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Liotrivi
Liotrivi is a family-owned taverna operating out of one of Anafi's oldest olive press buildings in Chora, the island's hilltop main village. Established in 2004, it has accumulated a rating of 4.6 across more than 400 reviews — a meaningful number for an island with a permanent population of only a few hundred people and a ferry connection that runs a handful of times per week. That kind of word-of-mouth reputation, built slowly on a remote Cycladic island, says more than any marketing copy could. Anafi sits at the far southeastern edge of the Cyclades, beyond Santorini and largely off the beaten path. It has no airport, limited accommodation, and a single main settlement. Liotrivi occupies a central role in village life precisely because it is not trying to be anything other than what it is: a place to eat honest food in the evening, in a building that has its own history on the island. The taverna opens every day at 6:00 PM and stays open until midnight, which fits comfortably with the Greek rhythm of dining late and staying longer. There is no lunch service, so plan your afternoon accordingly. What to Expect The setting is a converted olive press — a liotrivi in Greek — which gives the restaurant its name. Olive presses were once central to island economies across the Cyclades, and repurposing the stone structure rather than demolishing it keeps a piece of Anafi's agricultural past in daily use. The architecture is accordingly robust: thick walls, low ceilings in parts, the kind of space that feels cool on a hot August evening. The menu follows the logic of a traditional Greek taverna: dishes built from local and seasonal ingredients, cooked without excessive elaboration. On an island as small as Anafi, the supply chain is short and the cooking tends to reflect what is available rather than what a printed menu promised six months earlier. Expect grilled fish when boats have been out, slow-cooked meat dishes, horta (wild greens), legume-based starters, and the kind of salads that depend on ripe tomatoes rather than decoration. The atmosphere is relaxed in the specific way that small-island restaurants tend to be: tables fill gradually from around 7:30 PM onward, conversations carry across the room, and no one is rushed. Visitors and the handful of locals who are in the village during summer tend to share the same space without the self-conscious separation you get in more tourist-heavy destinations. Service is attentive by the standards of a family operation where the same people cook and serve. Do not expect fast food logistics. Expect to be looked after. How to Get There Liotrivi is in Chora, the main village of Anafi, situated on a ridge roughly 150 meters above sea level. From the port of Agios Nikolaos, there is a road that winds up to Chora — the distance is about 1.5 kilometers by road but the path is steep. In high season, a small local bus connects the port to Chora, timed loosely around ferry arrivals and departures. Taxis operate on the island in limited numbers; asking at your accommodation about current transport options is the most reliable approach. Once in Chora, Liotrivi is not difficult to find in a village this size. The olive press building is a recognizable structure. The address is Χώρα Ανάφης, Anafi 840 09. If you are navigating by phone, the coordinates are 36.3517, 25.7689. Parking is available in Chora for those with a rental vehicle, though on an island this compact, most visitors are on foot by the time they reach the village. Best Time to Visit Liotrivi operates year-round in terms of its daily hours (6 PM to midnight every day), but Anafi's visitor season is concentrated between late June and early September. Outside that window, the island sees very few tourists, and some services operate on reduced schedules. The taverna's consistent hours suggest it remains open regardless of season, but if you are visiting in shoulder season — May, early June, or October — calling ahead on +30 2286 061209 to confirm is a sensible precaution. Within the summer season, earlier in the week tends to be quieter than weekends, when day-trippers from Santorini and ferry passengers passing through add to the crowd. Arriving at 7:00 PM rather than 8:30 PM gives you a better chance of a table without a wait, though the taverna is small enough that the difference between a full