The food of Paxos is a delicious expression of the island’s Ionian setting. Its fishing traditions and its ancient olive groves, best enjoyed at the waterside tavernas of Gaios, Loggos and Lakka. Fresh fish and seafood are the highlight, from grilled local fish and octopus to lobster spaghetti and cuttlefish risotto. Alongside hearty regional dishes shared with Corfu such as sofrito, bourdeto, bianco and pastitsada. Greek mezes, the island’s prized olive oil, local wine and sweet desserts complete the picture. Dining out here, over fresh fish and a glass of wine beside the harbour, is one of the great pleasures of a holiday.
This guide covers what to eat on Paxos, its traditional dishes and seafood, the mezes, the olive oil, the drinks and the best tavernas.
Here you will find everything about the food of Paxos: what to try, the traditional Ionian dishes, the fresh seafood, the Greek starters and mezes, the island’s famous olive oil. The local wine and drinks, the best tavernas in the villages, dining for all budgets, how to eat like a local. Why the food of Paxos is so special. Whether you are planning long, lazy dinners by the harbour or simply want to know what to order, this guide will help you make the most of the island’s kitchens.
What food you try on Paxos?
On Paxos you try fresh fish and seafood, the island’s excellent olive oil, and Ionian specialities such as sofrito, a veal stew in garlic and vinegar, bourdeto, a spicy fish dish, and bianco, a fish stew with lemon and.
The food to seek out on Paxos and Antipaxos reflects the island’s setting and traditions, with fresh fish and seafood at its heart. Grilled local fish, octopus, cuttlefish and lobster feature strongly on menus, drawn straight from the surrounding Ionian Sea and simply, beautifully prepared.
Alongside the seafood, the island shares the rich regional cuisine of the Ionian and neighbouring Corfu. With hearty traditional dishes such as sofrito, bourdeto and bianco that are well worth trying. These slow-cooked specialities, full of flavour, are a delicious contrast to the fresh fish and give a real taste of local cooking. Reflecting the long Venetian and Ionian influences that shaped the island’s kitchen.
Underpinning it all is the island’s celebrated olive oil, pressed from its ancient groves and used generously in the cooking. Along with Greek mezes to start, local wine to drink and sweet desserts to finish. Eating your way through these is one of the essential experiences of a stay on Paxos.
What are the traditional dishes of Paxos?
The traditional dishes of Paxos are Ionian specialities shared with Corfu, including sofrito, a veal stew in a garlic and vinegar sauce, bourdeto, a spicy fish stew, bianco, a fish stew with lemon and potatoes, and pastitsada, a rich cockerel.
Paxos shares in the distinctive regional cuisine of the Ionian islands and Corfu. Which gives it a repertoire of hearty traditional dishes quite different from the food of other parts of Greece. Chief among them is sofrito, tender veal or beef cooked slowly in a sauce of garlic, white wine and vinegar, a rich and much-loved local classic.
Equally characteristic is bourdeto, a spicy fish stew cooked with plenty of red pepper and tomato. Bianco. A lighter fish stew made with lemon, garlic and potatoes, both showcasing the island’s fresh fish in traditional ways. These dishes reflect centuries of Ionian and Venetian influence on the local cooking.
Another regional speciality worth seeking out is pastitsada, a rich stew, often of cockerel or beef. Served with thick pasta, as well as savoro, fish preserved with rosemary, vinegar and raisins. Together these traditional dishes form the heart of Paxos cooking and are best enjoyed at the island’s tavernas.
What seafood can you eat on Paxos?
On Paxos you can eat superb fresh seafood, including grilled local fish such as sea bream and snapper, octopus with onions, cuttlefish risotto, and rich lobster spaghetti.
Given its island setting, it is no surprise that seafood is the star of the Paxos table. The harbour tavernas serve the day’s fresh catch, with grilled local fish such as sea bream. Snapper and sea bass among the simplest and finest choices, dressed with little more than lemon and the island’s own olive oil.
Beyond grilled fish, the menus offer a wealth of seafood dishes, from octopus stewed with onions and grilled octopus. To cuttlefish risotto and squid. The broad beans known as fava often served alongside. These dishes make the most of the variety the sea provides and are full of Ionian flavour.
For a special treat, look out for the rich lobster spaghetti and seafood risottos that appear on menus. A luxurious way to enjoy the fruits of the sea for a special occasion. Fresh fish is usually priced by weight and chosen from the day’s catch. It is worth asking the taverna what has come in and picking your fish before it is grilled. Whether simple or indulgent, the freshness of the seafood on Paxos, eaten beside the water where it was landed. Is hard to beat. It is one of the chief reasons the island is such a rewarding destination for anyone who loves to eat.
