Best Gyros in Naxos: Where to Eat in Chora & Beaches
Where to eat gyros in Naxos: souvlaki shops in Chora near the port, grilled plates with Naxos potatoes, beach tavernas, and how gyros differs from souvlaki.
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Gyros in Naxos means meat shaved from a vertical spit and folded into a warm pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki and often fried potatoes. Souvlaki is different: cubes or skewers of grilled meat, sometimes served on the same pita or on a plate. Knowing which one you want makes the first order much easier, especially at a counter where the menu moves fast.
Most of the island's gyros and souvlaki shops sit in Chora, the main town, within a few minutes of the port and the Protopapadaki Street area. Beach areas such as Agia Anna, Plaka and Agios Prokopios are more about sit-down tavernas with grilled meat and meze than about grabbing a wrap. If you are also planning sightseeing around the town, the things to do in Naxos guide covers the port, the old town and the Palatia islet.
Gyros or souvlaki? Two different orders
Gyros is the shaved meat: pork is the standard, chicken is common, and it is usually piled into a pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki (a thick yogurt dip with cucumber and garlic) and fried potatoes. Souvlaki is grilled skewered meat, either pork or chicken, and can arrive as a skewer on a plate or wrapped in pita. Kontosouvli is a larger piece of pork roasted on a spit and then cut into chunks, so expect a meatier, more shareable plate.
Beyond the wrap, several tavernas in Chora serve grilled meat as part of a meze table. Boulamatsis, a family-run taverna in Naxos town, is known for dishes such as fava (yellow split peas puréed smooth) with chopped raw onion and slow-cooked veal with aubergine and feta. Meltemi, also in Naxos Town, serves local meat, fish and vegetable dishes. These are sit-down meals rather than counter stops, so choose them when you want a table and a slower pace.
Chora: the centre of gravity for gyros in Naxos
Chora holds the highest concentration of gyros and souvlaki shops on the island, and most are within walking distance of each other. The streets around Protopapadaki are a practical starting point, with the port a short walk away. That matters if you arrive on a ferry and want a quick wrap before checking in, or if you are staying in town and do not want to drive to dinner.
For a broader picture of where to eat in the old town, the guide to the best restaurants in naxos town groups options by square and street. Court Square and the harbour front are useful landmarks when you are comparing a fast counter with a sit-down taverna. If you are deciding between a gyros stop and a full taverna meal, that guide helps you see which streets carry which style of eating.
Spitiko: a Chora grill house on Protopapadaki Street
Spitiko sits on Protopapadaki Street in Chora and has been serving souvlaki and grill dishes since 1999, according to its own site. The menu lists pork gyros plate, Greek burger mpiftteki (a minced-meat patty, often grilled), saganaki gruyere cheese (cheese fried until it forms a crust) and kontosouvli. Dishes come with Naxos potatoes, tomato, onion and tzatziki on the side, and the restaurant says it sources ingredients from local producers.
The same site states a 7,50€ minimum order for delivery, free delivery and daily hours of 12:00 to 00:30, with dine-in, takeaway and online ordering all offered. Those are the restaurant's published details rather than a guarantee, so confirm them on the site or by phone before you rely on delivery. This is a useful option if you want a full grilled plate rather than a wrap, or if you are staying nearby and want to eat at your accommodation.
Souvlaki of Makis and Lefto's: informal Chora counters
Souvlaki of Makis, listed in directories as To Souvlaki Tou Maki, is a small gyros and souvlaki shop in Chora with an informal setting and Naxos potatoes. Listings place it on Sokratous Papavasiliou street. It is the kind of place you go for a quick wrap or a plate rather than a long dinner, and it appears on both gyros-focused and general restaurant lists for the island.
Lefto's Souvlaki & Kebab House also appears in gyros listings for Naxos, alongside To Souvlaki Tou Maki. The practical way to choose between them is to check the current listing for location and whether they are open when you plan to eat, since small shops can change hours with the season. The directory of gyros in Naxos is one place to compare names before you walk over.
Yasouvlaki!: fast gyros by the port
Yasouvlaki! is a fast-food-style gyros shop near the port in Chora, with meat platters, gyros, kebabs and grilled halloumi (a firm, salty cheese that holds its shape on the grill). Listings note port-side seating with views of the water and the ferries. That makes it a sensible stop if you have a ferry to catch or have just arrived and want to eat before exploring.
The trade-off is speed and convenience versus a quieter table. Port-front seating is handy but busier when ferries come in, and the menu is built around quick service rather than a long meal. If you want a calmer sit-down dinner, a back-street taverna in Chora is the better fit; if you want a wrap before a boat, this is the practical choice.
Beach tavernas: view and sunset versus town prices
Paradiso Taverna at Agia Anna is a seaside restaurant with tables facing the sunset, and listings suggest booking ahead and arriving before 19:30 to catch the light with local wine and live music. Santana Beach Club & Restaurant, also at Agia Anna, combines a beach bar and restaurant with sea views. These are sit-down, view-led meals rather than a quick gyros stop, and the trade-off is a higher bill and a need to reserve in peak season.
