Regional highlights
Gouna
Paros's signature dish — small whole mackerel (or scad), salted lightly and sun-dried for a day on tavern washing-lines, then charcoal-grilled and dressed with olive oil, oregano and lemon. The brief drying intensifies the fish and firms the flesh; the charcoal adds smoke. Eaten whole with the fingers on a piece of bread, with a glass of ouzo or Suma. Strictly summer-only (May-October) when conditions allow proper drying.
Astakomakaronada
Lobster spaghetti — local Aegean lobster (the slipper or spiny variety, not the American clawed lobster) cooked in a tomato, white wine and ouzo broth that's then tossed with thick spaghetti. The fishing villages of Naoussa and Piso Livadi specialise in this; the lobster is sold by the kilo from the live tank. Pricey, but the freshness of the catch makes it the special-occasion seafood dish on the island.
Revithada
A traditional Cycladic chickpea stew, cooked overnight in a wood-fired bakery oven in a sealed clay pot — the chickpeas, onion, olive oil, lemon and bay leaf cook to a creamy, deeply savoury broth by morning. A Sunday-lunch staple in Lefkes and the inland villages, traditionally cooked in the village bakery alongside the bread. Eaten warm with crusty bread.
Local Paros cheeses
Paros's small dairies produce three cheeses worth seeking: tyraki (a fresh, mild whey cheese eaten very young), gravieri Parou (a young aged sheep's-milk hard cheese, less prestigious than Naxos's PDO version but pleasant), and ksinotyro (a sour, semi-hard sheep cheese). Sold at the dairies of Lefkes and Kostos and at the better delis in Parikia. Eaten as a meze with capers and rusks.
Capers & caper leaves
Paros has wild caper bushes growing across its drier slopes, and the buds (small, intensely briny) and shoots (tender, slightly mustardy) are pickled or preserved in oil and eaten as a meze. They appear scattered through fava, on grilled fish, and in salads. Picked by hand from May to July; sold in jars by small producers.
Kakavia
A clear fisherman's soup — rockfish (scorpionfish, grouper, hake) simmered with potato, onion, carrot, olive oil, lemon and a little tomato until the broth is fragrant and the fish meltingly tender. The fish is served as a separate course. The original "poor man's bouillabaisse" of the Aegean, and a winter specialty of the Naoussa psarotavernas.
Fava me kapari
Yellow split-pea purée topped with capers, raw onion and olive oil — the standard Cycladic meze, with the Paros version often using local capers from the island's wild caper bushes. Eaten warm or at room temperature with bread. A naturally vegan dish; check that no butter has been added.
Tigania
Pan-fried pork — bite-sized pork cubes marinated briefly in red wine and lemon, then sautéed fast in olive oil with garlic, oregano and black pepper. Served sizzling in a small pan with crusty bread. Standard Aegean meze territory but a particularly common Paros taverna order.
Chtapodi krasato
Octopus braised in red wine with onion, bay leaf, vinegar and a touch of tomato — slow cooking renders the octopus meltingly tender and infuses it with the wine. Served with crusty bread or over orzo. A specialty of the Naoussa harbour psarotavernas; the octopus is often dried briefly on a tavern washing-line before cooking.
Loukoumades
Small fried dough balls — golden outside, soft inside — drenched in honey and dusted with cinnamon and chopped walnuts. The default Greek dessert; on Paros particularly good at the late-night dessert bars in Parikia and Naoussa, often paired with a scoop of mastiha ice cream.
Glyko karydaki & almond sweets
Glyka tou koutaliou — "spoon sweets", small fruits or nuts preserved whole in heavy syrup. The Paros versions include glyko karydaki (whole green walnuts), kydoni (quince) and amygdalo (almond), all served on a small dish with a glass of cold water and a spoon. Eaten as an end-of-meal sweet or with strong coffee. Sold in jars at village shops.
Mostra
Cycladic dakos — a barley rusk topped with grated tomato, fresh local cheese, capers, oregano and olive oil. Paros's bread basket leans heavily on dry rusks; mostra is the freshest summer way to eat them. Served as a starter at almost every traditional taverna.