Tomatini

Tomatini is the main restaurant at Ios Palace Hotel, positioned beside the hotel's swimming pool in Mylopotas on the southern coast of Ios. The setting pairs a wide pool terrace with direct views over Mylopotas Bay — one of the longest sandy beaches on the island — while the kitchen focuses on Greek and Mediterranean cooking using local ingredients.

The restaurant sits within a larger dining and drinking ecosystem at Ios Palace that includes a poolside bar also called Tomatini Bar, a certified Greek breakfast buffet each morning, and a room-service menu. The restaurant itself is the evening anchor, open daily from 1:00 PM through 11:00 PM throughout the summer season.

For travelers staying in the Mylopotas area — or anyone making the short drive from Ios Town (the Chora) — Tomatini offers a more composed dining experience than the beachfront tavernas a few hundred metres down the hill, without asking you to leave the pool behind entirely.

What to Expect

The atmosphere at Tomatini is resort-casual: you're eating on a terrace next to a pool, with the Aegean visible beyond. The kitchen draws on the Greek tradition of using seasonal, locally sourced produce, herbs, and what the website describes as biological (organic) ingredients — a sensibility carried from the morning breakfast buffet into the evening menu.

The menu covers authentic Greek and Mediterranean dishes, though specific dishes on the current menu are not listed publicly. Based on the restaurant's positioning within an upscale resort context and its stated commitment to local flavours, you can expect preparations built around fresh vegetables, olive oil, grilled proteins, and the kind of ingredient-led cooking that characterises modern Greek gastronomy rather than tourist-facing taverna standards.

Service at the poolside also extends to cocktails prepared by the hotel's bartenders. The bar adjacent to the restaurant operates throughout the day, so you can move seamlessly between a late afternoon drink by the pool and sitting down for a full dinner as the sun drops behind the hills west of Mylopotas.

With a Google rating of 4.3 based on early reviews, the restaurant is still building its public review profile, which makes direct booking through the hotel the most reliable way to get current menu information.

How to Get There

Tomatini is located within Ios Palace Hotel at Mylopotas, addressed at Mylopotas 840 01, Greece. Mylopotas is roughly 3 kilometres from Ios Town (the Chora) by road. The main access route descends from the Chora south through the hills to the beach; the hotel sits toward the upper end of the Mylopotas strip, above the beach road.

By bus: Ios has a regular bus service connecting the port (Ormos), Ios Town, and Mylopotas. Buses run frequently in high season; the Mylopotas stop is a short walk from Ios Palace.

By car or scooter: Parking is available at and around the hotel. The road from the Chora to Mylopotas is paved but narrow in places — standard for Ios.

By taxi: Taxis operate from the Chora and port. The fare to Mylopotas is short and predictable; confirm a price before departing.

On foot: The walk from the Chora to Mylopotas takes roughly 30–40 minutes along the road and is manageable in cooler evening temperatures, though the uphill return is strenuous.

Guests staying at Ios Palace do not need separate directions — the restaurant is on the hotel grounds beside the main pool.

Best Time to Visit

Tomatini operates as a seasonal resort restaurant, open during the Ios summer season. The island's high season runs from late June through August, when Mylopotas is at its busiest. Visiting in late May, early June, or September gives you the same quality of food and views with thinner crowds on the beach below and cooler evenings on the terrace.

For dinner, arriving between 7:00 and 8:00 PM positions you to catch the last of the western light over Mylopotas Bay. The bay faces roughly southwest, so the sky behind the water takes on colour for a useful stretch of the evening. The pool terrace, elevated slightly above the beach road, gives this view more breadth than a ground-level beach restaurant would.

Lunch service begins at 1:00 PM. Midday dining in August means heat on the terrace; the pool access at Ios Palace makes this manageable for hotel guests, but walk-in lunch visitors should account for high temperatures between noon and 3:00 PM.

Tips for Visiting

• Book ahead in peak season. Ios Palace is a popular property in Mylopotas, and the restaurant terrace has a finite number of tables. Contact the hotel directly at +30 2286 092000 or via [email protected] to check availability before you arrive.
• Confirm current menus before your visit. Seasonal restaurants on Greek islands adjust their offerings year to year. The hotel website lists an All Day Menu, Bar Menu, Room Service Menu, and Wine Menu — ask which are available during dinner service when you book.
• Non-hotel guests are welcome. The gastronomy page is part of the hotel's public offering, not restricted to resort guests, but calling ahead ensures the kitchen is expecting you and that pool-terrace seating is available.
• Arrive for the view, not just the food. The terrace position above Mylopotas Bay makes the restaurant worth visiting on its visual merits alone. Pair a dinner reservation with time at the bar beforehand to make the most of the terrace light.
• Start your day here if you're staying at the hotel. The Greek breakfast buffet — certified for its local and organic products — is a genuine reason to eat on-site in the morning rather than heading down to the beach cafes.
• Combine with a beach afternoon. Mylopotas beach is a short walk downhill from the hotel. Spend the afternoon on the sand, shower, and return to Tomatini for dinner without needing transportation.
• The bar runs alongside the restaurant. Tomatini Bar operates throughout the day and into the evening. If you're waiting for your table or want to extend the evening after dinner, the bar is immediately adjacent to the restaurant terrace.
• Check seasonal operating dates. Ios Palace, like most resort properties on Ios, operates during the summer season only. Verify the resort is open for your travel dates, particularly if visiting in May or October.

What to Order

The research bundle does not reproduce a specific menu, and the full current menu is available on request through the hotel. What is confirmed is that Tomatini focuses on authentic Greek and Mediterranean cooking with a stated emphasis on local flavours, organic produce, and traditional preparations.

In the broader context of Greek island restaurant cooking at this level, that typically means dishes built on fresh fish and seafood sourced locally, grilled meats, seasonal vegetables, and preparations that highlight the olive oil, herbs, and legumes central to Greek cuisine. The wine menu is a separate document, suggesting a considered wine list that likely includes Greek labels — Cycladic wines from Santorini and the wider region are a logical presence on any quality Ios wine list.

For cocktails, the Tomatini Bar operates alongside the restaurant and offers signature cocktails prepared by the hotel's bartenders. Ordering off the bar menu before or after dinner is part of how the full Ios Palace poolside experience is designed to work.