It feels odd to say that the Cycladian island of Mykonos has been transformed beyond recognition. After all, its limewashed dwellings haven't changed much in over a hundred years. But it's fair to conclude that the island's character is vastly different from what it was even a decade ago.
Private jets now account for nearly 15% of flights to and from Manto Mavrogenous airport annually, and hotel stays can reach £10,000 per night. Its reputation as an expensive place to spend your summer holiday is certainly not unwarranted, and the explosion of high-end hospitality brands taking up residence across the island has ushered in a new clientele. Restaurant groups like Richard Caring's Caprice Holdings are undeniably making a success of these new openings; Nōema is fully booked most of the summer season. Although if the Google Reviews are anything to go by, that success is measured in cash, not content customers. For me, and I suspect many Paperweight readers, I don't really see the attraction in visiting restaurants that have the same sign above the door that you'll find in London, Paris or parts of the UAE. When I first visited Mykonos in 2013, there was no Nammos, Soho Roc House had yet to be built, and Scorpios was a rugged peninsula. But if you want to try out places that provided the reason to build these newcomers in the first place, this is a guide to the old, distinctive Mykonos that offers the best of the Mediterranean, for surprisingly little.