What Greek starters and mezes are served on Paxos?
The tavernas of Paxos serve classic Greek starters and mezes, including taramosalata, tzatziki and melitzanosalata dips, dolmades of stuffed vine leaves, courgette balls, and cheese and spinach pies such as tiropita and spanakopita, perfect for sharing before the main course.
A meal on Paxos, as across Greece, often begins with a spread of small starters and mezes to share, and the island’s tavernas offer all the beloved classics. These include the dips taramosalata, made from fish roe, tzatziki of yoghurt and cucumber, and melitzanosalata of aubergine, scooped up with fresh bread.
Other favourite starters include dolmades, vine leaves stuffed with rice, crisp courgette balls, and savoury pies such as tiropita, filled with cheese, and spanakopita, filled with spinach and feta. Served together, these mezes make a colourful, varied and sociable start to a meal.
Sharing a selection of these starters is very much part of the pleasure of eating out on Paxos, encouraging a relaxed, unhurried pace over a long meal. Ordering plates for the table and picking at them together, rather than each person having their own course, is the traditional way and a sociable one. Combined with the island’s olive oil and fresh bread, and washed down with local wine, they set the scene for the seafood and traditional dishes to follow.
What is Paxos olive oil?
Paxos olive oil is the island’s most famous product, pressed from the ancient olive groves that cover much of the land.
It is its olive oil. The island is covered in ancient olive groves, many of the trees centuries old. Planted in the era of Venetian rule. Their fruit yields an olive oil prized for its quality, purity and rich, fruity flavour.
This oil is at the very heart of the island’s cooking, used generously in the traditional stews and dishes. For frying and dressing. Simply drizzled over grilled fish, salads, vegetables and fresh bread. Its quality does much to define the taste of the food on Paxos, lending it a distinctive richness. The olive harvest in late autumn and winter remains an important part of island life, when the fruit is gathered and pressed at the local mills. The fresh, green new oil that results is especially prized. This deep connection between the land, the ancient groves and the table is one of the things that makes eating on Paxos feel so authentic.
For visitors, the olive oil is also a notable thing to buy and take home. A genuine and lasting taste of the island. Many shops in the villages sell it alongside other local produce. Tasting the local oil, poured over a simple dish at a harbour taverna, is one of the small but memorable pleasures of Paxos.
Where are the best tavernas on Paxos?
The best tavernas on Paxos line the harbours of Gaios, Loggos and Lakka, with tables right by the water.
The finest dining on Paxos is found around the harbours of the three villages. Where the tavernas set their tables at the water’s edge. You eat with the fishing boats and yachts in view. The capital, Gaios, has the widest choice, its long waterfront lined with tavernas and restaurants of every kind.
Tiny Loggos, though the smallest village, is especially celebrated for its food, and is considered by many to serve the best seafood on the island at its intimate harbourside tavernas. To the north, Lakka offers good tavernas around its beautiful bay, a lovely spot for a relaxed meal.
Beyond the harbours, small-scale tavernas hidden among the olive groves and in the countryside offer a more rural, traditional experience, often with home cooking and a warm welcome. Wherever you eat, dining out on Paxos is a highlight, best enjoyed in the evening once the day-trippers have left and the villages are at their most magical.
What desserts and sweets does Paxos have?
Paxos offers classic Greek desserts and sweets, from honey-soaked baklava and syrupy pastries to creamy galaktoboureko and thick Greek yoghurt with honey and fruit.
To finish a meal, the tavernas of Paxos offer the beloved sweets and desserts of Greece, rich, sweet and often syrupy. Favourites include baklava, layers of filo pastry with nuts soaked in honey syrup, and galaktoboureko, a creamy custard pie in crisp filo, both indulgent classics found across the island.
Simpler but no less delicious is thick, creamy Greek yoghurt served with local honey and walnuts or seasonal fruit. A refreshing way to end a meal in the warm climate. Local honey and almonds, along with the island’s figs, grapes and other fruit in season, feature in desserts.
It is common for tavernas to bring a small sweet treat or a piece of fruit at the end of a meal as a gesture of hospitality, a lovely Greek custom. Rounding off an evening of seafood and traditional dishes with a sweet dessert and a coffee or a digestif is a fitting and relaxed end to an evening dining on Paxos.
What can you drink on Paxos?
On Paxos you can drink good local and Greek wine, including wine from the vineyards of neighbouring Antipaxos, along with ouzo and tsipouro spirits, refreshing beers and Greek coffee.
The natural accompaniment to the food of Paxos is wine, and the island and its surroundings produce their own. In particular, the neighbouring islet of Antipaxos is famous for its vineyards and its robust local wine, traditionally made by families from Paxos, and well worth trying with a meal.