house and a quiet one is not dramatic. The evenings in Chora are genuinely pleasant in July and August: the ridge catches whatever breeze is moving, temperatures drop from the afternoon heat, and the village takes on the unhurried quality that draws people to small Cycladic islands in the first place. Tips for Visiting Call ahead if visiting outside peak season. The phone number is +30 2286 061209. Anafi's low-season population is small and business hours can shift accordingly. Arrive at opening time if you want a table without waiting. The taverna fills steadily from around 7:30 PM in summer, and the space is not large. Ask what arrived fresh that day. On an island with no daily freight, the fish and produce situation changes. The staff will know what is worth ordering. Bring cash. Card payment infrastructure on Anafi is less reliable than on larger Cycladic islands. It is worth checking, but having euros on you removes the risk. Pace yourself. A full Greek taverna meal here — starters, mains, perhaps a carafe of local wine — is an evening activity, not a quick stop. The kitchen works at its own rhythm. The building itself is worth a look. The structure retains features of the original olive press. Ask about it if you are curious; taverna owners on small islands tend to know the history of the building they work in. Factor in the walk back. If you have accommodation at the port rather than in Chora, the road down at midnight is unlit in places. A torch or a phone light is useful. Transport back to the port. If you are relying on the local bus, confirm its last departure time before you sit down to eat. The schedule is not always aligned with a midnight closing time. What to Order Without a current menu available, specific dish recommendations have to stay within the reliable logic of a traditional Greek taverna on a small Aegean island. The broad patterns hold: grilled octopus when available, fresh fish by weight, slow-cooked lamb or goat, fava (yellow split pea purée, a Cycladic staple with a particularly good reputation in this part of the archipelago given Santorini's nearby fava production), tzatziki, taramosalata, and spanakopita if they are making it that day. Fava is worth ordering specifically in this region of the Cyclades. The volcanic soil around Santorini produces a fava bean with a distinct flavour, and proximity means the ingredient can turn up in neighbouring island kitchens at its best. Horta — whatever wild greens are in season, dressed with olive oil and lemon — is rarely wrong as a side dish. For main courses, if fresh fish is available, it will likely be the most direct expression of what Anafi's waters produce on a given day. For wine, a carafe of local or regional white is the default pairing with most of what a taverna like this serves. Greek island whites, particularly Assyrtiko from the wider Cyclades, work well with grilled seafood and lighter starters. History and Context The word liotrivi (λιοτρίβι) refers to an olive press — specifically the stone mill used to grind olives before extraction. Across the Greek islands, these structures were community infrastructure: they were expensive to build, shared among farmers, and operated seasonally when the olive harvest came in. On an island as small as Anafi, a functioning olive press would have been a significant piece of communal property. The building that now houses the taverna is described as one of the island's oldest olive presses, which places it within a tradition of agricultural architecture that predates the modern tourist economy by centuries. The Cyclades were largely self-sufficient economies until the mid-twentieth century, and olive oil was both a food source and a trade good. Repurposing the press as a restaurant preserves the structure while shifting its function from production to hospitality — a common transition in Greek island villages where agricultural buildings have outlasted their original purpose. Anafi itself has a longer history than its current obscurity might suggest. The island has archaeological remains connected to ancient settlement, and a prominent monastery — Panagia Kalamiotissa — sits at the island's eastern end atop a dramatic rock formation. The village of Chora, where Liotrivi operates, developed in the medieval period as islanders moved inland and uphill for protection from sea-based raids, a pattern repeated across the Cyclades.
