Vaporia is the most cinematic corner of Ermoupoli. Behind the blue dome of Agios Nikolaos, the neoclassical mansions of the old sea captains rise straight from the rocks, their balconies hanging above open water. It is here, on a terrace looking directly out to the Aegean, that Astakos opened its doors, adding a genuinely serious seafood kitchen to the map of dining in Syros.
The location is not accidental. Vaporia was built by men who made their fortunes at sea, and a restaurant devoted to fish has found an appropriate home among their houses.
A kitchen that follows the boats
Astakos arrived on the island already carrying a reputation, having built its name in Athens before crossing to the Cyclades. What travelled with it is a working philosophy rather than a formula: fish that moves from the boat to the kitchen with as little between as possible, treated with technique but never obscured by it.
The result sits somewhere between the classic Greek fish taverna and something more considered. The cooking is recognisably Greek, built on the Aegean and its traditions, yet the execution shows the hand of a kitchen that takes precision seriously.
What to order
The name points to the signature. Astakomakaronada, the lobster pasta that has become the measure of any Greek seafood restaurant, is the dish the house is built around, and it is worth ordering properly, for the table, with time set aside for it.
Before that, work through the mezedes. Taramosalata, smoked aubergine, marinated anchovies, mussels steamed with ouzo and octopus from the grill each reward attention. Whole fish is sold by the kilo according to the day’s catch, which remains the truest way to eat by the Aegean. Ask what came in that morning and let the answer decide the evening.
An evening in the captains’ quarter
What makes an evening at Astakos particular is the walk that frames it. Vaporia sits a short distance from Miaouli Square, reached through the marble streets of the old town, and arriving on foot as the light drops is part of the experience. Below the terrace, swimmers are still in the water at Asteria until the last of the sun.
For guests shaping a considered stay, an evening here works beautifully as the centrepiece of a night in town. Syros Key works with Astakos as part of a carefully chosen network of island partners, recommended to guests as part of a stay built around the island’s most lasting pleasures. A terrace table above the rocks, with the lobster pasta ordered in advance, is among the most memorable of them.
Astakos sits in Vaporia, above Asteria beach, in Ermoupoli, the neoclassical capital of the Cyclades. Reserve ahead, particularly in high season. For anyone who wants to understand how ambitious dining in Syros has become, with the sea directly below the table, this is where to begin.