Roga in Syros is a micro wine bar with a macro heart

Ermoupolis is full of grand neoclassical facades and marble-paved streets, but the newest spot drawing attention on Chiou Street is barely bigger than a wardrobe. Roga, a five-square-metre wine bar, proves that small can be exceptional, especially when it’s built on Greek wine, clever design and the kind of warm hospitality that Syros does best. The project is the creation of Christos Golfis (Theosis bar, Ano Syros) and Stelios Hatzidakis, two friends bound by a love for wine and travel. They’ve turned a former barbershop into an intimate space. Wooden shelves hold carefully chosen bottles, refrigerators are neatly tucked into corners, and the design identity by graphic artist Natasa Polyzou nods to the street’s history and the Chian roots of Ermoupolis. At Roga, the wine list is a love letter to Greek vineyards. Curated by sommelier Yannis Pappas (Gamay), the selection spans 80 labels, with 60% focusing on Greek producers and the rest introducing thoughtful foreign picks. By the glass, around 20 wines -mostly Greek- rotate regularly, while Ioanna Avgeri (Selene Santorini, Ex Machina) guides guests with a depth of knowledge and an unpretentious warmth. The food offering is compact yet bold. Chef Yannis Arslanoglou has designed a menu of seasonal, shareable tapas built on products from small-scale Greek makers. The kitchen might be tiny, but it still manages its own pickles, salts, and other clever extras. Music is part of Roga’s DNA. A turntable and a stack of vinyls, anything from Hadjidakis and Delta blues to darkwave and synth pop, set the tone. With only ten tables and a warm, lived-in atmosphere, Roga feels like a modern agora in miniature. A place where locals and travelers come together for wine and stories. A small, soulful venture that gives Syros a fresh reason to raise a glass this season.