Alongside wine, the tavernas serve the classic Greek spirits ouzo and tsipouro. Aniseed and grape distillates enjoyed as an aperitif or with mezes, as well as cold Greek beers that are refreshing in the summer heat. These drinks are part of the relaxed, sociable rhythm of eating out on the island.
For non-alcoholic options, strong Greek coffee is a ritual in itself, sipped slowly at a harbour cafe, along with fresh juices and soft drinks. Whatever you choose, enjoying a drink by the water, before, during or after a meal. Watching the boats and the light on the sea, is one of the simple, lasting pleasures of life on Paxos.
Is there food for all budgets on Paxos?
Yes, Paxos has food for a range of budgets, from simple, good-value traditional tavernas serving hearty local dishes to more upmarket restaurants offering refined seafood and fine dining.
Dining on Paxos caters to a range of tastes and budgets, so visitors can eat well whether they are watching the pennies or treating themselves. At the affordable end are the traditional tavernas, serving generous portions of honest local cooking, fresh fish, grilled meats, mezes and stews, at reasonable prices in a relaxed setting.
At the same time, the island has a number of more upmarket and stylish restaurants, particularly in Gaios and among the more fashionable spots. Offering refined seafood, creative dishes and a more elegant dining experience for a special occasion. Loggos in particular blends quality with its intimate charm.
This range means you can mix and match over a holiday, enjoying simple. Good-value taverna meals on most nights and saving a smart restaurant for a special evening or a celebration. In keeping with the island’s upmarket but unpretentious character, even the finest dining on Paxos remains relaxed and welcoming rather than stuffy.
How do you eat like a local on Paxos?
To eat like a local on Paxos, dine late in the evening, order a range of mezes to share, choose the fresh fish of the day and traditional Ionian dishes, use the local olive oil generously, and take your time.
Eating like a local on Paxos is above all about pace and sharing. Greeks tend to dine late, well into the evening. To make a meal a long, sociable affair rather than a quick bite, so following suit and settling in for an unhurried dinner is the way to enjoy the island’s food as its people do.
Ordering a spread of mezes and starters to share, followed by the fresh fish of the day. Chosen sometimes from the day’s catch. One or two of the traditional dishes such as sofrito or bourdeto, is the classic approach. Asking the taverna what is fresh, what was landed that day and what they recommend often leads to the best and most memorable meals.
Making generous use of the island’s olive oil, drinking the local wine, and finishing with a sweet or fruit and a coffee complete the experience. Above all, eating like a local means relaxing into the gentle rhythm of the island, enjoying good food, good company and the beautiful setting without any hurry.
Why is Paxos food special?
Paxos food is special because it combines superb fresh seafood, distinctive Ionian dishes and the island’s celebrated olive oil, served in beautiful harbour settings.
What makes the food of Paxos special is the coming together of things: the freshness of the seafood, landed daily from the surrounding sea. The distinctive Ionian and Venetian-influenced dishes such as sofrito. Bourdeto and bianco. And above all the island’s famous olive oil, which lends its cooking a particular richness and quality.
Just as important is the setting. Dining on Paxos means eating beside the water in the pretty harbours of Gaios, Loggos and Lakka. Or among the olive groves, in a relaxed, unspoilt atmosphere that adds greatly to the pleasure of the meal. Food and place come together to create something memorable.
For all these reasons, eating out is one of the great highlights of a holiday on the island, and food-lovers in particular are richly rewarded. Rooted in genuine local traditions and made with excellent ingredients, the food of Paxos is authentic, delicious and a real expression of this beautiful corner of the Ionian.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the traditional food of Paxos?
The traditional food of Paxos belongs to the distinctive cuisine of the Ionian islands and neighbouring Corfu. Shaped by centuries of Venetian influence. Centres on fresh seafood and a handful of hearty regional dishes. The most characteristic is sofrito, tender veal or beef slowly cooked in a rich sauce of garlic, white wine and vinegar, a much-loved local classic, alongside bourdeto. A spicy fish stew made with red pepper and tomato. Bianco, a lighter fish stew flavoured with lemon, garlic and potatoes, both of which make the most of the island’s fresh fish.
Another regional speciality is pastitsada, a rich stew, often of cockerel or beef, served with thick pasta, and savoro, fish preserved with rosemary, vinegar and raisins. These dishes are accompanied by the classic Greek mezes and starters, such as taramosalata, tzatziki and melitzanosalata dips, dolmades. Cheese and spinach pies. And above all by the island’s celebrated olive oil, pressed from its ancient groves and used generously throughout the cooking. Fresh fish and seafood, from grilled local fish to octopus, cuttlefish and lobster, are a constant highlight. Enjoyed at the waterside tavernas of Gaios, Loggos and Lakka, this combination of Ionian specialities.
