Any food lovers who are also curious about the history of Ios should head to Diaseli Cheese Museum. The museum was opened in 2020 by Dimitris Haros, a cheesemaker whose family has been making cheese on Ios for generations, and his wife Helen, who leads tours through the museum’s model rooms depicting 18th-century rural home life in Ios and demonstrating the ancient methods of cheesemaking. Centuries-old agricultural tools and ceramics are displayed, and you’ll likely see some goats wandering the property. After the short tour, visitors can partake in a cheese tasting at the outdoor tables that includes seven to 10 types of local goat milk cheeses made by the Haros family, accompanied by figs, grapes, tomatoes, honey, and plump pickled capers, all produced on the family farm, plus a jug of their traditional unfiltered wine. Before you leave, buy some fragrant dried thyme and oregano, also grown on the farm, to bring back home.
For sunset, head a couple miles west of Chora to Pathos Club & Restaurant, for some of that old-school Ios nightlife, sushi, and incredible sunset views over the ocean.
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Where to eat and drink
Given its island status, the cuisine in Ios is fish and seafood heavy. The freshness of the seafood is best exemplified at Drakos Taverna, which is located on one of Mylopatas Beach—you’ll recognize it by the horizontally stretched rope with just-caught octopuses draped over it. Opened in 1963 by George Drakos, Drakos Taverna excels in traditional Greek mezze like tomato salad with capers and marinated anchovies, various seafood pastas, and those octopuses prepared various ways.
If you want to eat in or near the Chora, you’re best bets will be Katogi or The Mills. Katogi is a Greek tapas restaurant with an eclectic décor that makes you feel like you’re dining at your Greek grandmother’s home. But the food has a modern twist, with dishes like pasta stuffed with pear, lamb kofta with whipped feta, and shrimp saganaki. The Mills is right outside the Chora, surrounded by the village’s picturesque ancient windmills. It serves traditional Greek food including moussaka cooked in a clay pot, juicy grilled lamb, and grilled calamari. If you’re in the port area, Octopus Tree Café and Sailing Café Bar are both good options. Grandma’s, the award-winning restaurant inside the Liostasi hotel, serves upscale Greek and Mediterranean food with a modern twist amid sunset views on the hotel’s pool deck. The restaurant consulted with Sotiris Evaggelou, a leading chef who champions contemporary Greek cuisine, to present a menu of creative dishes featuring local and seasonal ingredients.
Outside the Chora and port, you’ll find the funky Art Café + Bar Foiniki, which opened a few summers ago and serves customers all day, from coffee and homemade pies in the morning to excellent cocktails and Greek microbrews at night. The walls display rotating art by locals.
