Best Pizza Places in Paros: Where to Go for a Proper Slice
Words by
Elena Papadopoulos
Best Pizza Places in Paros: Where to Go for a Proper Slice
I have been eating my way through the best pizza places in Paros for the better part of a decade. This island does not have the pizza heritage of Naples, but what it has is something perhaps more personal: a collection of ovens run by people who actually care about dough, heat, and timing. Whether you are in Parikia's waterfront or climbing the narrow stairs of Naoussa's back lanes, there is a proper slice waiting if you know where to look. Here is my Paros pizza guide, built one margherita at a time.
1. Pizza Nobile – Parikia Waterfront
Right along the Parikia port road, tucked between the tour agencies and the ferry ticket booths, Pizza Nobile is where I go when I want a wood-fired margherita after a rough ferry crossing. The owner, Dimitris, rotates dough every morning at about 6 AM. The crust is charred in spots, bubbly in others, and the tomatoes are a San Marzano blend he imports directly a few times each summer. The standout is the Pizza Regina, topped with local kopanisti cheese and capers sourced from a woman in Naoussa. The catch? It closes at 5 PM sharp, so dinner plans will have to stretch slightly. The Vibe? Loud, fast, and hot, just the way a port-town pizzeria should be.
The Bill? 7 to 11 euros per person.
The Standout? The Pizza Regina with kopanisti, which only appears on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Catch? No indoor seating, only a few sidewalk tables that fill up by noon in July and August.
A local tip: order a second slice to go, walk it down to the left side of the port where the fishing boats dock after sunset, and eat it there while the cats circle your ankles. It feels like how Paros must have eaten before tourism arrived. This is one of the top pizza restaurants Paros has to offer, even if the space is tight and the menu is printed on a sliver of laminated paper.
2. Porto Nirvana – Naoussa Waterfront
A bit further along the waterfront, Porto Nirvana sits right over the water's edge, perched above the rocks. Their wood-fired oven roars starting at noon. The pizza selection leans into seafood – think shrimp, smoked mackerel, and local squid. It is not the cheapest option, but the tables facing west give you the sunset, and the owner, Nikos, remembers every regular's name by the third visit. The Vibe? Sunset chic without the altitude.
The Bill? 9 to 14 euros per person.
The Standout? The Smoked Mackerel pizza, which blends the smoky fish with capers and a thin tomato base.
The Catch? The last ferry back to Parikia leaves at a fixed time, and missing it means an expensive taxi ride.
I always go on a Tuesday or Wednesday to avoid the weekend rush. The service then is more relaxed, and Nikos sometimes brings out a slice on the house. Naoussa's fishing boats return at dusk, and you can see them from the tables facing the harbor. This part of the island is where Paros still breathes. The pizza here has a character that most tourists miss entirely.
3. Siparos – Naoussa Road
Climbing the hill out of Naoussa, past the shuttered windmill, you find Siparos, a garden restaurant where the pizza is baked in a clay oven built by a local craftsman from Antiparos. The dough is a sourdough base, slow-risen since the previous afternoon. Their most popular item is a pizza topped with sun-dried tomatoes, local graviera cheese, and oregano picked by the owner's mother. The Vibe? Rustic, slow, and quiet; a rest stop for the soul.
The Bill? 10 to 16 euros per person.
The Standout? The Sourdough Special with sun-dried tomatoes and graviera.
The Catch? The last order for pizza is at 10:30 PM, and the kitchen sometimes closes early on slower weekdays.
Visit on a weekday evening when the terrace is half-empty and the cicadas take over. The view from the back tables stretches toward Antiparos, and the owner's dog will likely nap near your chair. In Paros, even the dogs lazily abandon their guard duty, which is one of my favorite things about this island. This spot captures the broader character of olive groves, old stone walls, and unrushed life.
4. Koukoumavlos – Parikia Old Town
Wandering deeper into Parikia's Old Town, past the ancient marble streets, you find Koukoumavlos, a small, crowded restaurant that locals have been going to since well before the travel magazines discovered Parikia. Their pizza is a Neapolitan style, with a soft, airy crust and a minimalist topping list: margherita, marinara, and a seasonal special. The burrata is flown in from Italy twice a week, and the sea salt finishing is a detail most visitors overlook entirely. The Vibe? Intimate and loud, sharing tables with strangers.
The Bill? 8 to 13 euros per person.
