Kafenes in Ios

Entering its Port Nios, after leaving the lighthouse on our left, we meet the white ornate church of Agia Irini on our right, and just before the boat moors at the pier, always to our right is the port of the fishermen. Here in 2017 the Manolis Galesakis built a beautiful cafe that he named "The Cafe”And very quickly won the hearts of the locals and visitors of the island.

Manolis made the cafe from passion. Successful self-made businessman with two Aegean Markets on the island, Manolis was born in Crete, accidentally arrived in Virus in 2006 and in twelve years is considered one of the most successful entrepreneurs. We met him at his Cafe. The space is extremely well designed, with a lot of taste, reminiscent of an old cafe. The coffee on the embers, and the ouzo appetizers one by one.

"I grew up in Crete, and my childhood years in Sitia, in Nea Moudiana, I lived with my grandparents in cafes. So after it happened and I took root in Ios, I wanted to make a place where I feel the beauty of my childhood. There is no cafe on the island that works all year round. Many people asked me who had a decorator in the store and I told them, the memories and a book with photos from the cafes of Greece from where I got some ideas… »

Here of course he laughed a lot when he learned that my boss was the author of the book that inspired him…

His appetizers are many and careful, because he does not forget his origin and of course he utilizes his professional capacity to supply the cafe with the bird's milk. From the appetizers of "Kafene" I singled out the xygalo, the taramosalata, the chickpea meatballs, the Chian saganaki mastelo, the kavourma saganaki, the staka with eggs with eggs and apaki (the ultimate Cretan meze), the dakos, of course, various varieties, a range of meat and seafood dishes suitable for lunch.

The interest in Manolis "Cafe" is that he managed to get married and coexist, all the tribes of the island - after all, this is the role of cafes. Retired people drink their coffee here, fishermen drink their ouzo next to their boats, young people who want to enjoy their tsipouro, travelers who wait for their steamer but do not want to be crowded in the crowded shops of the port and eat the club sandwiches, but also groups that come for hours and keep quiet and quiet, the epitome of slow and quality food. Good work Manolis. You missed "Kafenes" from Nio.