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1. Ogeyn va Xeis (dinner)
Excellent food at a reasonable cost. I have no clue what the name of this restaurant is, but it is in the Main Square.
My husband and I started with a glass of House Wine, for some reason it didn’t taste like good quality House Wine as it did at other Greek establishments. Oh well.
Chicken Souvlaki Sandwich for only 2 Euros, I know right!!! It was beyond delicious, the chicken was tender and cooked to perfection. The sandwich was juicy, tender, and exactly how a souvlaki should be.
A side of Stuffed Tomatoes filled with rice, the rice was so well seasoned in comparison to the same dish I had in Mykonos. And of course, a side of thick fries. Love!
The owner was generous enough to throw in a complimentary Panna Cotta made with heavy cream and then topped off with caramel sauce. So freakin’ delicious!
LOCATION: Old Town/Main Square – Naoussa, 844 00, Paros, Greece
MENU: n/a
COST: €
CUISINE: Greek
VERDICT: 4 / 5
The owner of the restaurant is Albanian and we discussed his struggles from back in the 90s when many refugees from Albania arrived in Greece. He mentioned how he missed Albania, but he is happy to be in Greece. I’m so grateful that he gave us a complimentary Panna Cotta because not only was I super full, but I also totally forgot to order Panna Cotta in Greece. Now looking back, I wish I tried Moussaka or Pasticcio here since the prices were so reasonable and if I didn’t like it, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. Next time, maybe, hopefully! My husband is probably at me.
Food: Delicious | Drinks: Average | Décor: Casual/Relaxed | Service: Very Good | Value: Excellent
2. Pool Menu @ St. Andrea Resort (drinks/mid-afternoon snack)
Dine here especially if you are staying at the St. Andrea Resort.
In the midst of the afternoon after hanging on the beach, we returned to our resort and started with cocktails…
Strawberry Basil Mojito – so delicious, but it didn’t taste super fresh, perhaps needed more mint.
Mango Mojito – also delicious, but again probably needed more mint.
And of course, we were served a complimentary bread basket.
I took a leap of faith and ordered the Greek Spaghetti hoping to like a specialty cheese from Paros. The cheese is not feta, but a Parian Xynomyzithra (pronounced zyno-mi-zee-thra), a mild, creamy cheese. This dish right here is reason enough to visit Paros, it was perfection, and one that I am hoping to replicate at home very soon.
LOCATION: Kolymbithres – Naoussa, 844 00, Paros, Greece (St. Andrea Resort)
MENU: n/a
COST: €€
CUISINE: Greek
VERDICT: 4.5 / 5
Since I only tried one dish at the St. Andrea Resort, I can’t speak for the rest of the entrees. The Greek Spaghetti was outstanding though. In regards to the cost, I believe the drinks here are slightly overpriced at 9 Euros each considering it is Paros, and not Mykonos/Santorini. Looking back, I really wish I had dined here for dinner, the menu looks mouthwatering and the food prices are reasonable.
Food: Outstanding | Drinks: Excellent | Décor: Casual/Relaxed | Service: Good | Value: Good (drinks high for Paros)
3. Levantis (dinner)
Over-hyped! I’m mystified by the rave reviews online! Gorgeous ambiance though!
House Wine + Complimentary Bread w/a Zucchini Dip & Cucumber Feta Rolls. Again, I’m not a fan of feta, I thought the cucumber rolls was such a neat idea though.
My husband and I shared 3 apps and 1 entree, this way we could try more items. Grilled Calamari – Can I just say in the USA we always order Fried Calamari which is soft and edible, but Grilled Calamari is tough and chewy, even a little scary. I didn’t like the texture whatsoever. The pesto salad on the side was pretty good though.
Spinach & Chickpea Patties – This was my husband’s choice and probably the best thing we ate all night. It still wasn’t at par with what I was expecting, the interior was very mushy, but I loved the Beetroot Tzatziki on the side, the color really catches your eye.
Fried Haloumi Cheese w/Rocket & Tomatoes – Haloumi Cheese is one Greek cheese that I actually do like, but for some reason there was an aftertaste and this dish failed me as well. The salad was really good though… loved the dressing.Top 2 images courtesy of ParosWeb.com
We ended our meal with an entree – Gnocchi with Mushrooms in a Walnut Sauce. This dish was one of the only vegetarian meal on the menu. Just FYI – Walnut Sauce without basil is not good, I really took a chance with this dish, but i didn’t like the flavor at all.