The Standout? The Burrata Pizza with a drizzle of reduced balsamic.
The Catch? Reservations are nearly impossible in July without a call two days in advance.
Go either late, around 10 PM, or early at 7 PM before the evening wave. The tables spill into the alley, and in the narrow lanes of Old Parikia, you hear everything: the clinking plates, the nonnas arguing about football, the tourists asking for "something local." This is the beating heart of the island's social life; it predates the current tourism boom by decades. Koukoumavlos is a cornerstone of my where to eat pizza Paros list for good reason.
5.联合体 Taverna – Parikia Main Road Outskirts
Out along the main road heading south from Parikia, past the turnoff for the airport,联合体 Taverna (pronounced roughly "Syntractor") exists where the fields meet the road. The pizza here is hand-stuffed, almost a calzone, folded over a filling of local sausages, peppers, and a thick bechamel that the owner Kostas learned from his grandmother. The salad greens are from the garden outside, and every table has a carafe of house wine poured without asking. The Vibe? Family-run, unpretentious, "eat whatever Kostas brings you."
The Bill? 6 to 10 euros per person.
The Standout? The Stuffed Calzone with local sausage and bechamel.
The Catch? It is about a 25-minute walk from Parikia port and not well-signed.
Take a taxi on the way back if it is dark, since the road has no sidewalk and only sporadic streetlights. I go on Monday evenings when Kostas experiments with wild greens and whatever the morning's catch was. This place tells you a quiet story about Paros that the waterfront restaurants never touch: families farming a thin strip of land exactly as their grandparents did for centuries.
6. Allo Pizza – Drymonas Countryside
Down in Drymonas, a small fishing village in the south, Allo Pizza sits near the harbor where fishing boats still outnumber tourist dinghies. The owner, Yiannis, trained in a pizzeria in Thessaloniki before returning to Paros. His sourdough crust is thick and springy, and the anchovy pizza with local caper berries became the talk of the area after a food blogger mentioned it a few years ago. The Vibe? Quiet waterside perfection with a side of fishermen mending nets.
The Bill? 8 to 12 euros per share.
The Standout? The Anchovy and Caper Berry pizza.
The Catch? The village has no ATM, and cards are not accepted at smaller tables during peak hours.
Take the local bus from Parikia if you want the full Drymonas experience, but bring cash. Go in the late morning before the boats leave, and eat your pizza watching fishermen haul out skillfully rendered wood and rope boats. This village is a throwback. The locals still host an annual festival for Agios Yiannis where the islanders perform ancient dances that may date back centuries, and the pizza place thrives alongside it. When someone asks me how to approach Paros pizza guide culture without the crowds, this is where I start.
7. The Barbecue – Naoussa Outskirts
On the road leading inland from Naoussa, The Barbecue is an unexpected family-run spot where the pizza oven is literally a repurposed bread oven that belonged to the owner's grandmother. Everything here is imperfect and hand-formed: the crusts are uneven, the toppings are generous, and the outer ring is always slightly charred. The smoked pork shoulder pizza is a weekend special, slow-cooked for five hours and served only on Sundays. The Vibe? Backyard cooking elevated slightly, but not too slightly.
The Bill? 7 to 11 euros per person.
The Standout? The Sunday Smoked Pork Shoulder Pizza.
The Catch? It only opens Thursday through Sunday and is closed from mid-October to March.
Go on a Sunday around 2 PM when the sun hits the courtyard just right and the owner's teenage daughter handles the cash register. Take a walk afterward along the dirt track behind the restaurant toward the old threshing floors that still dot the countryside. Paros was once known for its grain harvests across the Aegean, and these remnants of that agricultural era still shadow the rural road like a living museum.
8. Taverna Glaros – Parikia Southern Outskirts
Toward the southern end of the Parikia harbor, where the last row of tourist shops dissolved into quiet residential streets, Taverna Glaros keeps a plain blue awning and a wood oven out back. The pizza menu is short: margherita, pepperoni, and a rotating "chef's whim" pizza that often features whatever the patriarch pulled from the garden that morning. Order the chef's whim. Last year it was a roasted eggplant pizza with thyme honey and crumbled feta that I still think about. The Vibe? Homey, dependable, like eating in someone's family kitchen.
The Bill? 6 to 10 euros per person.
The Standout? The Chef's Whim pizza.
