Poros, Hydra, and Spetses may all belong to the same chain of Saronic islands, connected by ferry routes and summer rituals, but each has an entirely distinct personality. Poros feels the most approachable of the three – not only because it lies just an hour from Athens by high-speed ferry, but because it still carries the relaxed atmosphere of an older kind of Greek summer. It is smaller, greener, more affordable, and in many corners still preserves the atmosphere of a 1990s family summer resort.

The island’s main town, however, is another story altogether: picturesque, filled with charming architecture and crowned by its iconic clock tower high above the harbor. Yet what makes Poros truly unique is its strange and beautiful sense of duality. Directly opposite, almost within touching distance, lies Galatas on the Peloponnesian coast, its twin across the water. The distance between them feels impossibly small, interrupted only by the constant movement of ferries, fishing boats, yachts, and catamarans crossing the narrow channel. When the traffic pauses, the water becomes unexpectedly calm, almost lake-like.

Poros has plenty of charms and is well worth adding to your plans for the next long weekend. There is excellent food throughout the island, from Dimitris’ beloved butcher’s taverna, known for its lamb chops, to Casanova by the marina, where the pizzas, pasta dishes, and especially the gnocchi have earned a loyal following.

Νearby, in the Punta neighborhood along the waterfront road, you will also find the small yet stylish Th. Vessala pastry shop, housed inside a beautiful neoclassical building with red-framed windows. The shop is run by Sotiria Aroni, the third generation of her family devoted to pastry-making. The story began with her grandfather in Galatas, where he specialized in traditional tray-baked sweets, and continued with her mother, Theodora Vessala, who later opened the Poros pastry shop and gradually expanded its repertoire with desserts more reflective of her era, including fruit tarts and parfaits. 

Today, under Sotiria’s direction, that spirit of evolution continues naturally: new recipes, new flavors, and an increasing focus on artisanal ice cream. Although she originally studied Chemical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens, pastry-making seemed less like a career choice than an inevitable return. She had grown up inside the family workshop, surrounded by the aromas of chocolate, vanilla, and caramelized sugar, absorbing the quiet alchemy of the pastry kitchen long before formally deciding to pursue it herself. 

Before taking over the business, however, she built a strong theoretical foundation. She studied gelato-making at Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna, continued to École Lenôtre to specialize in viennoiserie, and later travelled to England to further her studies in chocolate-making.

Today, that beautiful blend of tradition and modernity is evident across the pastry shop’s products. What makes the place so compelling is not simply the quality of the desserts, but the harmony between old and new. Nothing feels forced; tradition and experimentation coexist effortlessly.

The space itself avoids the look of a classic old-fashioned pastry shop with oversized display cases. Instead, attention naturally shifts toward the compact gelato counter, one of the main reasons to visit in the first place. The gelato follows the Italian style: denser, with less air and volume, but deeper in flavor and texture. The seasonal sorbets are made with fresh fruit, while the chocolate-and-cream parfait with roasted almonds and candied fruit is genuinely memorable; one of the few cream parfaits that manages to feel rich without becoming overly sweet. 

Their line of frozen desserts, served in beautiful little lidded cups, is equally impressive. Be sure to try the ekmek, made with a kadaifi base, kaimaki ice cream and sour cherry spoon sweet.

They also make wonderful butter cookies and dipped biscuits, baklava, kadaifi, saragli and other traditional tray-baked sweets, as well as pastries, pasta flora with their own homemade jams — which they also sell separately — and spoon sweets. The citrus fruits come from the family estate in the Peloponnese.

And finally, the kariokes. They are exceptional — among the best I have tried anywhere. Admittedly, I am very particular about kariokes: I like them thin, coated in excellent chocolate, lightly spiced, and filled with coarsely chopped walnuts rather than a dense paste. If your tastes are anything like mine, this will be reason enough to stop by. 

This article was previously published in Greek at gastronomos.gr.