After many years in the profession, including the last ten in Mykonos, Yiannis Gavalas returned to his home island of Irakleia. He transformed his family home into a restaurant and gave this tiny island a gastronomic destination of rare clarity and strength. His secret? Beyond talent and technique, of course, it is a clear vision and hard work.
Gavalas is one of the island’s few permanent residents, and throughout the year he gathers wild greens and herbs, seeks out producers and ingredients on Irakleia and across the Cyclades, travels, and gradually shapes the gastronomic narrative he tells each summer through his restaurant. He works closely with growers, livestock farmers and small-scale producers from Irakleia and the surrounding islands, bringing to the table ingredients, flavours and stories that have a genuine connection to the place.
His menu is a living showcase of the produce and soul of the Cyclades. The dishes are deeply flavourful, firmly rooted in tradition and in his own personal memories, yet executed with considerable skill and technical precision. Through his cooking, Yiannis Gavalas shows how traditional cuisine can be interpreted in a contemporary, thoughtful way, allowing local ingredients to take centre stage while preserving the essence of that tradition, and, above all, its emotion.
I will not run through a list of dishes, because that is not really the point here. I will single out just two: the extraordinary reinterpretation of goat pasta, with superb meatballs made from minced goat and an exceptional blend of grated Cycladic cheeses, and the wonderful fricassée of beef and pork meatballs with provatses from Irakleia (wild greens that Gavalas gathers himself in winter and freezes), and wild fennel.The essence and message of The Skinos List by FNL Awards is simple: these are the restaurants you should visit. And that is exactly my recommendation when it comes to Araklia. Find a way to work it into your plans next summer. Beyond the food, its terrace offers magical views across the surrounding islands, while an interesting wine list with a strong focus on the Cycladic vineyard completes an experience that has made Araklia one of the most important gastronomic destinations in the Cyclades.