Joanna's Nikos Place, Mykonos

Joanna's Nikos Place is a family-run beachside taverna at Megali Ammos beach, a five-minute walk from Mykonos Town harbour, and it represents something close to an endangered species on one of Greece's most expensive islands: honest, affordable, family-cooked Greek food at a genuine beach setting. Joanna and Nikos have operated the taverna for many years, serving the kind of seafood-focused menu that made Mykonos worth visiting before the global celebrity clientele arrived — fresh grilled fish priced reasonably by the kilo, crisp horiatiki salad with proper barrel feta, fried calamari still crunchy rather than soggy, tzatziki made in-house. The beach location means tables sit literally on the sand, and diners often eat in swimwear straight from a morning swim. This informality extends to service, which is warm but unpretentious. Given that comparable dishes in Mykonos Town or at the famous beach clubs cost three to four times as much, the value represented here has made Joanna's a word-of-mouth favourite among travellers who know the island well. The restaurant tends to fill early at lunch; walking down from town and arriving before noon is the surest strategy for securing a seafront spot.