As usual, Sheira and I ate breakfast separately. I had my traditional bag of fruit and two bottles of water that I bought on my morning run, which generally takes place while Sheira is still fast asleep. She enjoys a later, more formal breakfast in the hotel..
“The AEGEAN POETS restaurant, apart from being a reminder that we are in the birthplace of a great civilisation, does great eggs! This is the most popular of the hotel’s breakfast options. To cater to the tourist clientele (a very Mykonos reality), it served a version of an English style breakfast (cereal, eggs, bacon, sausages, etc) but there was also some traditional Greek fare for anyone looking for early morning local flavour (honey sweetened black tea, cheese, olives, crusty bread, plus Greek coffee with paximathakia or koulourakia, not-too-sweet biscotti and cookie twists.) A standard Continental Breakfast was served poolside at the BRASSERIE L’ARCHIPEL. Because of the gorgeous setting, this was probably my favourite of the two.”
The highlight of our lunch experiences was supposed to be at Nammos, but it didn’t quite work out that way. I’d heard from countless people that no trip to Mykonos was complete without lunch right on the beach at Nammos. In fact Nammos was so popular, that as soon as we made the decision to come to Mykonos I actually made two bookings at the restaurant about eight weeks ahead of time, and then had the concierge at Mykonos Blu confirm the bookings. We were looking forward to it so much !
Ronnie and I walked over to Nammos to tell the Maitre D’ how excited we were to be coming for lunch, how we’d booked 3 months in advance, and to ask if we could please have a table outside !!
So, fast forward an hour later....we arrive at Nammos full of expectation, and looking forward to a prime table outside, right on the beach. It’s an amazing scene, with hundreds of people soaking up the sun on the beach, which is literally at the foot of this small but jam packed restaurant.
We can quickly see that the eight tables outside on a narrow beachside ledge are filling quickly. I’m trying to get the Maitre D’ attention to seat us, but I can’t make any eye contact. I’m desperate to secure one of the rapidly disappearing outside tables so I actually start to follow him around the restaurant, pleading for one of the three tables !!!!!!!
Suddenly, a couple of self important young men walk in, kiss him on the cheek and moments later, we’re down to two outside tables.
I’m now in no mood to be ignored. I confront the Maitre D’ and ask why those two gentlemen were seated immediately while I had to chase him around the restaurant, and am being constantly ignored.
I’ve had enough. I cancel the booking and the four of us walk out. Of course, as we leave, all I can see and smell is an endless array of beautiful plates full of golden crisp calamari, fresh salads, pastas & raviolis, large barbequed fish and much more. It’s torture, but my mind is made up !!
Once we left Nammos, we regrouped, summoned up all the positive energy the four of us could muster, and refused to let the day be a total disaster! Remember, when the going gets tough, the tough get lunch somewhere else!
The town of Mykonos is on the east coast of the island, but if you venture across to the south east side of the island, you come to the delightful beachside setting of Kalo Livadi.
I really enjoyed the 45-minute drive along the south coast. For me it was a gorgeous and relaxing counterpoint to the hustle and bustle of the port. We drove there on picturesque sand roads, and within minutes it was as if we had been transported to another island. It’s not so much that the scenery is different – it’s still rocky terrain, clear blue skies, but the pace is so much more appealing than the frenetic vibe of Mykonos Town and the beaches close by. Once again we were with Tania and Ronnie, and by the time we arrived at the Solymar Taverna, all four of us were feeling pretty good about the world!
Ronnie and I couldn’t resist having a “boys with toys” moment with some rented jet-skis out in the ocean, but not before we’d made our lunch reservation at the taverna.
And what a happy, joyful lunch it was. The sun was warm and welcoming, the crowd was happy and mellow, and as we sat at our beachside table, the food was plentiful and delicious.
We had a refreshing salad with tomatoes, watermelon and feta cheese. There were delicate zucchini flowers stuffed with feat and mint. And I particularly enjoyed the fresh mussels with nothing but parsley and lemon juice. We washed it down with Limontselo, the local version of Limoncello liqueur. All in all, it was an absolutely delightful lunch.
A quick look at the map and we re-plotted our course for Paradise Beach after our original idea for NAMMOS went down in flames. We enjoyed a short walk to a taverna right on the sand, and within five minutes were seated at a table. Our luck was clearly changing. We ended up enjoying a fabulous meal of chicken skewers, souvlaki, potatoes, and fresh Greek salads, with lemon juice squeezed over each dish for good measure Throw in some excellent local wine, and some truly world-class people watching as folks danced on the tables, and it was one of the best meals any of us had enjoyed in quite a while.
After lunch, the girls arranged to enjoy a massage on the beach, while Ronnie and I took a stroll up to the bar for ice creams and to soak up a little more of the endless parade of youth and beauty that was all around us.
Something I found really cool was that right in the middle of this hedonistic “fabulosity” there were two weather beaten old Greek guys – both in their late 70s, both with their shirts off – sitting there playing backgammon, completely oblivious to the carnival going on around them. We joined them for a game of backgammon, and had so much fun.
It was a wonderful illustration of two completely disparate lifestyles that this beautiful island supports.
The Greek Island party scene isn’t going away any time soon, but neither is the simple, time honoured existence of the old locals. On this particular occasion, both parties seemed pretty happy with life.
A completely different take will soon be written by Josh, who spent a week in Mykonos in 2009 partying to the early hours of the morning…
Nobu Matsuhisa is one of the most famous chefs in the world, and his “Nobu” brand is a guarantee of quality of the highest order. This is of his latest ventures into the brave new culinary world of Japanese ingredients with Peruvian influences.
It’s super chic and super glam. It’s the place to see and be seen, and while Sheira and I have no desire to slavishly follow the trends of the so called “beautiful people” we’re always game for a spot of world class, hip dining every now and then.
Attached to the restaurant is the SUNSET SAKE BAR & LOUNGE, capitals and if you’re a fan of cocktails (a likely probability on Mykonos!), this swish and trendy bar is the place for you. The drink menu has been created by Nobu London’s world famous “mixologist” Markus Voglrieder, and it’s a wonder to behold.
After a drink at the Sunset Bar – Sheira had an Apple Martini, and I went with the Japanese inspired Saketini – we headed for our elegant outdoor table in the restaurant itself. Linens and whites appeared to be the fashion statement du jour for the stylish diners in the restaurant, and I’m happy to say that Sheira and I certainly held our own in the fashion stakes.
We both decided that tonight was a Sushi night, and we chose a combination of Yellow Tail, Snow Crab, Dorado, Freshwater Eel, See Bass and Tuna. It was superb, and to be honest, I expected nothing less.
I’m completely comfortable eating a simple sandwich on deserted beach, but when the occasion presents itself, sampling the delights of a high end restaurant like Matsuhisa is a true joy.
But be warned, Matsuhisa is only open from mid June to the end of September, and only for dinner from 7.30pm to 1.30am. Bookings are essential.
Dinner tends to be eaten late on Mykonos, so from time to time I found myself looking for a bit of a late afternoon/early evening snack. There are plenty of places to get interesting street food when you’re out and about wandering the streets, and you can’t go too far wrong with a tasty little crepe. As a seasoned crepe lover, I can tell you that, out of the many non-Greek imports on the island, the Nutella and Banana combo became my guilty pleasure. It comes highly recommended!
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