewers single out.

A poolside garden restaurant opposite bus stop 16, set among flowers and tall trees, open to non-residents.

A family taverna 300m inland from the main road at Agia Paraskevi, with a terrace overlooking a garden with grazing sheep.

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.

A family taverna at Agia Paraskevi since 2001, with homemade Greek cooking, a strong wine list and — decisively for some — a children's play area below the veranda.

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.

4.7 on Google and Tripadvisor, 4.6 on Restaurant Guru — the best-rated restaurant in Troulos, on the rise above the beach.

Generous portions at modest prices, and pita gyros that reviewers rate as exceptional. The best-value proper meal on the west coast.

1,789 Tripadvisor reviews at 4.5 — one of the busiest restaurants on the island, and a repeat Travellers' Choice winner.

Running since 1975 in a beachside spot at Troulos. Long-established and pleasant, but the ratings suggest it is coasting on position.

A Troulos taverna with the widest data discrepancy in this guide: 4.3 on Google against 2.3 on Restaurant Guru. Included with that warning attached.

The smaller, deliberately spartan snack operation on Mandraki, distinct from the larger Super Paradise on the adjoining Elias beach.

The only food operation on Mandraki and Elias beaches — a family canteen behind one of the most beautiful and least accessible stretches of sand on Skiathos.

The only operation on Maratha, a narrow pine-shaded strip about 500m before Koukounaries, run by the Skiathos Palace hotel above it.

The second, simpler operation on Agia Eleni alongside the Summer Beach bar — sandwiches, drinks and complimentary shots.

4.7 across 903 reviews and repeatedly the #1 venue in Koukounaries. Full English breakfast in the morning, dancing by midnight.

The top-ranked seafood restaurant in Koukounaries, on one of the best positions along the coastal road in.

Set back from the road in a garden, quieter and more intimate than the Koukounaries strip — with a resident cat population that divides opinion.

Elivi's main bar, in the original 1960s Xenia building, with glass-partitioned terraces looking straight down over Koukounaries beach.

An award-winning modern Greek kitchen inside Mandraki Village — the only Sporades winner at the 2016 Golden Bonnets. Not to be confused with Elia beach.

Home-cooked Greek in an orchard garden towards the far end of the Koukounaries strip. Evenings only, from 18:00.

Cooked-to-order traditional Greek from a family that has run it since 1988 — and a business trading under two different names at once.

The pick of Koukounaries — a garden taverna near the island's most famous beach, and the one that gets the top votes locally.

A family grill taverna under the trees doing steaks, grilled meats and seafood — with a bread-and-olives cover charge that catches people out.

A rooftop grill at the Skiathos Palace with panoramic views over the Koukounaries end of the island.

Gyros under €3, 1,806 reviews at 4.5, and an actual huge pine tree overhead. The best-value proper meal at the west end.

Laid-back but polished dining beside a pool, surrounded by gardens and lawn, in the heart of Koukounaries.