A few generations ago, people did not have choice : they shopped local for fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, eggs, cheese...
Some families had their own garden.
That was like that in Ios. People who could afford it owned a house with land in the valley for good season where they could grow their fruits and vegetables, grapes, olives, and also some hens, pigs or goats. For the winter, they could stay in an apartment, sheltered in the heart of the village from the cold wind of the Cyclades.
In Allo Restaurant, we choose this vision. We sincerely seek to return to traditional customs and economy, to let our local identity emerge.
Our values, our priorities are health, environment, ethics, animal welfare and culture through life music.
We are locavores ! And so are our customers. They say the food is more appealing, they trust it more and they consider it higher quality. They appreciate our traditional and local recipies made of local and fresh products.
It's true, buying local becomes a major trend. That's our very choice since we opened, 5 years ago.
Here are some reasons why...
Local food is fresher.
Picked up and cooked within 1 or 2 days.
Local food is environment friendly.
It doesn't need to travel, it doesn't need preservatives. The carbon footprint is much lower.
Local food is healthier.
It's organic food, no artificial substances, no chemicals, no GMO. More natural. More beautiful and tasty. An authentic food experience.
Local food tells a story.
The stories of the farmers, growers, producers of the islands. The quality of their products reveals how they work good.
And last but not least, local food stimulate the local economy.
We are connected to our community, we know and trust them.
What local products do we cook in Allo Restaurant ?
Bio vegetables as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, capers, potatoes, eggplants, pumkins are growned in Ios, some come even from our garden. As well as garlic, onions and aromatic herbs such as oregano, laurel, thyme, parsley, mint...
Bio fruits like figs, olives, lemons, watermelons, melons, grapes, quinces, oranges, almonds, avocados may grow in Ios or come from Crete.
In our restaurant, we only use fresh eggs. From the hens of my father. Every morning, we receive our delivery.
In Ios, we can get lamb meat, really delicious. And pork. And chicken. As you can imagine, no intensive breeding, just nature and a good life for them. This way is respectful for the animals, no stress.
We are lucky to have a very nice variety of cheeses on the island. The Xinotiri cheese is soft and milky. Also the Misithra cheese, which is fresh and dry, and the Graviera cheese, more classical, dry with pepper. Those cheeses are goat cheeses. We find also goat milk and sheep milk, which is more thick. The Cheese Factory is our special provider.
On the island, there are fishermen. We cook local fishes depending on the fishing of the day. Octopuses are generaly grilled, dried in the sun or cooked in the traditional oven. Barracudas fillets make a delicious recipe. Mussels are one of our favorite dish.
Of course, we do use the Ios olive oil, so tasty and natural. It is virgin olive oil. Really different from the one bought in the supermarket ! It is also used for cosmetics, soap, and special creams. There are a lot of health and skin benefits in this olive oil.
For desserts and for some greek cocktails, we are so proud of the local honey. There are differents honeys. The winter honey and the summer honey. They don't have the same savor and one is thicker than the other. We call the winter honey the "caramel honey". So thyme tasty ! It's called Xodromelo.
In Greece, we love sweets. In Ios, we have the famous Pasteli, with honey and sesame. The Macaron made out of crumbled almonds and mastica. And also the Baklava, the Loukoumades, the Nougat ... So many ways to be tender with yourself.
The perfect greek alcohols we provide are the Raki, the Rakomelo. Made in Ios ! But of course we have Ouzo, Metaxa, Mastica ... to handle with care ! In Ios there is also a pool of wine producers.Called The Winery, it is located in the Kampo. They make red, rosé and white wine. You have to taste.
All around the island, we pick up wild plants. Thyme, origan, rosemary and sage are the sacred herbs for cuisine and health. During the summer nights, you can smell the scent of these herbs and it's a delight to feel this perfume in the air.
In Allo Restaurant it's farm to table. We chose local ingredients, locally grown !
When the chefs are in the kitchen, they always consider the best way to cook our local foods.
Should they make the meat chopped or sliced or diced for more taste during the cooking ? The culinary questions of roasted pork, marinated boiled shrimps or grilled lambchops are on the table ! We love tu discuss about our menu in order to make it as good as possible.
For sure, we include vegetarian and gluten free dishes. We have noticed that veggies are getting more numerous.
All our dishes are house made. The customers appreciate the quality and authenticity we bring them. That's why they come back.
We like to play with the mediterranean cuisine and the greek traditional food. You can enjoy a simple greek salad, a freshly marinated tuna, greek appetizers, zucchinis, and local feta. Our greens are prepared in different salads, our crumble is crispy and crunchy, our sauces are flavourful or spicy... We cook slow food as well as grilled or roasted dishes.
In Allo Restaurant, the meal is an authentic adventure and a real discover of the rich flavours of the island. The dishes are beautiful to see, as well as the view on the port and sea.
We wish to see you soon in Ios and suggest you one of our special cocktails. Our new menu will continue to be based on the local products.
Located in the port, our beautiful place, with such relaxing view, life music and very warm team, is hopping to welcome you !
We speak greek, english, french. So don't worry, we will understand each other !