Greece’s island of Mykonos is known for its nightlife and picturesque beaches. Offbeat, casual, hippy restaurant Kiki’s Tavern should also be another reason to head there. Travel through the winding roads filled with lush, colourful flowers to get to this hidden-gem taverna, which is worth the drive.
Located on a hill, over a wooden plank, through the midday sun I read “Kiki’s”, which led us to a small, shack-like restaurant with no AC, a shaded roof and 24 seats at most. I later learned from a local that a husband and wife run Kiki’s, and he takes care of the main courses while she manages the rest of the menu.
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Nestling into my chair, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I looked up and saw a private beach with clear turquoise water, white sand turning into shades of beige, with the waves lapping against the shore.
The friendly server arrived with the menu, informing us that we needed to go into the kitchen to see the salads of the day. The starters cover vital local dishes like tzatziki with pitta bread, marinated octopus and fish roe on toast. The main courses are concise, and everything is grilled – fresh seafood, sausage in Greek spices, pork chop – all of which is served with a baked potato and one plate of salad. Dessert is a single option of chocolate cake and fresh cream mixed with Greek yoghurt.
Indecisive and hungry, I asked the server what he loved to eat from the menu, and he pointed at the pork chop and made an expression as if I didn’t order it, I would have missed out on life.
Walking into the kitchen to choose our side salads, it wasn’t busy considering that all the tables were occupied (there was now a queue forming). I caught a glimpse of an elderly man sporting grey hair at a stone grill outside the kitchen that was fired up with coal and wood. The salad bar was a vegetarian’s holy grail, including Greek salad, beetroot balsamic dill salad and chickpeas and broad beans. We chose Greek salad with the pork and beetroot salad with the chicken.
The bread basket arrived along with a pint of beer for my better half, Adrian, and a glass of white wine for me. I tore the bread apart and felt the warmth of the oven in which it had rested just minutes before reaching our table. I relished the crusty bread with intensely cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil and noticed how little the staff have spent on maintaining the place, rather investing it into the food.
The marinated octopus starter appeared next, and it was piled rustically high in a shallow pool of juices – fresh, tender and layered with herbs, olive oil, vinegar and garlic.
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I had barely slurped up the juices of our octopus and the main course arrived.
The pork chop was the size of a dinner plate. The outside had a darkened char from the grill, the natural fats were caramelised, creating a delicious, crisp crust, the inside was juicy, and the flavour was clean, with little added to the meat apart from salt and coarsely ground black pepper. This was the best pork chop I have eaten in my entire life; the quality of the meat was unlike any other.
The chicken was half a bird wrapped in foil. Revealed at the table, this added a theatrical effect, with steam released once opened. The succulent meat was smoky from the grill, and the mammoth baked potato served alongside was crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle.
Our salads were refreshing and a good balance to the fat in the main courses. The views made the food even more memorable.
Then the chocolate cake arrived, and our expectations were now high. I was a little disappointed; it tasted like a box mix and was dry.
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Verdict
I would go back to romantic, rustic Kiki’s hungry and order that incredible pork chop, relishing it down to the bone, whilst soaking in the views (and the meat’s juices) with some warm bread and a glass of wine. We paid 40 euros for our meal – a bargain.
Agios Sostis Beach, 846 00 Mykonos, Greece
