From the Condé Nast Traveller (published September 2009).

Condiments to the Chef

An adventurous British couple are spicing up the culinary life of the Greek Islands.
Lucretia Stewart books a table.

Paros lies across the water, just a hop from where I live on Naxos in the Cyclades.  Its tiny sister island, Antiparos, lies south-west of the island opposite the port of Pounta, from where lumbering car ferries take you the short distance across.  The main reason, however, to go to Antiparos, charming and sleepy as it is, is to eat at Still Waters.

Neither in Naxos nor in Paros have I found anything to compare with Still Waters.  A French waitress on the island of Irakleia, one of the Small Cyclades, told me that Greeks don’t like spicy food, they like it “aromatisé, which I understood to mean delicately perfumed, flavoured with thyme, oregano, dill, parsley and lemon.  Though you can find coriander in Athens,  it is virtually unknown here and I have to grow it.  Greeks are very conservative about food;  their highest term of praise is spitiko, which literally means home-made, and actually means like Mama – or Yiayia (grandma) - makes.  All cooking programmes on television have names such as “Mama’s Kitchen” or “The Cooking/Kitchen of Mama.”

Which is why Still Waters is a delightful anomaly. 

Greek tavernas, which abound on Antiparos as they do everywhere else, do their thing – Mama’s thing – more or less well.  Naxos has the best fried potatoes in the world, and, while the procession of arni fricase me kremmthakia ke maroulia (lamb fricassee with onions and lettuce) and countless other variations thereon; horta (wild greens); gigantes (giant butter beans in tomato sauce),; paidakia (baby lamb cutlets); horiatiki (Greek salad) and so on can be very enjoyable, sometimes you long for something else.

Still Waters serves Modern European-Asian food to a very high standard in a magical setting.   As my father used to say, aping the Michelin Guide, il vaut bien le detour.  You get off the ferry in the village of Antiparos and drive seven kilometres in the direction of the famous Antiparos cave.  You will see signs on the way to the restaurant.  There are no taxis on the island, but there is apparently a bus to the nearest village from whence the restaurant will pick you up.  Still Waters is located immediately above peaceful, sandy  Apandima Beach and there is a large, covered area nearby with hammocks where you can sleep off your lunch.

Still Waters was founded exactly 10 years ago by Neil and Kirsty Starkey-Midha: 2009 will be their tenth summer there.  Neil was born in Britain, but is of Indian descent; Kirsty is a freelance producer at Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.  “We had our children when we were very young (their children are now 26, 19 and 16, while Neil and Kirsty are still in their forties) so we missed out on all the travelling around,” explained Kirsty.  “We wanted to do something adventurous.  We are not trying to compete with the locals, but to do something entirely different.”  In this they have succeeded. 

I finally went there with a friend late last September – they were due to close soon for the winter and I found it too cold to swim, though it was nice to lounge on the beach and in the hammocks.  I don’t remember everything I ate, but I do recall the perfect, crisp prawn tempura, the delicious white wine and the British-Jamaican chef.  Sadly, he won’t be there this summer as they change chefs every year.  Still Waters on sleepy Antiparos may be a lovely way to spend a summer, but, sadly, it is not exactly a dazzling career move for an aspiring chef.

The menu evolves and changes, which is why looking at the restaurant’s website won’t tell exactly what you’ll be able to order on any given day.  I always yearn for Asian or Asian/fusion food in Naxos and that is what I was hoping for and what indeed I got, but you will also find such  Modern European staples as fillet steak and chicken breast cooked  à la façon Still Waters.  There is a good selection of puddings and the setting is heaven.  A party of touring boaters stopped for coffee – I suspect that passing trade is a welcome boost - but otherwise it couldn’t have been quieter or, in my view, more perfect.

Kirsty tells me that their landlord has rooms for rent so, if you are as smitten as I was and don’t have to get home to seven cats, you might want to stay overnight.

©Lucretia Stewart 2009