Mykonos is better known for beach clubs than for gastronomy, which is exactly why its food scene keeps surprising people. Behind the cocktail bars there is a real Cycladic kitchen — salty, sun-dried and unapologetically simple.

Three things to order

Louza is the island’s signature: pork loin cured with pepper and savory, sliced paper-thin. Kopanisti, a peppery fermented cheese, carries an EU protected designation and turns a plain barley rusk into a meal. And if you see sea urchin salad on a taverna blackboard by the water, stop negotiating and sit down.

For dessert, look for amygdalota — soft almond sweets scented with rose water — best from the old bakeries in Ano Mera and Chora.

Closer to home

You do not have to leave the peninsula to eat well: our own restaurants cook with island producers, and the tavernas of Platis Gialos are a barefoot stroll away. Ask the concierge for the current favourites — the list changes with the season, and that is a good sign.