When they first told us about this small place in the middle of nowhere up in the mountains of Amorgos island, I didn’t pay much attention. More so, given that supposedly it only opens when prospective guests call in ahead of time. When I met lovely Mrs Sofia and, fortunately, enjoyed a nice home cooked lunch at To Steki tou Machera, it did feel very much real!
Rosemary chicken and potatoes baked in the wood-fired oven
We happened to be close by to Asfontylitis, right after a swim at Nikouria beach, when we first visited the mountainous terrain and setup of this lovely cute place. And having not made any prior arrangements with Mrs Sofia (while also being a bit questioning about the whole act!), we found the gate of the property locked. With no mobile signal on our phones and too far away to walk, we decided to leave the idea behind and make our way back to Chora for a light lunch. Moments later, and obviously being too persistent about it, we managed to find her number and gave in into calling her instead. Luckily for us, Mrs Sofia had cooked enough portions to allow for a small lunch for us.
We finally walked into the small establishment at around 5pm and were warmly greeted by Mrs Sofia who was hanging out with another couple of guests and chit chatting. The place was drenched by the sun and despite not having any electricity to use a fridge (let alone cook in an oven!) we washed down our thirst with a mildly cold beer. Later on we find out that Mrs Sofia has been a restaurateur at Aegiali for the last 30 years or so, having opened this place in 2015.
At the same time, food had already been prepared in the wood-fired oven with amazing dishes like chicken with potatoes, goat with tomato or lemon sauce and some deliciously cooked chickpeas caramelised to perfection!
Legend has it this place is also magical during the night as you can observe the starry sky… if you can escape the wind that is! Nonetheless, we’re surely coming back to this unique place!