LOCATION: Old Town – Parikia, 844 00, Paros, Greece
MENU: Levantis Menu
COST: €€€
CUISINE: Mediterranean
VERDICT: 2 / 5
Levantis offers Mediterranean cuisine with probably some Greek influence. Due to the rave online reviews, I can’t tell you how excited I was to try Levantis, and that is an understatement. I had such high expectations going in, but I was let down with every single dish. Some might argue my palette isn’t sophisticated enough, point taken, but I totally felt like I just ate a bunch of leaves and left. On the other hand, the setting here is romantic, garden-like, the presentation is wonderful, and the food is innovative, I mean who would have thought of Walnut Sauce? Beetroot Tzatziki? Regardless – overpriced, over-hyped, and it didn’t help that my husband was so mad at me afterwards. Hey, I can’t always be right. Seriously wish we ate at one of those Greek shacks which always seem to deliver the best food.
Food: Way Below Average | Drinks: Good | Décor: Romantic/Garden-like | Service: Good | Value: Average (small portions)
TELL ME: Have you been to Paros? If so, where did you dine?
Happy belated Birthday Sonia. I sure could eat that chicken souvlaki right now. It looks so yummy. JC
Thanks JC… Chicken Souvlaki rules!
Awesome pics. I love panna cotta!
Bianca, I love Panna Cotta too, somehow it gets overlooked at most restaurants. I've seen it on Greek menus in US.
Greek panna cotta…now that DEFINITELY sounds like something I must recreate!
I know.. it's amazing… so creamy and light.
Happy bday to Sonia ๐ This food looks amazing. I know Greece has amazing food so I am sure you were in heaven over there. Complimentary food, especially good food is the best. I need to get something Greek on my blog. I don't have anything at all ๐
Thanks Miryam, appreciate it.
Complimentary food is always a plus, people are so generous on the island.
I know, me too, now I'm working on Greek food. ๐
Sorry about the hyped up restaurant but everything else looks AMAZING. Those are my favorite kind of fries…and 2 euros? Amazing deal.
Can't wait to experience it myself one day.
Thanks Ameena, it's ok. Things happen. Everything else was good though. That restaurant was a steal. Paros is definitely more affordable in terms of food.
First of all I have to say you look so cute. The pictures are all lovely.
To the food, chicken souvlaki, oh yum. The pannacotto looks so good. The best thing is to recreate those at home. The zyno….cheese sauce sounds delicious, what did it taste like?
I know right, we go vacationing and we want to try everything everywhere, just can't stomach it all at once..but that doesn't stop us right..
That's a great deal of info, a good job there.
Awwww.. thanks Asha, appreciate it.
Yes, that Chicken Souvlaki sandwich was really delicious. The Panna Cotta was amazing too. Gonna have to work on these recipes. The Zynomizithra cheese tastes very similar to Mascarpone, it's just a mild creamy cheese.
Before I'd get all worked up about food, but now I just eat when I'm hungry else it upsets my stomach.
Thanks Asha.
Greece is on my bucket list. What a fun adventure! It looks like you had some wonderful food, except at that last restaurant.
Thanks Pam, it was a fun adventure. The food was really good. ๐
I lived on Paros for over 1o years but moved away two years ago. Just went back for a two week visit.
Levantis was our go to place for special occasions and never had a dish we didn't like, but like all restaurants on the island, the cooks come and go so each year is different.
One family run restaurant that seems to always be good is Epheseus. They used to have a poor location behind the clinic but this year moved to the beach at Lividia. Nearly all local grown vegetables and meat.
It is difficult to have a bad dish on Paros; most are commonly good Greek food. There are many places with exceptionally good dishes which you can only find by trial and error each year. Don't ask a local; they will send you to their cousin's place.
Cheers,
Thanks Michael.. perhaps my taste palette isn't too sophisticated, but I wasn't impressed by Levantis at all. Maybe it's a different chef now.
Oh that's such a shame about the dishes at Levantis not living up – I love the sound of walnut sauce! I might have to even try creating something similar at home sometime soon. I can definitely vouch for the deliciousness behind Greek spaghetti- I often add olives & feta to my bowls and it's always a hit- sometimes adding a few key ingredients can really take a dish to the next level! And just for the record- I'm not jealous AT ALL about yummy cocktails by the pool ;)!
It's okay K.. sometimes reviews go overboard, and then you're like what?
Walnut sauce sounds good, but I think you have to flavor it with some kind of herb, the sauce was so walnuty, like too much. I love olives! Haha.. don't be jealous.. it should be the other way around. Girl, you visit London like twice a year, hop over to the islands, it's so close. ๐