Fresh seafood and superb olive oil is the essence of traditional Paxos food, authentic and delicious and deeply tied to the island’s fishing and olive-growing heritage.
Which village on Paxos has the best food?
Loggos has a particular reputation for the best food. Especially the best seafood, on the island, despite being the smallest of the villages. Its handful of intimate tavernas, set right on the tiny horseshoe harbour, are celebrated for the quality and freshness of their fish and seafood. Dining there in the evening. With the boats just feet away, is a memorable experience much loved by food-lovers. That said, the capital, Gaios, offers by far the widest choice of tavernas and restaurants. From simple traditional places to more upmarket dining.
It is the best village for variety and for those who like options, with its long waterfront lined with places to eat. Lakka, around its beautiful bay in the north, also has a good selection of tavernas and cafes and makes a lovely, relaxed setting for a meal, particularly at sunset. In addition, small tavernas hidden among the olive groves and in the countryside away from the harbours offer a more rural, home-cooked experience. So while Loggos is often singled out for the finest seafood and Gaios for the greatest choice, the truth is that you can eat very well throughout Paxos.
Sampling the tavernas of all three villages over a holiday is a delicious way to get to know the island.
Is the food expensive on Paxos?
The food on Paxos need not be expensive, as the island offers dining across a range of budgets, though prices can vary considerably depending on where and what you choose to eat. At the affordable end, the traditional tavernas serve generous portions of honest, hearty local cooking, such as fresh grilled fish, mezes, stews and grilled meats. At reasonable prices, offering excellent value and a genuine taste of the island. These are where you can eat well without spending a great deal. At the same time, Paxos has a somewhat upmarket reputation. There are more stylish and refined restaurants, particularly in Gaios and at the fashionable end of the market.
Where a special dinner of fine seafood or creative dishes will cost more, as will indulgent items such as lobster spaghetti anywhere on the island. Fresh fish is often priced by weight, so it is sensible to check the price before ordering to avoid surprises. In general, a relaxed meal at a traditional taverna remains good value. Especially given the quality and freshness of the ingredients and the beautiful waterside settings, while those wanting a more luxurious experience can find it too. By mixing simple taverna meals with the occasional treat. Visitors can enjoy the notable food of Paxos without the cost becoming excessive, making the island rewarding for a range of budgets.
What seafood is Paxos known for?
Paxos, as a small Ionian island surrounded by clear seas, is known above all for its fresh fish and seafood, which form the centrepiece of dining at its harbour tavernas. The simplest and often finest choice is grilled local fish, such as sea bream, snapper and sea bass, landed fresh and cooked plainly over charcoal. Then dressed with lemon and the island’s own olive oil, letting the quality of the fish speak for itself. Octopus is another favourite, whether tenderised and grilled or stewed slowly with onions in the traditional way, as is cuttlefish, often served as a risotto with its ink, and squid.
The island’s traditional fish dishes, such as the spicy stew bourdeto and the lighter, lemony bianco, also showcase the local catch in their own distinctive Ionian styles. For those wanting to indulge, richer seafood dishes appear on menus, notably lobster spaghetti. A luxurious speciality in which the sweet meat of the lobster is served with pasta, along with seafood risottos and prawns. Broad beans, known as fava, and other vegetables often accompany the seafood, and fresh fish is typically priced by weight, so it is worth checking the cost when ordering. Eaten beside the water in Gaios, Loggos or Lakka, where much of it is landed, the seafood of Paxos is prized for its freshness and simple.
Delicious preparation. It is one of the main reasons the island is so rewarding for food-lovers.
What is sofrito and is it from Paxos?
Sofrito is one of the most famous traditional dishes of the Ionian islands. Although it is most closely associated with neighbouring Corfu. It is very much a part of the traditional cuisine of Paxos too, which shares the same regional, Venetian-influenced cooking. The dish consists of thin slices of veal or beef that are slowly cooked in a rich, savoury sauce made with plenty of garlic. White wine and vinegar. Often parsley, resulting in tender meat in a tangy, aromatic sauce, usually served with mashed potato, rice or chips.
Its name and its style reflect the long period of Venetian rule over the Ionian islands, which left a distinctive mark on the local food quite different from that of mainland Greece. Sofrito stands alongside other regional specialities such as the spicy fish stew bourdeto. The lemony fish stew bianco, and the rich pasta stew pastitsada as one of the signature dishes of the area. On Paxos you will find sofrito on the menus of the traditional tavernas, where it is a hearty. Warming and much-loved choice. Trying it is a good way to experience the authentic regional cuisine of the island beyond its fresh seafood.
Particularly with Corfu, it is a genuine and traditional part of the island’s food and well worth seeking out during a visit.