Best Places to Eat in Schoinoussa: 10 Restaurants & Tavernas
Schoinoussa may be one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Cyclades, but it has a surprisingly good choice of places to eat. Most restaurants are concentrated around Chora, with a handful of excellent options near the beaches, Messaria and Mersini harbour.
The island’s food reflects its location in the Small Cyclades. Expect fresh fish and seafood, grilled meat, local cheeses, vegetables, capers and traditional Greek dishes. Schoinoussa is particularly known for its locally grown fava, which is worth trying at least once during your stay.
Restaurants can be seasonal, so choices are naturally greater during the main summer months.
1. Deli
Deli is one of the best-known restaurants on Schoinoussa and a good choice if you want something more ambitious than a traditional taverna meal.
Located in Chora, the restaurant takes Greek and Cycladic ingredients and gives them a more contemporary treatment. Seafood features prominently, alongside meat, vegetables, local cheeses and seasonal ingredients.
The elevated dining area also provides views across the surrounding landscape and sea.
Deli is particularly suited to a longer evening meal and is one of the places to consider for a special dinner during your stay.
2. Kira Pothiti
Kira Pothiti is another established Chora restaurant with strong connections to the produce and cooking traditions of Schoinoussa.
Local ingredients such as fava, capers, herbs, vegetables, meat and fresh fish feature throughout the menu, although the cooking is more refined than you might expect from a conventional island taverna.
It is a good choice for travellers interested in discovering what can be done with traditional Cycladic ingredients beyond the most familiar Greek dishes.
3. Harama
For a more traditional experience, head north from Chora towards the small settlement of Messaria.
Harama is a family-run restaurant associated with the accommodation of the same name and offers a relaxed alternative to dining in the centre of Chora.
The emphasis is on Greek home-style cooking, grilled dishes, vegetables and seasonal ingredients.
Combining a meal here with a walk through Messaria is an easy way to explore another part of Schoinoussa.
4. Meltemi
Meltemi is a long-established option in Chora and a useful choice when you want straightforward Greek cooking in an informal setting.
The menu includes familiar Greek dishes, grilled meat and Mediterranean flavours rather than trying to reinvent traditional island food.
Its central location makes it particularly convenient if you are staying in or around Chora and want somewhere casual for lunch or dinner.
5. Captain Cook
Captain Cook is a particularly appealing option if you’re spending the day at Tsigouri Beach.
The restaurant overlooks the bay, allowing you to combine swimming with lunch without returning to Chora.
Expect a broad island menu incorporating seafood, Greek dishes, meat and lighter options.
The setting is a large part of the attraction, with views over Tsigouri and the small island lying offshore.
6. Livadi Cafe-Restaurant
Livadi Cafe-Restaurant is another place where lunch can easily become part of a beach day.
Located at Livadi Beach, it serves Greek and Mediterranean food close to the water.
This is less about planning a destination dinner and more about the pleasure of swimming, getting out of the sea and settling down for a leisurely meal nearby.
If you are staying close to Livadi, it can also be one of the most convenient places on the island for breakfast or a casual meal.
7. Okto Adelphia
Okto Adelphia is a good option for traditional Greek flavours and a relaxed meal.
The restaurant serves a mixture of grilled dishes and Mediterranean cooking, making it useful when you’re looking for something straightforward rather than a more elaborate dining experience.
It is another example of why Schoinoussa has a surprisingly varied dining scene considering the island’s tiny permanent population.
8. Bizeli
Bizeli offers another alternative for an evening meal in Chora.
Greek dishes, grilled meat and seafood form the basis of the menu, making it a good choice for groups who want a range of familiar island food.
Its informal style suits the relaxed pace of Schoinoussa, where dinner often becomes the main event of the evening.
9. Nikolas of Schinoussa
Nikolas of Schinoussa is located at Mersini, the island’s port.
Its waterfront location makes it an obvious option if you want to eat beside the harbour rather than in Chora.
Seafood and fish are an important part of the menu, and the restaurant works particularly well as part of an evening walk down to Mersini or for a meal close to your arrival or departure point.
10. Marousa Grill
Sometimes you simply want grilled meat, souvlaki and an uncomplicated Greek meal.
Marousa Grill fills that role on Schoinoussa.
It is a more casual and generally simpler alternative to some of the island’s destination restaurants, making it useful for an inexpensive lunch or relaxed evening meal.
What Food Should You Try in Schoinoussa?
The food most closely associated with Schoinoussa is fava.
Although fava is found throughout the Cyclades, Schoinoussa produces its own crop and celebrates it as part of the island’s agricultural heritage. The dish is made from yellow split peas and usually served as a smooth purée with olive oil, onion or other simple accompaniments.
Other foods worth looking for include locally grown vegetables, capers, cheeses, grilled meat and whatever fresh fish is available.
Rather than arriving with a fixed list of dishes, ask what is local or particularly good that day.
Where Is the Best Area to Eat in Schoinoussa?
Chora has the greatest choice.
If food is an important part of your trip, staying in or within walking distance of Chora gives you easy access to several restaurants without needing transport at night.
Mersini is better for a waterfront harbour meal, while Tsigouri and Livadi allow you to combine eating with a day at the beach.
Messaria offers a quieter alternative and is easily combined with exploring the northern part of the island.
Because Schoinoussa is so small, however, you don’t need to restrict yourself to one area.
Eating in Schoinoussa
One of the pleasures of staying on a small Greek island is that eating becomes part of the rhythm of the trip rather than something squeezed between attractions.
Spend the morning walking or swimming, have a long lunch, return to the beach in the afternoon and head into Chora for dinner.
Schoinoussa has enough restaurants to provide variety over several days without losing the intimate atmosphere that makes the Small Cyclades appealing in the first place.
More About Schoinoussa
Continue planning your trip with our guides to:
Things to Do in Schoinoussa
Best Places to Stay in Schoinoussa
Best Beaches in Schoinoussa