Baboulas

Baboulas is a grill restaurant in Filoti, the largest village on the slopes of Mount Zas in the interior of Naxos. Operating since 1965, it sits on the Epar.Od. Naxou-Apiranthou road — the main route that links Naxos Town with the mountainous eastern villages — making it a natural stopping point for anyone exploring the island's interior. With over 300 Google reviews and a 4.4 rating, it draws both locals and visitors who want a straightforward, honest Greek meal away from the port.

Filoti itself is worth the 20-kilometre drive from Naxos Town. The village square, the Church of Kimisis Theotokou, and the views toward the Tragaea plain all reward a slow afternoon, and Baboulas fits naturally into that kind of day.

What to Expect

Baboulas describes itself as a grill restaurant focused on Greek cuisine and specialities — the kind of place where the menu is built around the charcoal rather than a seasonal chef's concept. Expect grilled meats, chops, and the local Naxian staples that the island is genuinely known for: pork from free-range animals raised inland, local sausages, and whatever the kitchen considers the day's best option. The setting is casual, the hours are long (9:00 AM to 1:00 AM every day of the week), and the restaurant has been running the same format since 1965, which is itself a reliable signal about quality and consistency.

Naxos has some of the most productive agricultural land in the Cyclades — its beef, pork, and cheeses regularly outperform what you find on more tourist-oriented islands — so a grill restaurant that's been here for six decades has good raw material to work with.

How to Get There

Filoti is roughly 20 km southeast of Naxos Town along the main inland road toward Apiranthos. By car, follow signs from Naxos Town through Halki toward Filoti; the drive takes around 25–30 minutes and passes through some of the island's most scenic landscape. Parking is generally available on or near the main road through the village.

KTEL buses connect Naxos Town to Filoti several times daily; check current schedules at the main bus station beside the port. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes. On foot or by scooter, the road is well-paved and signposted, though the hills between Halki and Filoti are steep.

Best Time to Visit

Baboulas is open year-round, seven days a week. For lunch, arriving between noon and 2:00 PM gives you the full menu and a quieter atmosphere. Summer evenings — particularly in July and August — can get busy as visitors combine a dinner stop with an inland excursion, so arriving before 7:30 PM or after 9:00 PM tends to mean shorter waits. The spring and early autumn months are excellent for eating here: the weather is mild, the village is calm, and Filoti feels genuinely lived-in rather than staged for tourists.

Tips for Visiting

• Call ahead in peak season. The phone number is +30 2285 031426; a quick call to confirm availability on busy summer evenings is worthwhile.
• Pair it with the village. Walk through Filoti before or after eating — the square, the church, and the lanes above the main road take no more than 30 minutes and add real context to the meal.
• Ask about the daily specials. At a grill taverna that's been running since 1965, the kitchen tends to have a short list of things they do particularly well on any given day.
• Drive or take the bus. There's no practical way to reach Filoti from Naxos Town on foot, and taxis from the port, while available, should be booked in advance rather than relied on for the return journey in the evening.
• Bring cash as a backup. Rural Naxian tavernas sometimes have card payment limitations; it's worth having euros on hand.

A Note on the History

Founded in 1965, Baboulas has been operating for the better part of six decades — longer than most restaurants anywhere in the Cyclades. That kind of longevity in a small mountain village is rarely accidental. Filoti has always been one of the more self-sufficient settlements on the island, with its own agricultural economy and a population that eats locally by habit rather than by trend. A grill restaurant that survived here across multiple generations has done so by serving the community first and visitors second, which is usually a good sign for the food.