The style and glamour of Jackie O lives on in the restaurant, beach bar and club which have taken her famous name at Super Paradise Beach on the Greek island of Mykonos. Perched high on the rocks above this world renowned beach overlooking the Aegean, Jackie O Bar is very cool, whitewashed and full of the chic gay crowd who have chosen this beach to spend the day. In fact everyone and everything is cool at Jackie O. The in vogue male model types in their Aussiebum swimwear drape their perfect bodies over the sun beds around the shimmering salt water pool right next to the bar. Others mingle a little further back at the bar trying out the cocktail list while the DJ pumps out the latest and greatest mix of sounds.
Jackie O is only in its second season but it certainly has made a splash. At around 7pm each evening there is a drag show and while the sun is setting, the beach party continues until 9:00pm.
Formerly Coco’s bar and restaurant, which was closed for about 3 years, no doubt a victim of the GFC, the bar and restaurant complex has been refurbished, extended and could easily be described as one of the most stunning bars on the planet. The advantage here is its location, perched high above the beach, the place requires no further decorative artwork, it is simply a masterpiece because of its mesmerising view over the stillness of the sapphire Aegean waters. The day we arrived an enormous yacht was anchored in the bay and one could easily imagine Jackie disembarking to arrive for lunch at her namesake.
The Jackie O restaurant above the bar is a combination of sophistication and lay back ambience. We walked up from the beach chairs and umbrellas (which must be reserved a day in advance – 25€) for lunch and we were not disappointed for a second. Our waiter, Marcos was a delicious dish himself and a perfect addition to this veranda, beach bungalow style of dining space.
When you arrive you are provided with bread, olives and oil, which all make a delicious starter. The waiter brought us a selection of dips to have with our bread but we chose to stick to what we already had, anticipating some great choices in store for us. From the menu we chose the grandmother’s meat balls with beetroot salad. The meat balls were crispy on the outside, light and with just a hint of mint. We also had the lightly seared tuna with smoked egg plant and a teriyaki sauce. Marcos asked, “Which was the best?” The meat balls were delicious, the tuna was cooked to perfection and sensational, but we would come back to Mykonos again just for the smoked egg plant. Wow! Others around us had burgers and rib eye steak and they also looked delicious and all dishes were beautifully presented. As you could imagine this place is not cheap but on average at 28€ a main it is really worth it. The ribeye was the dearest on the menu at 40€. We finished with great coffee and a gleaming smile from Marcos.
After being sun bathed and dipped in the azure waters of Super Paradise its time to return to Mykonos town (Chora) either by the local fishing boat or drive back along the hilly, narrow, winding and dusty goat track which serves as the main road to the beach. After a ‘nanna nap’ you should make your way out for a late dinner and then onto the Jackie O Bar near the old Port of Mykonos. The bar is right on the water near the church and gets jumping after midnight. The bar becomes very crowded later, especially when the show is on. The party boys will dance until dawn but we thought we had given it a good nudge when we left it, still packed, at around 4:30 am.
Without a doubt the creators of the Jackie O bars and restaurant have given the gay population of the world some of the most glamorous party venues one could possibly imagine. Of course the class and understated elegance are synonymous with the famous name they have adopted.
By the way, don’t forget to pick up the three CD house mix from the DJ before you leave the beach. (40€)
For more information go to: http://jackieobeach.com
or: http://jackieomykonos.com