To Steki
To Steki is one of the most consistently rated eating spots on Anafi, a small Cycladic island southeast of Santorini that sees a fraction of the tourist traffic its neighbours do. With 239 Google reviews averaging 4.5 stars, it has earned a loyal following among the island's repeat visitors — no small feat on an island where the entire permanent population numbers in the hundreds. The name itself, steki , is an everyday Greek word for a regular haunt or meeting place, and the taverna lives up to that casual, come-as-you-are identity. The kitchen focuses on traditional Greek island cooking — the kind built around seasonal produce, olive oil, and whatever comes off local boats or out of family gardens. There are no elaborate tasting menus here, and that is precisely the point. Anafi has long attracted travellers who value simplicity, and To Steki feeds them accordingly. The address places it in the main settlement on the island, the hilltop Chora at 840 09 Anafi, a whitewashed village of narrow lanes and blue-domed churches perched above the port. If you are staying on the island for more than a day, you will almost certainly find yourself walking past it more than once. What to Expect To Steki operates as an informal taverna in the traditional Cycladic mould. Expect checked tablecloths or bare wooden tables in a compact indoor space, likely spilling onto a terrace or into the lane outside when the weather allows — which on Anafi, a very sunny and dry island, is most of the summer season. The menu follows the rhythm of home-style Greek cooking: slow-cooked dishes like stifado or giouvetsi, grilled meats, fresh salads built around ripe tomatoes and good feta, and whatever the day's catch dictates. The Facebook description names it explicitly as a place serving Elliniki paradosiaki nisiiotiki kouzina — traditional Greek island cuisine — which in practice means dishes made from scratch with local and seasonal ingredients rather than imported convenience products. Portions tend to be generous at this style of taverna. Bread arrives with the meal, the house wine is usually a carafe of local or regional table wine, and the pace of service matches the pace of the island: unhurried. If you are arriving hungry from a beach walk or a hike toward the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi on the island's eastern end, the kitchen's hours — opening at 10am every day and running until midnight or later — mean you are rarely without an option. The price range, noted in the snippet data as in the higher bracket ($$), should be read in the context of a small remote island where supply logistics add to costs, rather than as a sign of fine-dining pretension. Most traditional tavernas on lesser-visited Cycladic islands price accordingly. How to Get There Anafi's Chora sits on a hill roughly two kilometres from the ferry port at Agios Nikolaos. On arriving by ferry — Anafi is served by connections from Santorini, Piraeus, and other Cycladic ports — you can reach the Chora either on foot up the stepped path (around 30 to 40 minutes at an easy pace) or by the island's local bus, which typically meets ferry arrivals. Once in the Chora, the village is compact enough to navigate on foot within a few minutes. To Steki sits at coordinates 36.3513°N, 25.7684°E — in the central part of the settlement. Ask any local and you will be pointed in the right direction quickly; the Chora has few streets. There is no dedicated parking infrastructure in the Chora itself, but if you are travelling by scooter or ATV — the standard way to explore Anafi's few roads — you can leave vehicles at the edge of the village before the pedestrianised lanes begin. Accessibility: the narrow, stepped lanes of an old Cycladic Chora are generally not wheelchair-friendly. If mobility is a concern, it is worth calling ahead to ask about the specific entrance and seating layout. Best Time to Visit Anafi's tourist season runs from late June through early September, with July and August bringing the highest footfall — though even at peak season, the island feels quiet compared to Santorini or Paros. To Steki is open year-round based on the listed hours, but services on Anafi contract significantly outside the main summer months, and it is always sensible to call ahead if visiting in spring or autumn. For the meal itself, evenings from around 8pm to 10pm are when most island tavernas are at their liveliest and when the kitchen is typically firing on all cylinders. Lunchtime service, starting from 10am, is more relaxed and suited to a slower midday meal between beach trips. The Meltemi wind that sweeps the Cyclades