Where the locals eat: Authentic Paxos tavernas

Eating well on Paxos is not about finding the fanciest table. It is about pulling up a chair where the fish is fresh, the wine is local, and no one is in a hurry.

The island's three harbours each have their own character at the table, and the best meals are often the simplest — grilled fish, island vegetables, good olive oil, and a view of the water.

Three harbours, three moods

• Gaios — the liveliest of the three, with waterfront tavernas looking across to the islets. Good for a long, sociable dinner.
• Loggos — small, intimate, and beloved for its seafront tables. The kind of place you return to more than once.
• Lakka — a wide, sheltered bay that catches the sunset beautifully, best enjoyed slowly with a glass in hand.

How to eat like a local

A few quiet rules serve you well on Paxos:

• Eat late — locals rarely sit down before nine in the evening.
• Ask what is fresh — the best tavernas serve whatever came in that day.
• Keep it simple — a few well-chosen plates to share beat an over-ordered table.
• Linger — the meal is the evening, not a prelude to it.

We keep our own list of the places we send guests to — and, just as usefully, the ones worth booking ahead in high season. Our team is always happy to share it.