Nisyros Restaurants: Where to Eat in Mandraki, Paloi & the Villages
Nisyros serves its food mainly in Mandraki and Paloi, with a village taverna in each of the crater-rim villages of Nikia and Emborios. Mandraki keeps tavernas and traditional coffee shops along the waterfront boulevard and around the central square, and Paloi has harbourside tavernas by the beach. This guide sets out where to eat by area, so you can pick a table near your base or your beach. Hire a car to explore Nisyros at your own pace, covered in our Nisyros car hire guide.
- Main dining
- Mandraki
- Harbour tavernas
- Paloi
- Crater-rim villages
- Nikia & Emborios
- Beach tavern
- Lies
Mandraki
Mandraki is the main place to eat on Nisyros. A waterfront boulevard runs along the front of the capital, lined with terraces where you can sit over the sea, and behind it a maze of lanes opens onto small squares. The scenic central square, a short walk from the port, holds tavernas and traditional coffee shops. Because Mandraki is the port and the island's only sizeable town, it keeps the widest choice of tables, from a quick coffee to a full taverna meal.
Paloi
Paloi, the former fishing village on the north coast 4 km from Mandraki, is the second dining area of the island. Its tavernas gather by the small harbour and the beach, within a few minutes' walk of the village centre. Because Paloi sits close to White Beach and Katsouni, the best beaches on Nisyros, it makes an easy lunch or dinner stop on a beach day on that side of the island.
Nikia & Emborios
Nikia and Emborios, the two villages on the rim of the caldera, each keep a village taverna. Nikia, 14 km from Mandraki, has a restaurant by its square, close to the Volcanological Museum, with the view straight down into the craters. Emborios, on the north rim above Mandraki, is smaller and quieter. Eating in either village pairs a simple meal with the caldera view, a natural stop after the walk down into the crater.
On the beaches
Beach tavernas on Nisyros are few, so it pays to plan. Lies beach in the east has a small tavern at the end of the sand, and Pachia Ammos in the south sits near a restaurant at the road's end. Most other beaches, including White Beach and Katsouni, have little or nothing in the way of facilities, so bring your own water and a picnic. The beaches are described in the Nisyros beaches guide.