from mid-July through August can make alfresco dining on exposed terraces breezy, so if you prefer a calmer setting, aim for a table under cover or visit in June or September when the wind is less insistent. Tips for Visiting Call ahead during shoulder season. Outside July and August, hours can shift and kitchens sometimes close for the evening earlier than listed. The number is +30 2286 061380. Arrive with patience. Service on a small, low-staffed island taverna moves at its own pace. This is not a flaw; it is part of how Anafi works. Order drinks, eat bread, watch the lane. Ask what came in fresh that day. Whatever the cook recommends as the daily special on a small island taverna is usually the best thing on the menu — it reflects what was available at the market or off a boat that morning. Bring cash. Card payment infrastructure on remote Cycladic islands can be unreliable or absent. Check before you sit down, but do not count on paying by card. Try the local wine. Anafi has a tradition of small-scale viticulture, and some tavernas on the island serve wine from nearby islands or local producers. Ask what's available by the carafe. Note the late closing on weekends. Thursday and Saturday close at 12:30am, Sunday at 1:00am — unusually late for a small-island taverna, which suggests a lively local crowd on those evenings. Combine with a Chora evening walk. The Chora is at its best after 7pm when the heat drops and locals emerge. Eating at To Steki fits naturally into a long, slow evening stroll through the village. Reserve a table for groups. The taverna's capacity is unlikely to be large. If you are arriving with a group of more than four, a phone call in advance is a sensible precaution during high season. What to Order The menu at To Steki follows the principles of traditional Cycladic cooking, which means simplicity and quality ingredients over complexity. Without a current menu available, the following represents the category of dishes you should expect and ask about. Starters and salads will typically include horiatiki (village salad), tzatziki, taramasalata, and possibly local cheese — Anafi and the surrounding islands have a tradition of producing hard cheeses from sheep and goat milk. A pikilia (mixed mezze plate) is worth asking about if you want to try several things. Main courses at a traditional island taverna lean toward grilled fish and meat, slow-cooked lamb, and oven-baked dishes. On an island with access to fresh fish, whatever is listed as the daily catch — often sea bream (tsipoura), sea bass (lavraki), or smaller fish like red mullet (barbounia) — is the obvious choice. Grilled octopus, if available, is a Cycladic staple. Meat dishes might include lamb chops (paidakia), chicken, or the slow-braised options common in Greek village cooking. Vegetarians will find sustenance in the starter and salad range, plus any seasonal vegetable dishes (lathera) the kitchen prepares. Dessert at this style of taverna is often simple — fresh fruit, yoghurt with honey, or a small sweet offered complimentarily at the end of the meal, as is customary at many family-run Greek establishments.
To Sokaki
To Sokaki is one of the few places on Anafi where you can walk in after dark and leave with something to eat. Open every day from 6 PM through to 2 AM, it fills a practical gap on an island that has very limited dining infrastructure compared to its more developed Cycladic neighbors. The address puts it on the Epar.Od. Anafis road, the main artery connecting the port area with Chora, Anafi's hilltop village. Anafi itself sees far fewer visitors than Santorini, which sits just 47 kilometers to the west, and the trade-off is an island where opening hours are sparse and options after sundown can be limited. To Sokaki's consistent evening-to-early-morning schedule makes it a reliable fallback whether you've just arrived on a late ferry or you're heading back from a long hike to the Monastery of Panagia Kalamiotissa. With a 4.2 rating from 50 Google reviews, it holds its own for what it is: a no-fuss spot focused on quick, casual food in an unpretentious environment. What to Expect To Sokaki describes itself as a fast food and casual spot, and the experience matches that framing. This is not a sit-down taverna with grilled fish and a wine list — it's the kind of place that suits a quick meal between a beach afternoon and an evening walk up to Chora, or a late snack before the ferry back to Piraeus. The setting is relaxed and informal, consistent with Anafi's overall low-key character. The island draws travelers specifically because it hasn't been commercialized to the degree of