Anafi: A Day at Papadia’s Taverna by the Sea

It doesn’t get more summery than this: a nostalgic journey through time to a little taverna surrounded by gardens, reeds, succulents, prickly pears, grape vines, and fig trees, right in front of the path leading to the soft sand of Roukounas beach. After a swim, sunbathing on the hot sand, and a short beauty nap under the tamarisk trees, when your stomach starts to rumble, a few quick steps will take you to the tables at the taverna, known as “Papadia” (the priest’s wife) because Papa Alexopoulos was a priest. Mama Zampeta, the famous priest’s wife, has been the chief cook since the taverna opened in 1990. She now shares kitchen and service duties with her sons, Anastasios and Stathis.

Their courtyard is a delight, with cool breezes and playful cats. Most customers spend their entire day there. Those in the know head inside to choose from the daily dishes displayed in the glass case. They had picked white eggplants from the garden the day before, and today they cooked them in the oven with garlic and a bit of cinnamon.

We had fava beans tastefully garnished with a few caper leaves, finely chopped onions, cherry tomatoes, peppers, olives, and cucumbers; a nice smooth tzatziki drizzled with good olive oil and caper leaves; a Greek salad with juicy tomatoes; their last portion of pastitsio; artichokes with fresh broad beans; and a pork chop with lemon and oven-baked potatoes that was so delicious, we almost ate the plate. On other days, they serve different dishes, including pasta with meat sauce, meatballs, rooster fricassee, or rooster in wine sauce. “Today we will pick zucchini flowers; we will stuff them in the evening, and we will fry them tomorrow,” they tell the regulars.

Most houses on Anafi have their own outdoor ovens, which often resemble hobbit houses. At the back of the taverna, there are two ovens, one next to the other, their walls smudged on either side of their metal doors. When there are guests, they fire them up to bake baby goat with potatoes, chickpea stew in old Anafiot ceramic dishes, and vegetable casseroles. Some evenings, they also light up the coals and grill local baby goats on the spot. When the guests leave and the fires go out, only a few vacationers stay to sleep on the beach. The Alexopoulos family stay behind too; they are Roukounas’ only year-round residents.