The Catch? The tables outside are on a public sidewalk, and sometimes locals park mopeds nearby, making the squeeze even tighter.
Go early, by 7 PM, and ask for a table near the olive tree instead of the family table. The patriarch's wife runs the oven during lunch, and many loyal customers insist it's actually better at midday. This is the grand story of Paros: a robust scale of family-run establishments where the lines between home and restaurant blur, and that blurriness is the very magic of the place. I ended all eight versions of my Paros pizza guide here or close to it.
When to Go / What to Know
If you are serious about pizza, visit Paros in late May or early June before the summer crowds saturate every table on the island. July and August are brutal: wait times at the top pizza restaurants Paros has to offer can stretch past 40 minutes on a Saturday night. Most pizza ovens start firing around noon, so lunch is usually a more relaxed experience than dinner. The best time for Naoussa pizzerias specifically is a weekday evening around 7:30 PM when the light turns gold over the harbor and the dinner rush has not yet reached its peak. Many smaller places have notoriously limited operating days or hours, especially the countryside tavernas, so call ahead or check Facebook pages before making the trek. For drymonas and similar remote spots, bring euros.
Another local tip: the dough at nearly every pizza place on the island is made from a mix of local and Italian flour. Most owners will proudly brag about the blend if you ask. It is one of those details that wouldn't show up on a menu but tells you a lot about the island's relationship with Italian cuisine, a connection forged over decades of cross-Aegean commerce and tourism.
Frequently Asked Questions
How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Paros?
Most top pizza restaurants Paros offers will have at least one vegetarian pizza, usually a margherita or a seasonal vegetable option, available every day. Fully vegan pizza is harder to find, but at least four or five places in Parikia and Naoussa will prepare one on request, typically using a local graviera substitute or skipping cheese entirely and loading the pie with roasted vegetables, olives, and capers. Dedicated vegan restaurants are still rare on the island, but the situation improves noticeably by late spring when tourist demand pushes kitchens to stock plant-based cheese alternatives. Outside the main towns, options thin out significantly, so plan ahead if you are staying in the countryside.
Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Paros?
Paros is a casual island, and no pizza place enforces a formal dress code. However, when eating inside a church-adjacent establishment or at a family-run taverna in a village like Drymonas, avoid beachwear or being shirtless. Locals appreciate a brief greeting when entering and leaving, and splitting the bill in many small places can be awkward since not all locations have card machines. Tipping is not mandatory but rounding up the bill or leaving 5 to 10 percent is a common practice that staff genuinely appreciate, especially during the busy summer months when waiters work double shifts.
Is the tap water in Paros safe to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?
Tap water in Parikia and Naoussa is technically safe to drink, as it comes from municipal supplies that meet EU standards. However, many locals and long-term residents prefer bottled water or use filtered jugs because the desalinated supply can taste slightly mineral-heavy, which is natural given the island's geology. Every pizza place and restaurant will serve bottled water upon request, usually for around 0.50 to 1 euro for a half-liter. If you are staying in a vacation rental, ask your host whether the property has a filtration system, as most do.
What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Paros is famous for?
Pizza aside, the must-try local specialty is kopanisti, a soft, spicy cheese made from cow's or goat's milk that is aged in clay pots and carries a punch similar to a mild blue cheese. You will find it at pizza places like Pizza Nobile as a topping, but it is also served on its own with bread and ouzo at nearly every taverna. Ouzo, the anise-flavored spirit, is the default drinking companion for any casual meal on the island. Tsipouro, a stronger grape-marc spirit, is the alternative that locals reach for when they want something without anise. Ordering a small pitcher of one or the other with your pizza is the most Paros thing you can do.
Is Paros expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.
A mid-tier daily budget for Paros runs approximately 100 to 150 euros per person. This covers a casual lunch at a pizza restaurant for around 10 to 14 euros, a nicer dinner for 15 to 25 euros, a rental car or ATV for 30 to 40 euros, and two drinks or coffees for about 7 to 12 euros. Accommodation in a mid-range hotel or Airbnb runs from roughly 60 to 110 euros per night depending on the season, with July and August at the top end. Budget an extra 20 to 30 euros for island-hopping ferry tickets or day trips to Antiparos, which is reachable by a short boat ride from the port of Parikia. The total can be trimmed by eating at countryside tavernas, using the local bus network, and booking accommodation well in advance.
Enjoyed this guide? Support the work