Ios or Mykonos, and To Sokaki fits that ethos — straightforward food without the staged atmosphere of tourist-facing restaurants. Because no menu details are publicly available, it's worth calling ahead (+30 2286 061358) if you have specific dietary requirements or want to know what's on before making the walk or drive. The hours — 6 PM to 2 AM every day of the week — are notably consistent, which is more than can be said for many small-island establishments that adjust based on season and foot traffic. The location on the main island road means it's accessible from both the port (Agios Nikolaos) and from Chora without needing to navigate narrower village lanes. How to Get There To Sokaki sits on the Epar.Od. Anafis road, the primary paved route on the island. From the port at Agios Nikolaos, the road heads inland and uphill toward Chora — To Sokaki is accessible along this route. The drive from the port takes roughly five to ten minutes; on foot it's a steeper and longer proposition, so most visitors arriving by ferry will want a vehicle or a taxi. Anafi has very limited public transport. There is a bus service that connects the port to Chora, though the schedule is infrequent and tied primarily to ferry arrivals. If you're staying in Chora, the walk down to the main road is manageable in the cooler evening hours. Parking on Anafi is not the logistical challenge it is on busier Cycladic islands — pulling over on the roadside near the spot is generally straightforward. If you're renting a scooter or quad (the most common way to explore Anafi), this is an easy stop on any route around the island's main road. Best Time to Visit To Sokaki operates exclusively in the evening, so the timing question is less about finding the right window and more about planning your day around an evening stop. The 6 PM opening aligns well with the tail end of an afternoon beach session — Roukounas, the island's most accessible sandy beach, is a short distance from the main road — or the descent from Chora after watching the sunset. Anafi's high season runs from July through August, when the island's small population of under 300 residents is supplemented by Greek and international visitors seeking a quieter alternative to the Cyclades' busier spots. During this period, even a small establishment can get lively later in the evening. In shoulder season — June and September — crowds thin considerably, and some island businesses reduce hours or close entirely, making To Sokaki's consistent schedule more valuable. The island gets strong meltemi winds in summer, particularly in the afternoons, which can make beach time less appealing by late afternoon and nudge people toward indoor options. An early evening stop at To Sokaki fits naturally into that rhythm. Tips for Visiting Call before you go if you have dietary needs. With no published menu, a quick call to +30 2286 061358 will save you a wasted trip if you're looking for something specific. Factor in ferry timing. Anafi's ferry connections to Piraeus and Santorini often arrive or depart late at night. To Sokaki's 2 AM closing time makes it one of the few places you can eat after a late arrival. Pair it with a Chora visit. The main village of Chora sits above the main road and is worth the climb for its whitewashed lanes and views toward Santorini. Coming down in the evening, a stop at To Sokaki makes a natural endpoint. Don't expect a full taverna experience. If you're after a leisurely grilled fish dinner with local wine, To Sokaki is not that — Anafi has sit-down tavernas better suited to a long evening meal. This spot serves a different need. Carry cash. On small Cycladic islands, card acceptance at casual food spots is not guaranteed. Bring euros to avoid any issues. Check seasonal operation. Although listed hours show year-round consistency, Anafi's off-season (October through May) sees many businesses close or reduce operations. If visiting outside peak season, confirm the spot is open. Use it as a base-of-island reference point. The Epar.Od. Anafis address puts To Sokaki on the main road, which serves as a useful orientation landmark when navigating between the port, beaches, and Chora. Practical Information To Sokaki is located on the main island road, Epar.Od. Anafis, in the 840 09 postal area of Anafi. It operates seven days a week, 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM. The phone number is +30 2286 061358. There is no website or social media presence linked to this location. Google Maps lists it under the coordinates 36.3511636, 25.7679492, which places it on the lower stretch of the main road between the port and Chora.
