A View That Will Take Your Breathe Away From Anatolia Restaurant, Skopelos, Greece

Imagine yourself at the top of a hill with a commanding 360-degree, breathtaking view of the sea and the Old Town as you’re indulging a feast of spectacular food while a bouzouki player serenades you with its melodious music and heartfelt songs – that’s what Anatolia Restaurant in Skopelos promises to give you if you dine in their restaurant.

Our second night in Skopelos was my brother-in-law and his wife’s last night for this leg of their trip so he wanted to have a special evening for all of us. Anatolia Restaurant is one of those restaurants praised by not only tourists but locals alike so we thought it could be the best place for us to go to for dinner. The owner of our hotel also recommended a visit to this restaurant as a must during our stay in Skopelos. He gave us a good advice previously to have our dinner in Agnontas during our first day so we do trust his recommendations.

That same morning though, we didn’t realize that it was the same restaurant which caught my eye when we briefly visited the Old Town where the Kastro is located for breakfast. It’s quite hard to miss even from afar, with the Greek flag flying freely on top of the Old Kastro and a hint of white building nearby it. There must be something worth discovering there I thought so I told The Greek Mister and his friend that I’ll climb up the steps leading to the top of the Old Kastro to see what could be there.

As I reached the top, I had to catch my breathe for two reasons – the climb was steep and for someone who’s not very athletic, it almost cost me one asthma attack and the other reason is, the view from up there will definitely take your breathe away. I now know how a Queen must have felt like from the top of her castle gazing through the kingdom that she rules over. From here I had the view of the sea, the descending roofscape of the Old Town and the ferries coming in and out of the island. It’s magnificent! But what’s up there is far more surprising for me than the view itself, it was a taverna. They must have paid a fortune to get a license to operate their taverna from that perfect location.

When we went back in the evening, the view was more atmospheric with the sun setting at the horizon causing a burst of colors from the town itself. There were quite a few diners but it wasn’t very full, it was only 9 in the evening. A time too early for dinner for the Greek standards. We ordered a seafood feast, tsipouro of course for the men and wine for the ladies.

At some point, a duo of musicians started serenading us with their bouzouki and traditional Greek songs. The Greeks sang along while The Greek Mister tried his best to translate each songs for me so I can enjoy it as much as they do. After a few more hours, a famous musician joined the duo to perform a live concert in front of the diners. I have to say that they did create a great ambiance for us diners.

It was a great night spent with good company and great food. Anatolia in Skopelos is a tourist destination on its own – food, culture, music and a fantastic view all in one place – I don’t think you can get a better dining experience than that.