Snack Bar Paradise, 1995: The Story of Paradisio in Old Photos

We found these photos in a family album. They are a little faded and scratched, but they show something we love: the very first summer of our place on the beach of Vlychadia. Two of them still carry the date stamp of the camera: 15 July 1995.

Snack Bar Paradise, July 1995

This is how it started. Nomiki and Ilias opened a small place right on the beach and called it Paradise. The sign was painted by hand: Snack Bar Paradise. White walls, a black iron gate, pots of plants painted blue, and the sea a few steps away.

Look at the roof: a row of little flags, from Greece, Germany, Britain, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United States and more. Vlychadia was already a place where visitors from many countries came to swim, and the flags were a way of saying welcome.

A reed roof and white chairs

The terrace was simple: a reed roof for shade, a wooden bar with a basket of oranges on top, white chairs and a stone floor with whitewashed lines, the way many island houses were made. Coffee in the morning, a cold drink after the swim, a snack in the shade.

Behind the bar

The bar was full of small things with a story: old lanterns, brass pieces, a barrel and an old sewing machine on the top shelf. Bottles of whisky and other spirits behind the counter. It felt less like a business and more like a family living room by the sea.

Friends from everywhere

Under a second painted sign, Paradise Snacks, Coffee, Drinks, a big group gathered for a photo. Sunglasses, swimsuits, sunflowers on the table. This is the part of the story that has not changed at all: people come for a coffee, stay for the day, and leave as friends.

From Paradise to Paradisio

For many years, everyone knew the place as Paradise. In 2012 the name changed to Paradisio. Over the years the snack bar grew into what it is today: an all-day beach restaurant with a full kitchen, fresh fish, prime meats and Kalymnian family recipes such as fylla and mermizeli. You can read more about them in our Kalymnos food guide.

The family is still here. Ilias is still the face of the house, Nomiki still makes the traditional recipes, Michalis, the second generation, runs the kitchen, and I look after the dining room. If you visited Snack Bar Paradise in the 1990s, we would love to hear from you, and if you have an old photo of your own, bring it with you.