A classic Greek taverna just 10 minutes from Paxos... by boat: TOM PARKER BOWLES finds a restaurant serving the classics with elegance for 25 a head
EATING OUT
On a small Greek island, Tom calls by a taverna serving the classics with simple elegance
The only problem with Taverna Spiros, a small restaurant on the tiny Greek island of Antipaxos, is the requirement of a boat to reach it. Not that you need a gin palace, or even a schooner. No, a water taxi from nearby Paxos will do, 15 minutes for €10. Or, if you're feeling particularly inspired by Odysseus (this was, after all, his stamping ground), you can hire a dinghy with an outboard motor for not much more than a mediocre London lunch for one. And putt-putt across in your own time. Subject, of course, to the whims of Poseidon.
An easy trip, then, and always worth your while. Not just for those glittering azure waters, into which your children (or you, emboldened by a few glasses of something cold) will want to launch themselves after lunch, off vaguely vertiginous cliffs.
The only problem with Taverna Spiros, a small restaurant on the tiny Greek island of Antipaxos, is the requirement of a boat to reach it
But also that terrace, sitting above the beach in the shade of a canvas canopy. In one corner, a smouldering charcoal grill.
To its left, a pair of octopuses, freshly caught, hang from a line. Spiros greets everyone like an old friend, regardless of whether he has met you before. Within moments of sitting down, Mythos beer, in a frozen glass, is set down before me.
Fresh fish very much depends on what comes in that morning. 'We only have what we have,' Spiros shrugs. The island is so little, Taverna Spiros is one of only two places to eat. But this is the sort of restaurant I love most, with a simplicity born not just of necessity but the quality of ingredients too. Fresh anchovies are home cured, sweet and subtle. Fat chunks of cold octopus, sharp with vinegar, are scented with oregano. There's a grilled version, smoke-charred and tender. Whole red snapper is cooked over coals, the succulent white flesh peeking through the crisp skin. Homemade sausages are coarse-cut and robustly spiced, while spanakopita (spinach pie) is flaky and more delicate than most.
Even the kids' staples – pasta with tomato sauce, and chicken souvlaki – are a cut above the norm. For pudding, strawberry Calippos. Which for fans of these torpedo-shaped, frozen fruity delights, is very good news indeed. Soon, the children disappear to fling themselves off those rocks, and into that pellucid sea. Another bottle of wine later, I follow them.
About €25 a head. Taverna Spiros, Antipaxos
DRINKS: Rugby World Cup refreshers
The Rugby World Cup kicks off next Friday. For those who need a little extra lubrication to help them through the matches, how about pairing your wine choices with the bookies' favourite teams to win? The odds are on a New Zealand v France final (excellent wine nations, I might add). But could South Africa, Australia or England take the trophy? You'll just have to sit back, sip and see…
The Rugby World Cup kicks off next Friday. For those who need a little extra lubrication to help them through the matches, how about pairing your wine choices with the bookies' favourite teams to win? YEALANDS SAUVIGNON BLANC BLUSH MARLBOROUGH 2022 (12.5%), £11, ocado.com
The odds are on a New Zealand v France final (excellent wine nations, I might add). But could South Africa, Australia or England take the trophy? You'll just have to sit back, sip and see…
SPECIALLY SELECTED COTEAUX DE BÉZIERS VIOGNIER 2022 (13%), £6.99, Aldi.
From sunny Languedoc Roussillon: a top-value white, its peachy fullness cut with white-peppery nuances and a mineral finish.
YEALANDS SAUVIGNON BLANC BLUSH MARLBOROUGH 2022 (12.5%), £11, ocado.com.
Draw out summer with this garden-herb tasting blush wine from a prizewinning sustainable Kiwi winery.
ASQUITH GARDENS TRADITIONAL ENGLISH SPARKLING WINE NV (11.5%), £18, Asda.
Cheer on the England team with this fresh sparkler, evoking lemon, baked pastries and sea foam.
DEFINITION GSM SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2021 (14%), £10.99, Majestic.
Despite its high ABV this perfumed Aussie red is silky and light on the palate – savour its enchanting notes of berry fruit and baking spices.
JOURNEY'S END THE BLUEGUM MERLOT STELLENBOSCH (14%), £12, Sainsbury's.
This South African merlot has notes of blackberry and oak: perfect with pizza and a good match
