What to eat Cyclades? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Lunch is around 2pm, and dinner rarely before 9 or 10pm. But it's not uncommon for an establishment to also serve coffee and snacks from 9am. In summer, restaurateurs and owners of taverns and ouzeries in the most popular tourist areas know they have to keep up with the season, so they are open every day, from morning to night, in continuous service. Service hours average 15 hours, sometimes more, and they often close with the last customer... In Athens and on the islands, some of the more upscale restaurants are only open for dinner in the evening, or have the luxury of closing for one or two days during the week. On the islands, most establishments close between the end of October and Easter. But others - and this is often a guarantee of quality - remain open all year round to satisfy their local clientele.

While restaurants(estiatório) are slightly more expensive than tavernas or ouzeries, eating out is still very affordable in mainland Greece. Unless you go to a trendy or very chic restaurant (in Mykonos, for example...), you should expect to pay around 15 euros per person for a full meal, including a carafe of local wine or raki/ouzo. There is one exception: fresh fish, sold by the kilo, is always expensive. To avoid unpleasant surprises at checkout time, choose your fish in the kitchen and ask the price before ordering, as the bill quickly rises. In taverns, dessert (slices of watermelon, plate of halva, cake...) is often offered. Despite the crisis, the Greeks have not abandoned this pleasant tradition. But you don't have to: in the most touristy places, like Santorini, you can always wait!

Some taverns and restaurants charge a supplement of around €1 for cutlery and bread, which is not always offered. Water in a carafe is free, but in some of the more upscale restaurants, a bottle of mineral water is often served as standard. It's not a huge charge, but it's worth knowing before you dispute the bill! Finally, when paying, always bring cash, as credit cards are not accepted everywhere. And leave a tip of around 10%.

Service can take a long time: there's no need to get worked up, but plan ahead and don't wait until you're starving to sit down, especially with children. Also note: dishes arrive as they are prepared, so don't expect to eat an appetizer first, then a main course. Arriving dishes are shared, and diners often pick from the same dish. Another sign of hospitality: a small dessert or glass of liqueur is often offered at the end of the meal. But in Greece, you'll never be pressured to leave the table or recommend that you do so once your meal is over. Unless you ask for the bill, you'll be left to enjoy your meal, without necessarily clearing the table. And if there are lots of leftovers on the table and you're renting, don't hesitate to ask for a "paqueto" (a doggy bag) to prolong the experience at home...

Greek cuisine is generous and easy to share. In taverns, avoid ordering one dish per person in the French way. And if you go to a restaurant with Greeks, pay the bill or have the meal offered to you, but avoid counting up what each person has eaten to pay only for your share. This is not a common practice, if not downright impolite. And don't forget: if you're celebrating your birthday in a restaurant during your stay, it's up to you to invite guests, not the other way round.

Children are king in Greece. The good thing is that they're welcome everywhere and made to feel at home. Here, there's no separation between generations, no attempt to silence noisy children or force them to sit still. Children are invited to sit at the adults' table and run their own show (often with a cell phone), without trying to contain themselves or the adults. The result is a joyous - sometimes noisy! - hubbub. And in the evening, when dinner drags on, they can play in the streets until well after midnight, while their parents quietly finish their ouzo.

The law against smoking in public places has been in force since 2008. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Conservative Prime Minister elected in July 2019, has promised that the law will now be enforced. Since his election, fines have been introduced to make both establishments and customers pay for non-compliance.

Let's just say that, as everywhere else, it's rarely in establishments with a reel at the entrance that you eat best...

They are rarely posted (or reliable), but it is not uncommon for an establishment to open for breakfast and close late at night... In tourist areas, bar and cafe owners have to cover the summer season to survive all year round: they are open every day from morning to night, and the hours depend on the number of people. Some night bars only open from 6-7pm and stay open until the early hours of the morning. Some traditional kafeneio open early in the morning and again around 6pm but close a few hours after lunch. But most of the time, these places are open continuously: in summer, the waiters just wait for the last customer to leave before closing. This flexibility can be extended out of season, especially on weekends, in the establishments that remain open. In Greece, you will never be pressured to leave an establishment or recommended once you have finished your drink. Unless you ask for the bill, you will be left to enjoy it without necessarily clearing the table. However, it is important to keep your wits about you: if you see that you are the last ones and that the waiters are exhausted, it may be time to leave!

Drinking coffee is an institution in Greece: you can stay for hours with a freddo or a frappé for a few euros, without having to renew your order. Be careful though: the coffees are not cheap. At 4 € a frappe, sometimes it is understandable that some customers linger...

As far as the law is concerned, there is no legal age to consume alcohol in private in Greece. To drink and consume alcohol in a café or public place, you have to be 18 years old, but this law is not followed very much and nobody will ask for an ID card to a young person who orders a glass of alcohol.

The traditional café, the kafeneio, is often the heart of local life in the islands. More exactly, it is often the heart of public life and therefore of male life... Indeed, the women still live largely within the home while the men meet at the café to twiddle their thumbs and remake the world, well encased in their armchairs... The kafeneio opens early in the morning, people come to have their first coffee to see the village which is slowly waking up. Sometimes it stays open for lunch, but usually it closes between noon and 5 pm, for the siesta. It reopens at 6pm for a last coffee or a game of tavli at the end of the day. Later, it becomes a ouzerie, where people drink ouzo, beer and raki while sharing small dishes, mezzedes, with the background of rebetiko, the popular Greek music par excellence.

Children are accepted everywhere, accompanied by their parents. As in restaurants, they are welcome. Children are kings in Greece and their noise level is very well tolerated! As in many places, it is not uncommon to see them busy with a cell phone or a tablet - without headphones - while their parents are busy with their friends in a joyful hubbub.

The good weather and the terraces limit the problem in summer. However, it must be conceded that the law against smoking in public spaces has been in place since 2008, but has never really been enforced. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the conservative Prime Minister elected in July 2019, has promised that the law will now be enforced. Since his election, fines have been put in place to charge both establishments and customers who would not respect the law. It remains to be seen whether this will finally materialize in practice...

Nothing to report except to avoid establishments that need beaters. This is often a bad omen!