Metaxi mas

Metaxi Mas sits in one of the central alleyways of Naxos Town's old market district — the Παλιά Αγορά — about 150 metres from the ferry port and just below the slope that rises toward the Venetian Castle. The name means "between us" in Greek, and the taverna leans into that idea: it's the kind of place where a table of locals will be deep into a second carafe of wine at the table next to you, and nobody is in a hurry.

The space itself is decorated with care — bougainvillea and basil pots framing whitewashed walls, the old island streetscape doing most of the design work. It reads as a taverna from another era without feeling like a museum piece.

What to Expect

Metaxi Mas describes its cooking as genuine Naxiote cuisine: traditional recipes prepared the way island households cook them, using raw ingredients sourced from local producers. In practice, that means a menu built around meze and shared plates — the kind of dishes that reward ordering several at once rather than working through a standard three-course structure.

Expect classics like slow-cooked meat dishes, local cheese preparations (Naxos produces some of the best graviera and arseniko in Greece), and whatever is seasonal that day. The restaurant categorises itself as a mezedopoleio — a meze house — so appetisers and small plates are the core of the menu, though larger dishes are available. With over 1,050 Google reviews and a 4.4 rating, the consistency appears to hold across seasons.

Service is dinner-only. The kitchen opens at 6:00 PM every day of the week and closes at midnight, which fits the island pace: no need to rush, and a late reservation is perfectly reasonable.

How to Get There

Metaxi Mas is walkable from almost every point in Naxos Town. From the port, head into the old town and follow the narrow lanes of the Παλιά Αγορά (old market); the restaurant is within a five-minute walk. If you're coming from the main waterfront boulevard, look for the lanes that climb toward the Kastro — the taverna is on one of the broader alleyways in that lower section of the old town.

There is no practical reason to drive to the door; the old town's streets are pedestrian in character and parking in Naxos Town is limited. Leave a car at the port-area parking or at your accommodation and walk. No bus stop is directly at the entrance, but the main bus terminal (KTEL) on the waterfront is a short walk away.

Best Time to Visit

Metaxi Mas is a dinner venue, so the only question is which evening and how early. In July and August, the old town fills up by 8:00 PM and tables at popular spots go fast — arriving at 6:30 PM or calling ahead is sensible. In May, June, September, and October, the crowds thin out and the old market lanes are easier to move through; the climate is also more comfortable for sitting at an outdoor table.

The lanes around the restaurant are atmospheric after dark, lit by the old streetlamps of the Kastro district. A table in the late evening — 9:00 or 10:00 PM — fits naturally into a Naxos night that might start with a walk to the Portara at sunset.

Tips for Visiting

• Book ahead in high season. The restaurant's phone is +30 2285 026425 and email is [email protected]. A call or message a day or two in advance avoids disappointment in July and August.
• Order to share. The meze format works best with two or more people and several small plates ordered over time rather than all at once.
• Try the local cheeses. Naxos graviera and fresh local products are the backbone of any serious Naxiote meal; if the menu lists them, order them.
• Pace yourself. The kitchen is open until midnight and the atmosphere rewards a slow evening. There is no pressure to turn over the table quickly.
• Walk the old market before dinner. The Παλιά Αγορά lanes are worth exploring in the early evening light before you sit down.

About Naxiote Cuisine

Naxos has an unusually productive interior for a Cycladic island — fertile valleys, livestock, and a cheesemaking tradition that goes back centuries. That agricultural base shapes the cooking at places like Metaxi Mas: dishes here are grounded in ingredients that come from the island itself rather than the supply chains that serve more tourist-dependent kitchens. Local cheeses, pork products from the mountain villages, and vegetables from the Tragaea plateau all find their way onto traditional menus. For a visitor who has eaten mainly seafood at waterfront restaurants, a meal at a place focused on inland Naxiote cooking is a useful corrective — and a more accurate picture of what islanders actually eat.