Lakka Garden

Lakka Garden sits on Ignatíou Basoulá street in the Lakka district of Mykonos Town — a residential neighbourhood that sits slightly removed from the tourist churn of Little Venice and the windmills. With a 4.7-star rating drawn from over 720 Google reviews, it consistently ranks among the better-regarded traditional tavernas on the island, and its focus is straightforward: Greek cooking served in an outdoor garden setting at hours that suit both lunch and late dinner.

The restaurant operates every day of the week from 11:00 AM to midnight, which means it bridges the gap between early afternoon explorers and late-evening diners who want proper food after the sun has gone down. On an island where many restaurants pitch themselves at the party crowd or the luxury end of the market, Lakka Garden occupies a more grounded position — a taverna format, traditional dishes, and a setting that's defined by greenery rather than sea views or DJ sets.

One dish that comes up repeatedly in visitor accounts is the kleftiko — slow-cooked lamb wrapped and baked until the meat falls from the bone, a preparation that takes hours and is rarely done well outside of home kitchens and patient tavernas. That it's a talking point here suggests the kitchen is working with traditional method rather than shortcuts.

What to Expect

The name describes the setting accurately: this is a garden restaurant, with outdoor seating shaded and surrounded by plants. On Mykonos, where most eating happens on stone terraces or open-air decks, a garden environment is relatively unusual and gives the place a quieter, more unhurried feel than the harborfront alternatives.

The menu follows the taverna format: a spread of Greek classics that spans starters, grilled meats, slow-cooked dishes, and the kind of sides — fried zucchini, tzatziki, village salad — that have been on Greek tables for generations. Kleftiko appears to be a kitchen highlight, but a taverna operating with this format will typically also offer moussaka, grilled lamb chops, fresh fish depending on the day's catch, and meze-style starters suited to sharing.

Portions at traditional tavernas of this type in Greece tend to be generous, and the pace is generally unhurried — meals here are not intended to be rushed. The outdoor setting means noise levels stay low compared to indoor restaurants, and the garden atmosphere lends itself to longer, relaxed meals.

Service is family-taverna style rather than formal. The address on Ignatíou Basoulá places it within easy walking distance of Mykonos Town's central streets, but the Lakka location means you're eating in a residential part of town rather than amid souvenir shops.

How to Get There

Lakka Garden is located at Ignatíou Basoulá 21 in the 846 00 postal district of Mykonos Town. The Lakka neighbourhood is walkable from the main town centre — from the Old Port or the main Matogianni shopping street, it's roughly a 10–15 minute walk heading inland and slightly south.

If you're arriving by car or scooter — both common ways to get around Mykonos — street parking in Lakka is easier than in the immediate harbour area, though Mykonos Town parking fills up in peak summer. Taxis from the main Taxi Square in Mykonos Town are a short ride away; give the driver the street address or drop pin from Google Maps as Lakka's side streets can be confusing for first-time visitors.

There is no direct bus route that serves the Lakka neighbourhood specifically; the KTEL bus network on Mykonos connects the main beaches and Mykonos Town's central bus stations rather than residential back streets. Walking or taxi are the most practical options for most visitors.

Best Time to Visit

Lakka Garden is open daily from 11:00 AM to midnight, giving you flexibility across the full day. For lunch, arriving between noon and 2:00 PM catches the kitchen at full capacity and avoids the evening crowd. For dinner, the sweet spot on Mykonos is typically 7:30–9:30 PM — late enough to feel Greek, early enough to get a table without a long wait in peak season.

July and August are Mykonos's most crowded months, and good tavernas fill up quickly in the evenings. If you're visiting in high summer and have a specific evening in mind, calling ahead (+30 2289 027272) is worth doing. The shoulder months of May, June, September, and October offer more relaxed conditions: fewer people, slightly cooler evenings, and a dining atmosphere that's closer to what a local would recognise.

Lunch in spring or autumn is particularly well-suited to this kind of garden setting — warm enough to sit outside comfortably, cool enough that you're not eating in full midday heat. In July and August, an evening table under the garden canopy is more comfortable than a midday visit during peak heat.

Tips for Visiting

• Call ahead in summer. Phone reservations at +30 2289 027272 are strongly advisable from late June through August. Tables at well-regarded Mykonos Town tavernas fill quickly in peak season.
• Order the kleftiko if it's on the day's menu. Multiple visitor accounts specifically name it as the dish to try here. Kleftiko takes several hours to prepare and may sell out by late evening.
• Allow time. A taverna meal in Greece is not a fast transaction. Budget 1.5 to 2 hours for dinner, especially if you're ordering multiple courses or meze to share.
• Walk from town for context. The 10–15 minute walk from the harbour through Mykonos Town's back streets and into Lakka gives you a feel for the residential side of the island that most tourists never see.
• Bring cash as a backup. Most Greek restaurants accept cards, but it's worth having euros on hand, particularly at traditional tavernas.
• Check the day's specials. At traditional Greek tavernas, daily specials are often where the best cooking is — dishes tied to whatever arrived fresh that morning. Ask the server what's good today.
• Pair with a neighbourhood walk. The Lakka area has less foot traffic than the main drag, which makes pre- or post-dinner wandering genuinely pleasant rather than a crowd-navigation exercise.
• Don't rush the starters. Greek taverna starters — dips, fried vegetables, small plates — are designed to be shared and savoured before the main courses arrive. Order generously at the start.

What to Order

Kleftiko is the dish most associated with Lakka Garden in visitor accounts — slow-roasted lamb cooked sealed, a traditional preparation that requires hours in the oven and produces deeply tender, flavour-concentrated meat. It's the kind of dish that differentiates a kitchen that actually cooks from one that assembles.

Beyond the kleftiko, a taverna of this type will typically anchor its menu in Greek standards worth ordering: moussaka made with béchamel rather than the shortcut versions; souvlaki or paidakia (lamb chops) if you want something from the grill; and a fresh-caught fish option that changes depending on what the boats brought in. Starters in taverna format usually include tzatziki, taramosalata, tirokafteri (spiced feta spread), fried zucchini or courgette balls, and a village salad built on tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and a slab of feta rather than crumbled cheese.

Greek wine is the natural pairing — ask what the house pours or whether there are local Aegean wines available. Ouzo or tsipouro served with a small meze is the traditional way to begin a meal at a Greek taverna if you want to eat the way locals do.