Food Guide · Ios, Greece · 2026What to Eat in Ios, Greece: 6 Dishes Worth Trying

Food Guide · Ios, Greece · 2026, By Panayiotis, Methyra

What to Eat in Ios Greece: 6 Dishes Worth Trying

Ios has a reputation as a party island. Fair enough. But the food here, if you know what to look, is worth your attention too. These are the six things I'd tell every visitor to eat before they leave.

What to Eat in Ios Greece:

1. Local cheese · Cycladic

Xino Cheese

Xino is a fresh, soft cheese made on the island. The name means "sour" in Greek, but don't let that put you off. The taste is smooth, mild, and nothing like you've had from a supermarket. Usually served in Greek salad instead of feta.

If you try only one local cheese, make it this one.

2. Local cheese · Aged

Skotiri Cheese

Skotiri is the stronger counterpart — aged, sharp, and deeply flavoured. It's a working cheese, the kind islanders have been eating for generations. Pair it with a glass of wine and you have everything you need.

Good for people who want to taste something genuinely local and unfiltered.

3. Traditional · Vegetarian

Revithokeftedes

Chickpea fritters, crispy outside, flavoured with herbs. My grandmother used to make these for me as a child — it was her way of getting me to eat chickpeas when I refused the soup. It worked. They're one of the great small plates of Greek cooking and you'll find them across the Cyclades, including here on Ios.

4. Cycladic staple · Vegan

Fava

Yellow split pea purée, slow-cooked and finished with olive oil and capers. Simple food done with care. Fava is everywhere in the Cyclades and it deserves its place — it's earthy, filling, and completely satisfying. Order it as a dip and take your time with it.

You should definitly try it at Methyra with brease octapus on the site

5. Local produce · Sweet

   
   

Ios Honey with Thyme

The mountens of Ios are covered in wild thyme. The honey that comes from those hillsides is extraordinary, fragrant, dark, and nothing like commercial honey. Eat it drizzled on xino cheese, on yoghurt, or straight from the spoon. Buy a jar before you leave.

6. Greek street food

Loukoumades

Hot, golden dough balls, fried until crisp on the outside and fluffy inside, then drizzled with honey and dusted with cinnamon. Greece's oldest street food and still one of the best things you can eat here. They're the kind of thing you order once and immediately want again.

We serve loukoumades at Methyra.

Honest note

What about gyros?

Yes, you'll eat gyros on Ios. They're good, they're cheap, and they're everywhere. But understand what they are, fast food, not traditional Cycladic cooking. There's nothing wrong with them. Just don't leave thinking you've tasted what the island actually eats.