Naxos Grill

Naxos Grill sits on Andrea Papandreou, one of the main commercial streets running through Naxos Town, and does exactly what its name promises: grilled meats, gyros, and straightforward fast-food fare cooked to order. With a 4.2-star rating across 920 reviews, it has earned a steady following among locals and visitors alike who want something satisfying without fuss or a long wait.

This is not a taverna with a long wine list or a view of the sea. It is a grill counter where the food is the point — hot, unpretentious, and priced accordingly. If you have been out exploring the old town's Venetian kastro or have just stepped off a ferry and need a proper meal before anything else, Naxos Grill is a dependable first stop.

What to Expect

The menu centres on grilled meats — the kind of rotating spit and open-flame cooking that Greek fast-food joints have been doing well for decades. Gyros are the headline item, served in pita with the standard accompaniments of tzatziki, tomato, onion, and fries. Alongside those you can expect souvlaki skewers and other grilled meat plates. Portions are filling, service is quick, and the format is casual enough that you can eat standing or take your order to go.

The address on Andrea Papandreou places it within easy reach of the port area and the main shopping and café strip of Naxos Town, so it is well-positioned for a mid-afternoon bite after the ferry or a late-evening meal after a day on the beach. Hours run from 1:00 PM to midnight every day of the week, which means it is one of the few spots in town still turning out food when the kitchen at a sit-down taverna has already wound down.

How to Get There

Naxos Grill is on Andrea Papandreou in central Naxos Town (Chora). If you are arriving by ferry at the main port, the street is a short walk inland — under ten minutes on foot from the dock. From the main plateia (town square), head slightly south along the commercial strip and you will find it without difficulty.

If you are driving from one of the inland villages or beach resorts to the south, park near the port waterfront or in one of the small lots off the main road into Chora; the one-way system in the old town makes driving directly to the address impractical. From Agios Prokopios or Agios Georgios beach, the drive into Chora takes roughly five to ten minutes depending on traffic.

Best Time to Visit

Naxos Grill opens at 1:00 PM daily, which makes it a good option for a late lunch. The peak window for a quick grill meal is typically between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM, when it draws a mix of locals on a break and tourists rotating through town. Late evening — from around 9:00 PM onward — is another busy window, particularly in high season (July and August), when the town fills up and sit-down restaurants develop queues. If you want to avoid waiting, aim for just after opening or around 6:00 PM before the dinner rush builds.

The spot is sheltered from the afternoon Aegean wind (the meltemi that picks up in summer), so eating in or nearby is comfortable even on gustier days.

Tips for Visiting

• Call ahead on busy evenings: The phone number is +30 2285 027117 if you want to confirm wait times or check on any specials during peak summer weeks.
• Arrive hungry: Portions at Greek grill spots tend to be generous; a gyros pita with fries is a full meal, not a snack.
• Cash is useful: Many small grill counters in Greek island towns prefer cash; carry some even if card payment is available.
• Combine with errands: The Andrea Papandreou strip has supermarkets, pharmacies, and bakeries nearby, so it is an efficient stop if you are stocking up for a self-catering stay.
• Eat in or take away: The casual format suits a takeaway meal to eat at the nearby waterfront equally well as eating on the spot.

What's Nearby

Andrea Papandreou feeds into the broader Naxos Town centre, so within a few minutes' walk you have the old Venetian kastro and its medieval walls, the Naxos Archaeological Museum (housed inside the kastro), and the waterfront promenade where the iconic Portara islet sits at the northern end of the port. The main beach of Agios Georgios begins just south of the town centre. For a post-meal walk, the old market lane (Papavasiliou) runs parallel through the old town with small shops and cafés.