No holiday is complete without good food and I was not disappointed during my stay on Naxos. My time was divided into two parts. One was spent strolling around the chora, discovering little nooks and crannies to enjoy. The other part was dedicated to the beach, where I relaxed with a book. In between those two activities I would find places to eat.
This was especially important at the beach, because the further away I got from Naxos town, the more the sun lounger set was basically included with a meal. Choosing where to park myself for the day therefore mattered quite a lot. Yours, Pollybert
PsaRaki Meze: Maragas Beach for example has a wonderfully wide sandy stretch with many restaurants lined up behind it. On my first day there I settled into a lounger in front of PsaRaki Meze and did not regret it.
PsaRaki Meze @Naxos
The sunbed cost twenty euro, which I easily spent during the day. I started with Greek coffee and fresh orange juice, as I had not been in the mood for the one at the bakery in Naxos town earlier that morning.
Greek coffee and orange juice @PsaRaki Meze
For lunch I returned to PsaRaki Meze, as I still needed to spend some money and had already studied the menu at breakfast. There were quite a few things I wanted to try. One would not think that lunch is appealing when it is hot, but there was a constant breeze at the beach and the restaurant had a kind of netted roof covering. It was actually very pleasant to sit down and eat.
terrace seating @PsaRaki Meze
I started with an eggplant dip and marinated octopus. The bread basket arrived with a bit of spicy Tirokafteri, which was lovely, although I used most of the bread to soak up the delicious dressing of the octopus. The smoky eggplant dip had a great texture and was served cooled. It was refreshing and absolutely delicious.
eggplant dip and marinated octopus @PsaRaki Meze
I also ordered the starter portion of meatballs with tzatziki. It was a satisfying serving without being too much. Overall I found the food at PsaRaki Meze very good and can highly recommend it.
meatballs with tzatziki @PsaRaki Meze
Nomad Beach Bar: The next day I returned to the same beach but went next door to Nomad Beach Bar and rented a lounger there. I believe one should spread her money evenly. The style of the restaurant was similar to PsaRaki Meze next door.
Nomad Beach Bar @Naxos
I ordered coffee, water, and fresh orange juice for the beach, then went inside for lunch later on. To change things up from classic Greek dishes I chose sea bass carpaccio and a fava dip with a bread basket on the side. One might have thought that “Resch und Frisch” had arrived on the island, because for the second time I was served a Semmel in my bread basket. Compare this to the bread basket at PsaRaki Meze.
sea bass carpaccio and fava dip @Nomad Beach Bar Carpaccio
Normally one expects a few slices of bread, but suddenly there were rolls appearing in this part of Naxos. The fava spread was delicious and creamy without being overly dense. I would have enjoyed a bit more capers and onions though. The carpaccio itself was good in terms of fish quality, but the dressing was too acidic for my taste. While it is of course necessary to cure the fish, this was a bit excessive. When the leche de tigre is fantastic I love finish it, but not in this case.
Still, I enjoyed my experience at Nomad Beach Bar as well.
