Drakos Taverna

Drakos Taverna has been serving fresh seafood at the far end of Mylopotas beach since 1963 — more than six decades of the same family cooking the same way, using local products and recipes that have passed through three generations of chefs. That kind of continuity is rare anywhere in Greece, and rarer still on an island that reinvents itself every summer season.

The setting is straightforward and honest: tables near the water's edge, the sound of the Aegean close enough to register without being a performance, and a menu anchored by whatever fish came in that day. George Drakos founded the place, and his descendants still run it. With 893 Google reviews averaging 4.2 stars, it earns repeat visits rather than just first-time curiosity.

Mylopotas is Ios's main beach — a long, south-facing arc of sand about two kilometers from Ios Town (Chora). Drakos sits at the quieter western end of the beach, away from the water-sports concessions and the main cluster of beach bars. That placement matters: you're eating beside the sea rather than beside the crowd.

What to Expect

The menu centers on seafood prepared by traditional Greek methods, which at a taverna like this means grilled fish served simply with lemon and olive oil, rather than dressed up or deconstructed. The kitchen's standout dishes include lobster served with or without pasta, a seafood orzo (kritharoto) made with homemade seafood sauce, and whole grilled fish caught the same day. The calamari and Greek salads are consistently mentioned alongside the fish in guest feedback, and the wine and beer lists are functional rather than elaborate — the food is the point.

The atmosphere is casual. You won't find tablecloths or a dress code; you'll find wooden furniture, sea air, and a pace that lets the evening stretch. The restaurant opens daily at 1:00 PM and serves until 11:00 PM, which means both long lunches and late dinners are possible. Because it sits directly on the beach, sunsets from the western end of Mylopotas can be watched from the table.

For families, the relaxed setup works well. For couples, the waterfront position after dark is genuinely atmospheric — without any effort to manufacture atmosphere. The kitchen's emphasis on local sourcing means the menu shifts with what's available, so the daily fish offering can vary. If you want a specific species, it's worth asking when you arrive.

How to Get There

Mylopotas beach is roughly 2.5 kilometers from Ios Town (Chora) by road. A local bus runs regularly between Chora and Mylopotas during the summer season, and the stop at the main beach is a short walk from Drakos at the western end. Taxis from Chora are available and the fare is short. If you're driving or on a scooter, follow the main road south from Chora toward Mylopotas and continue along the beach road to the far end — parking along the beachfront road is generally available, though it fills during peak afternoon hours.

On foot from Chora, the downhill walk to Mylopotas takes around 30–40 minutes and is scenic but steep on the return. Most visitors take the bus up and walk down, or use transport both ways.

The restaurant's coordinates place it at the western end of the beach. If you reach the main beach infrastructure (sunbeds, water-sports hire, beach bars), continue west past them.

Best Time to Visit

Drakos is open all seven days from 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Lunch service, from around 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, is noticeably calmer than dinner. Ios in July and August fills quickly — Mylopotas is one of the busiest beaches in the Cyclades during peak season — and Drakos is well-known enough to fill up on summer evenings without a reservation. The restaurant has a table-booking option on its website, and using it is sensible if you're visiting between late June and late August.

Early June and September offer a noticeably different experience: smaller crowds, the same menu quality, and warm enough water and air to make a beach dinner feel identical to high season. The Aegean Meltemi wind typically picks up in July and August, which keeps temperatures manageable but can make eating right at the water's edge more breezy than expected — worth noting if you have children or are particular about napkins.

For sunset views, aim to be seated by 7:30 PM to 8:00 PM in summer, depending on the date.

Tips for Visiting

• Book ahead in peak season. July and August evenings fill up. Use the booking form on drakostaverna.com or call +30 2286 091281 to secure a table, especially if you're a group of four or more.
• Ask about the daily fish. The menu features fish caught the same day, which means availability changes. Ask your server what came in rather than assuming a specific species will be on offer.
• Try the seafood orzo. The kritharoto with homemade seafood sauce is one of the more distinctive dishes on the menu and less common at beach tavernas than straightforward grilled fish.
• Arrive early for lunch if you want a quiet meal. Between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, the beach crowd is mostly still on sunbeds rather than at tables, and you'll have a more relaxed experience.
• Come off the beach, not in a bikini. The atmosphere is casual, but Drakos is a sit-down restaurant, not a beach bar. A light cover-up is appropriate.
• Allow time. Service at a traditional Greek fish taverna is unhurried by design. If you have a ferry or bus to catch, let your server know at the start of the meal.
• Bring cash as backup. Most Greek tavernas now accept cards, but connectivity at beach locations can occasionally be spotty. It's worth having euros available.
• The western end of the beach is calmer. If you're combining a swim with dinner, the Drakos end of Mylopotas tends to be less congested than the central section near the main beach facilities.

What to Order

The kitchen's strengths are on the seafood side of the menu. Start with calamari or a Greek salad to gauge the freshness of the produce. For mains, the grilled whole fish — whatever the day's catch dictates — is the most traditional choice and typically the one regulars return for. If you want something more substantial, the lobster served with pasta (a pasta with lobster sauce, astakos me makaronada) is the menu's centerpiece and worth the higher price point if it's your one proper seafood meal on Ios.

The seafood orzo is made with a homemade sauce that differs from the standard Cycladic taverna offerings; it's a good choice if you prefer something between a pasta dish and a seafood stew. Salads, including Greek (horiatiki) and variations with local ingredients, are consistently mentioned by returning visitors alongside the fish. Local Ios wine is available if you want to stay regional, though the wine list isn't its own attraction.

For groups, ordering a spread of starters and sharing one or two main dishes is the natural way to eat here — the kitchen is set up for that pace.

History and Context

George Drakos opened the taverna in 1963, a time when Mylopotas was a quiet fishing beach rather than one of the most visited stretches of sand in the Cyclades. Ios as a destination was transformed through the 1970s and 1980s — first by backpackers, later by a broader range of tourists — but the original Drakos Taverna predates all of that. The family's decision to stay at the western, quieter end of the beach rather than relocate to more visible commercial real estate reflects the character of the operation.

Three generations have now cooked from the same set of recipes, using the same emphasis on local sourcing. In Greek culinary culture, that kind of transmission — meraki is the word used, meaning roughly the devotion and care put into work — carries genuine meaning. It's not a marketing phrase here so much as a description of how the kitchen actually operates: the same dishes, the same methods, the same Mylopotas setting.

For a visitor to Ios, where the nightlife in Chora draws most of the attention, Drakos represents a different side of the island — one that was here before the party scene and, decades later, still is.