Tholos
Tholos is a traditional café-restaurant in Anafi's Chora, the island's only village, sitting high on the hillside above the port. It runs from breakfast through to the small hours — opening at 8:30 AM and closing at 2:00 AM every day of the week — which makes it one of the few places on this quiet Cycladic island where you can reliably find coffee in the morning and a drink late at night. With 228 Google reviews averaging 4.6 stars, Tholos has earned its place as a focal point of daily life in Chora. On an island with a permanent population that can be counted in the dozens, a rating like that reflects repeat custom from locals and returning visitors, not just passing tourist volume. The place describes itself as a "traditional café-restaurant," and that combination — coffee and light refreshments through the afternoon, food and drinks in the evening — is exactly what a small, self-contained island like Anafi actually needs. Anafi sits at the far eastern edge of the Cyclades, roughly an hour and a half by ferry from Santorini. Fewer than a handful of restaurants and cafés serve the whole island, so wherever you stay — whether that's Chora itself, down at Agios Nikolaos port, or near the beaches to the east — you'll pass through Tholos's orbit at some point during your stay. What to Expect Tholos occupies a position in Chora that lets it function as both a morning coffee spot and an evening gathering place. In the daytime session, running until 4:00 PM, expect the kind of Greek café staples that carry you through a warm Cycladic morning: freddo espresso, Greek coffee, cold drinks, and light snacks. The afternoon break is a common pattern for Greek island businesses, and Tholos follows it cleanly — closing for a few hours before reopening at 7:00 PM for the evening shift. The evening session is where the café-restaurant side comes into its own. From 7:00 PM onward, the kitchen and bar take over, and the place stays open until 2:00 AM, well past the point when most establishments on a small island have wound down. On an island like Anafi, where the night sky is genuinely dark and the Chora's lanes empty out early, having a lit terrace or interior to return to matters. The setting is in keeping with the village: whitewashed Cycladic architecture, a pace that doesn't rush you, and the kind of atmosphere that comes from a place that serves the same community day after day. Anafi's Chora is small enough that the café's regular clientele — fishing families, hikers coming back from the Monastery of Panagia Kalamiotissa, sailors anchoring overnight at the port — all tend to end up in the same few spots. The source description notes drinks and light refreshments, but the Instagram profile positions it more fully as a café-restaurant with food service. Expect the offering to lean toward straightforward Greek dishes and mezze-style plates in the evening rather than an elaborate menu. How to Get There Tholos is in Chora, Anafi's main village, at the coordinates 36.3511°N, 25.7683°E. Chora sits roughly 2.5 kilometres from Agios Nikolaos, the island's main port where ferries dock. The road between port and village climbs steadily; it's walkable in around 30–40 minutes but steep in places and exposed in summer heat. A small local taxi or occasional bus service connects the port to Chora, particularly around ferry arrival times. If you're staying in Chora itself, Tholos is easy to reach on foot within the village. Parking in Chora is limited to the small area at the village entrance — the lanes themselves are pedestrian. The address is Χώρα Ανάφης, Anafi 840 09. Anafi has no airport. All arrivals are by ferry, primarily through the Piraeus–Cyclades routes that serve the smaller eastern islands. Santorini is the closest major hub with onward ferry connections. Best Time to Visit Anafi's main season runs from late June through early September. Outside those months, ferry connections become infrequent and many island businesses reduce hours or close entirely. Tholos's current hours reflect an active-season schedule; if you're travelling in shoulder season — May, early June, or late September — it's worth confirming hours via the Facebook page before assuming the full daily schedule applies. Within the day, the morning session suits coffee and a slow start before hiking or beach time. The early evening opening at 7:00 PM catches the cooler part of the day when Chora comes back to life after the afternoon heat. Anafi sits in the southern Cyclades and temperatures in July and August frequently exceed 30°C, with strong meltemi winds providing some relief but also making exposed outdoor seating brisk in the afternoon. For those wanting to eat without competing with peak summer crowds, late evening — from 9:00 PM onward — tends to be when Greek island restaurants reach their natural rhythm. Tips for Visiting Call ahead in shoulder season. The phone number is +30 2286 061354. On a small island, hours can shift outside peak summer without the website being updated. Use the afternoon break for