Ta Kritikakia

Ta Kritikakia is a grill taverna in Naousa, Paros, drawing on the culinary traditions of Crete rather than the standard Cycladic menu you'll find at most island spots. With a 4.4-star rating from close to 600 Google reviews, it has earned a steady following among both repeat visitors and locals who want slow-cooked, clay-pot comfort food rather than a tourist-facing fish platter.

The restaurant sits in Naousa's town grid at the northern end of Paros, roughly ten minutes' walk from the fishing harbour and the cluster of waterfront bars. The name translates loosely as "The Little Cretans," a direct nod to a Cretan cooking approach that prizes long cooking times, olive oil in generous quantities, and combinations — lamb with potatoes, pork with greens — that taste like someone's grandmother made them rather than a line cook following a laminated menu.

If you are spending a few nights in or around Naousa, this is the kind of place worth building an evening around rather than stumbling upon. It opens at 4 PM and stays open until midnight, which works well both for an early dinner before the village gets loud and for a later sitting after a long beach day.

What to Expect

Ta Kritikakia operates as a casual taverna, not a white-tablecloth affair. The setting is straightforward and unfussy — the kind of room where the food is the focus and nobody rushes you. It is listed as a grill house, and the cooking reflects that: meat prepared over heat, often in clay vessels that retain moisture and deepen flavour over time.

Cretan cooking leans heavily on slow-braised and roasted preparations rather than the quick grills and fried dishes that dominate many Aegean menus. Expect dishes that take time to reach the table because they took time to prepare — lamb cooked until it separates from the bone, potatoes that have absorbed the cooking juices, and portions sized for genuine hunger rather than Instagram presentation.

Reviewers consistently single out the lamb and potatoes cooked in a clay pot, which anchors the menu as a signature. Beyond that, Cretan-inspired tavernas typically offer pork preparations, vegetable stews cooked in oil, and grilled meats seasoned simply with herbs. The atmosphere reads as lively without being chaotic — a working neighbourhood taverna doing a steady service rather than a polished dining room performing Greekness at visitors.

With nearly 600 reviews averaging 4.4 stars, the kitchen is clearly consistent. That number of opinions, accumulated over real visitor seasons on Paros, carries more weight than a handful of perfect scores on a thin record.

How to Get There

Ta Kritikakia is located in Naousa at the address Naousa 844 01. Naousa sits on the north coast of Paros, approximately 12 kilometres from Parikia, the island's main port. If you are arriving on the island by ferry, Parikia is your landing point, and Naousa is a roughly 20-minute drive or bus ride north.

KTEL buses connect Parikia and Naousa regularly throughout the summer season, with the bus stop in Naousa within easy walking distance of the town centre. By car or scooter, follow the main road north from Parikia toward Naousa; parking is available on the approach roads into town, though the lanes closer to the harbour and the restaurant strip can be tight in high season.

The restaurant's coordinates (37.1240273, 25.2364221) place it within Naousa's walkable core. If you are already staying in Naousa, you can reach it on foot. Taxis between Parikia and Naousa are available and relatively affordable; the local taxi number can be sourced through your accommodation.

Best Time to Visit

Ta Kritikakia is closed on Mondays and opens Tuesday through Sunday from 4 PM to midnight. The evening-only schedule means it is not an option for lunch, which helps concentrate the crowd into a reliable window.

Early in the service — between 4 PM and 6 PM — the restaurant will generally be quieter. This is a good slot if you want unhurried service or are travelling with children. By 8 PM in high season (July and August), Naousa fills with visitors and popular tavernas fill with them too; arriving slightly earlier or after 9:30 PM when the first wave has turned over gives you a better experience.

Paros in general has a long season running from May through October. Shoulder months — late May, June, September, and early October — offer comfortable evening temperatures and smaller crowds without sacrificing the full island atmosphere. The meltemi wind that sweeps the Cyclades in July and August can make outdoor seating breezy; if the restaurant offers an interior option, that is worth knowing about on windier evenings.

Tips for Visiting

• Book ahead in high season. A taverna with 600 reviews and a reputation for clay-pot lamb in a popular Cycladic village will fill up in July and August. Call ahead on +30 2284 052547 to reserve, especially for weekends.
• Arrive with an appetite. Cretan-style portions at traditional tavernas tend toward generosity. If you are a group of two, one clay-pot main to share plus a starter or two is often enough.
• Ask what is slow-cooked that day. Clay-pot and braised dishes are made in batches; the kitchen may have specific preparations ready each evening. Asking your server what came out of the oven is the most direct way to order the best thing available.
• The restaurant is dinner-only. Opening at 4 PM rules out a lunchtime visit, so plan your beach day accordingly and arrive at the taverna rather than arriving hungry at noon.
• Monday is a rest day. If your Naousa itinerary only spans a weekend into Monday, adjust your restaurant evening accordingly — Ta Kritikakia will be closed.
• It is a grill house first. Vegetarians should check the current menu; Cretan cooking includes vegetable and legume dishes, but the kitchen's identity is built around meat and fire.
• Naousa is walkable. The village's compact layout means you can combine dinner here with an evening walk along the harbour after — no car needed once you are in town.
• Pair it with a Paros wine. The island has its own wine-producing tradition; a local red or rosé from Paros stands up well to slow-cooked lamb or pork dishes.

What to Order

The standout dish reported by reviewers is the lamb and potatoes cooked in a clay pot — a slow-braised preparation where the meat becomes tender and the potatoes absorb the cooking juices and fat. This is the dish that defines the kitchen's approach and the one to order if it is on that evening's menu.

Beyond the clay-pot lamb, the grill-house designation signals that charcoal-grilled meats — pork chops, sausages, and similar cuts — will be reliably well-executed. Cretan cuisine also makes use of wild greens, olive oil-heavy bean dishes, and herb-inflected preparations that work as starters or sides alongside a main. A plate of grilled or braised vegetables and a good dakos-style salad with barley rusk, tomato, and feta, if the kitchen offers it, would be a reasonable way to open the meal.

For drinks, local Parian wine is the obvious pairing for slow-cooked meat, though the taverna likely offers a standard Greek wine list alongside the usual soft drinks and water.