The Best Bars in Tinos, Greece

High up in the hills of Ysternia in a 200-year-old house, the views from the terrace of MAYOU are something to behold. Try a submarine – a refreshing Greek summer concoction that’s half-drink, half-dessert and comprises a thick, sticky sweet served on a spoon that’s dipped in ice-cold water. When you’ve got to grips with this, order a spritz or a glass of local wine and wait for the sunset. This is one of the best spots on the island to see it.

Cuban sounds, tiki cocktails and a rustic mood all combine to give Alohari on Rochari Beach a different feel from many other Greek beach bars. When it’s time to cool off from soaking up the sun on your recliner, order up a well-made cocktail. Try the refreshing Rochari thyme margarita with fresh Tinian thyme, or go more tropical with the Rochari Spicy – a blend of dark rum, passionfruit, fresh ginger and lime.

With an understated location on a small square in Komi village, this little café-bar doesn’t look like the place to find craft cocktails. But step inside beyond its white walls – and you’re in for a treat. Ingredients such as fresh jasmine flowers, thyme, hibiscus, raki and fresh fruit all make it onto the menu in the form of carefully crafted potent cocktails, virgin mocktails and juices.

You won’t regret heading 25 minutes up into the hills above Tinos town to get to Exomeriá. Order a cold Nissos beer – brewed on the island – and sit back in one of the white cushioned chairs as you take in the views below. If you find yourself getting peckish, the menu includes burgers, pizzas and salads – many of the ingredients come from their own farm.

Located right next to the port in Tinos town, Argy’s is a good spot for a glass at any time of day – whether you’re waiting for a ferry or just feeling like educating yourself in different Greek wines. This is one of the best places on the island to try a wide variety of wines from Tinos, as well as those from other parts of Greece. Pair them with a local cheese or charcuterie plate and you have all the ingredients you need for a long night.

Spread out beneath plane trees on the village square in Dio Choria – one of Tinos’s loveliest villages – Sto Kapaki is a friendly little spot where you’ll be surrounded by Tinians soaking up the evening ambience, chatting and drinking. It’s a great place to relax with an ouzo – the popular Greek anise-flavoured spirit – and if you’re lucky, you might even stumble across one of the regular evening acoustic music performances.

Sitting on the village square in Pyrgos, the outdoor tables of the Big Café are topped with pots of fragrant basil, while the interior is filled with antiques and old photos telling the stories of its history. By day, the older men of the village fuel up here on Greek coffee – as they’ve done for more than 100 years – and on summer evenings, it’s abuzz with friends and families who come for the ambience and stay to drink and snack into the night.