hiking. The gap between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM aligns roughly with the hottest part of the day. It's a natural prompt to rest before the evening session begins. Arrive early for breakfast if hiking. The 8:30 AM opening suits hikers heading toward the Monastery of Panagia Kalamiotissa, about 8–9 kilometres along the island's spine. Coffee and something to eat before the trail is a practical reason to start here. Follow on Instagram for current updates. The account @tholos_anafi has over 3,000 followers and posts updates; it's the most reliable source for seasonal closures or changes to the evening menu. Don't expect a long menu. Anafi is not an island with large-scale supply chains. The offering at Tholos will reflect what's available locally and seasonally, which is not a shortcoming — it's the reality of eating on a genuinely small, remote island. Evening seating fills up on ferry nights. When a ferry arrives, Chora gets a brief influx of new arrivals and day-trippers. If you want a quiet table, either eat before 7:30 PM or later after 9:30 PM. Combine with a Chora walk. Tholos is a natural start or end point for a walk through Chora's lanes, which take in the kastro ruins, the church of Panagia, and the windmills above the village. What to Order The bundle and Instagram bio describe Tholos as a traditional café-restaurant. For the morning and afternoon session, the core café order on a Greek island is freddo espresso (iced espresso, not blended) or Greek coffee, alongside a pastry or light bite. If you want something cold and non-caffeinated, freshly squeezed orange juice is a standard café offering across the Cyclades. For the evening session, traditional Greek café-restaurants typically offer mezze plates, grilled dishes, and local cheeses alongside wine, beer, and spirits. Anafi's own food culture draws on the broader Cycladic tradition: dried fish, local capers, island cheese, and simple grilled meat or vegetables. What Tholos serves specifically in terms of dishes isn't confirmed in the available information, so it's worth asking what's on that day — the answer will be more reliable than any printed menu on a small island where supply depends on ferry schedules. For drinks in the evening, the standard Greek options — local beer, house wine, ouzo, and tsipouro — are a reasonable expectation in any traditional Cycladic establishment.
Astrachan
Astrachan is one of the few full-service tavernas on Anafi, a small Cycladic island with no airport, one main settlement, and a ferry connection that keeps things deliberately low-key. On an island this size, a restaurant rated 4.3 out of 5 across 35 reviews is not a number to dismiss — it reflects a consistent local operation that repeat visitors and curious first-timers alike tend to return to. The taverna sits along the Epar.Od. Anafis road, the main artery that threads through the island and connects the port area to Anafi Town (also known as Chora) further up the hillside. With fewer than a handful of restaurants on the whole island, Astrachan occupies a straightforward position: it is one of the places where you actually eat on Anafi, and by most accounts it does that job well. Anafi itself draws travelers who have already been everywhere else — people who want genuine quiet, cliff-top monasteries, and a harbor where fishing boats still outnumber tourist yachts. Eating at a place like Astrachan is part of that experience: no elaborate menus, no fusion, just Greek taverna cooking in a setting that makes sense for where you are. What to Expect Astrachan operates as a traditional Greek taverna, which in practice means a menu built around the fundamentals of Greek home cooking — grilled fish and meat, seasonal vegetables, salads dressed with local olive oil, and dishes that vary depending on what came in fresh that day or that week. On an island as small as Anafi, supply lines are limited and the kitchen works with what's available, which generally means fresher ingredients and fewer options than a tourist-facing restaurant on a larger island. The setting is relaxed and unfussy. Anafi's entire social pace is slow, and a meal at Astrachan reflects that. There is no pressure to turn tables quickly; the island doesn't have the tourist volume that demands it. You can expect to sit, order at a calm pace, and finish a meal without being rushed. With 35 Google reviews and a 4.3 rating, the taverna has built its reputation gradually and honestly. On an island that sees limited visitor numbers, that review count reflects genuine repeat engagement rather than passing tourist traffic. Portions at traditional Greek tavernas of this type tend to be generous, and sharing plates is the norm — ordering a spread of starters and a main between two people is a practical approach. Drinks will follow standard Greek taverna patterns: local wine served in carafes, cold beer, soft drinks, and likely the house option of raki or ouzo to close a meal. Prices on Anafi are generally moderate given the limited competition and