Yazoo Summer Bliss sits on Plaka Beach and serves seafood and grilled dishes, with outdoor seating and options for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets according to listings. Plaka and Agia Anna are a short drive or bus ride from Chora, so they suit a day when you plan to stay on the beach rather than walk home from town. For more on what to eat beyond gyros, including the island's cheeses and potatoes, the what to eat in naxos guide is a useful companion.
How to order without a menu in hand
A gyros pita is the wrapped version; a gyros plate is the same meat served with sides and no wrap. Tzatziki is the yogurt dip, saganaki is fried cheese, and halloumi is a grilling cheese that squeaks rather than melts. Fava is the yellow split-pea purée, and mpiftteki is a minced-meat patty. Naxos potatoes are simply the local potatoes, often fried or roasted, and they appear as a side in several of the grill shops listed here.
If you want to try the island's produce in a more structured way, a food tour or a naxos cooking class can be a better use of an afternoon than guessing at a counter. Those options are separate from a quick gyros lunch, so treat them as different kinds of meals. A short drink after dinner might mean a glass of naxos kitron, the island's citrus liqueur, which is worth knowing about even if it is not part of a gyros order.
Timing: lunch wraps and late-night gyros in Chora
Gyros shops in Chora are busiest around lunch and again late at night, when the port crowd and the town's evening walk overlap. If you want a table rather than a counter, aim for an early lunch or an early dinner. Spitiko's site lists daily hours from 12:00 to 00:30, which gives you a sense of how late some grill kitchens run, so keep that in mind before planning a late meal.
At beach tavernas, the sunset slot is the one to book. Paradiso's listing suggests arriving before 19:30 for the sunset view, and similar advice applies to any table with a sea view at Agia Anna or Plaka in high season. For general booking around town, the best restaurants in naxos town guide covers the sit-down side of Chora.
Sit-down versus counter-service: what you give up
A counter-service gyros shop gives you speed, a low bill and a wrap you can eat on the move; a sit-down taverna gives you a table, a slower meal and usually a wider menu of meze. In Chora you can easily do one for lunch and the other for dinner without a long walk between them. The trade-off is time and money rather than quality, since both styles can be good.
Harbour-front tables are convenient but can be noisier and busier; back-street tavernas are often calmer but harder to find. Boulamatsis, for example, is described in listings as a humble, popular spot with no outside space, which is the opposite of a port-view table. Decide which matters more before you set off, especially if you are dining with children or a group.
A simple gyros day in Naxos
Start with a late-morning walk through Chora and a gyros pita at one of the Protopapadaki Street or port shops. Spend the afternoon at Agios Prokopios, Plaka or Agia Anna, which are a short drive from town, and book a beach taverna table for sunset if you want the view. Finish with a slow dinner of grilled meat and meze in Chora rather than a second wrap.
If you are also planning beach time and sightseeing, the Naxos Attractions: 4 Visitor Guides page covers the main places to see around the island. Keep the day flexible: small shops change hours, and a beach table is easier to get on a weekday than at the weekend in summer.
Check before you go
Some Naxos listings mark restaurants as permanently closed, so check that a place is open before you walk across town for it. Hours, delivery rules and seasonal openings can change, particularly outside the summer months, and small shops may close without much notice. A quick look at the restaurant's own site or a phone call is worth the two minutes.
For a wider set of options across the island, the best gyros in Chania and best gyros in mykonos guides show how other Greek destinations handle the same counter-versus-taverna choice. Use them for comparison rather than as a ranking, and keep your Naxos plan centred on Chora for quick wraps and the beaches for sit-down meals.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between gyros and souvlaki in Naxos?
Gyros is meat shaved from a vertical spit and usually served in a pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki and fried potatoes. Souvlaki is skewered, grilled meat, served either on a plate or wrapped. Kontosouvli is a larger spit-roasted pork cut into chunks.
Where can I get gyros near the port of Naxos?
Yasouvlaki! is a fast-food-style gyros shop near the port in Chora with port-side seating. Several other gyros and souvlaki shops are within a short walk in Chora, around Protopapadaki Street and the surrounding lanes.
Are there gyros shops at the beaches in Naxos?
The beach areas of Agia Anna, Plaka and Agios Prokopios are better known for sit-down tavernas with grilled meat and meze than for quick gyros counters. Paradiso Taverna and Santana Beach Club at Agia Anna and Yazoo at Plaka are the beach-side options listed.
Do I need to book a table for sunset at a beach taverna in Naxos?
Booking is advisable for sunset tables at beach tavernas such as Paradiso at Agia Anna, especially in high season. Listings suggest arriving before 19:30 to catch the sunset with your meal, so reserve ahead if the view is the point of the evening.
What should I order at a Naxos gyros shop?
Start with a gyros pita or a gyros plate, both usually pork or chicken. Saganaki is fried cheese, halloumi is grilling cheese, tzatziki is the yogurt dip, and fava is yellow split-pea purée. Kontosouvli and mpiftteki are larger meat options if you want a plate rather than a wrap.
Are the restaurants in Naxos open year-round?
Many small restaurants and beach tavernas follow the Cyclades pattern of reduced hours or seasonal closure outside summer, but individual places vary. Check the restaurant's own site or call before travelling to a specific place, particularly in spring and autumn.
Sources
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