the cost of supplying a remote island, though no specific pricing information is available for Astrachan at the time of writing. How to Get There Astrachan is located on the Epar.Od. Anafis road on Anafi, with coordinates placing it at approximately 36.3505°N, 25.7673°E. On an island this small, navigation is straightforward: there is essentially one main road, and most of the island's services sit along it or just off it between the port and Chora. If you're staying in Anafi Town (Chora), the walk down toward the port area and along the main road is manageable on foot in reasonable footwear. If you're arriving by ferry, the port sits at the northern edge of the island, and the road leading inland will pass or connect to most of the island's restaurants and services. Anafi has no public bus service in the traditional sense, though a small vehicle sometimes runs between the port and Chora, particularly during ferry arrivals. A rental scooter or ATV — available from a small number of operators on the island — makes getting around easier if you're planning to explore beyond the immediate port and Chora area. There is no need for car navigation apps on Anafi; the road network is simple enough to follow on foot or by reference to a printed map. Parking is not a meaningful concern on an island of this size. Best Time to Visit Anafi's tourist season runs from late June through early September, with August being the peak month when ferry connections from Santorini and other Cycladic islands bring the largest number of visitors. Even at peak season, Anafi remains one of the quieter Cycladic islands — it actively resists the infrastructure of mass tourism — so Astrachan is unlikely to be overwhelmed in the way a popular taverna on Mykonos or Ios might be. For dining specifically, the standard Greek island timing applies: lunch from roughly 1pm to 3pm, and dinner from 7:30pm onward, with the main dinner sitting typically happening between 8pm and 10pm. Arriving early for dinner avoids any wait for tables, though Anafi's pace rarely creates the kind of queues seen on larger islands. Shoulder season — June and September — offers the most pleasant eating conditions: warm evenings without August's peak heat, and a quieter atmosphere overall. Outside of those months, Anafi has very limited visitor services, and it is worth confirming whether Astrachan is open before planning a visit in spring or autumn. No specific seasonal hours are available for the restaurant. What to Order As a traditional Greek taverna, Astrachan's menu will follow the patterns common across the Cyclades. A reliable approach is to start with a selection of mezedes — small plates that might include tzatziki, taramosalata, grilled bread, stuffed vine leaves, or whatever the kitchen is preparing that day. For mains, grilled fish is the obvious choice on a Cycladic island: fresh catch will typically include whatever the local boats brought in, often lavraki (sea bass) or tsipoura (sea bream) sold by weight. Grilled lamb or pork chops are a dependable alternative, as is a slow-cooked meat stew if the kitchen is running one. Greek salad with Cycladic cheese — often a local variant of white cheese rather than the standard feta found elsewhere — is worth ordering as a side. Ask the staff what came in fresh that day or what the kitchen is particularly focused on; in a small taverna on a remote island, that question often produces the best result. Tips for Visiting Confirm opening hours before you go. Anafi's restaurants sometimes keep irregular hours based on the season, ferry arrivals, and how many guests are on the island that week. No posted hours are available online; ask at your accommodation or check locally. Arrive with cash. Card payment infrastructure on Anafi is limited, and a small taverna on a remote island may not reliably accept cards. Having euros on hand avoids any awkward situations. Don't expect a printed English menu. Smaller tavernas on islands like Anafi often run a daily menu or communicate dishes verbally. Basic Greek food vocabulary — or a willingness to ask and point — goes a long way. Order at the pace the island moves. A meal at Astrachan is not a quick stop. Build in time for a relaxed lunch or dinner; rushing through a meal is the wrong approach for Anafi in general. Ask about local catch. The freshest fish will be whatever came off the boats most recently. On a small island, the kitchen usually knows exactly where the fish came from. Plan dinner around the sunset. Anafi's west-facing views make early evening light striking. Timing a meal to start after sunset means you can watch the light change from wherever you are and then sit down to eat without feeling you've missed anything. Book ahead in August if you can. While Anafi stays quiet by Cycladic standards, August does bring a meaningful increase in visitors, and a small restaurant with limited seating can fill up. Contact through your accommodation host or ask in person earlier in the day.
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