“HAVE you seen James Bond?” a bubbly British expat at the next table asks me while gesturing to her phone. “He’s here in Patmos. I took this photo with him last night.”

It appears 007 is on a new mission — island-hopping in Greece.

Pierce Brosnan, who played Bond in four films from 1995 to 2002, is going by superyacht, no less.

Despite being one of the smaller Aegean islands, Patmos has been on the radar of wealthy jet-setters such as Richard Gere, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell for years.

They revel in it’s secluded beaches and cultural heritage without the tourist hordes seen on islands such as Santorini.

In the evenings, celebrities mingle with locals in the main port of Skala, with its seafood and souvlaki restaurants, chic jewelry stores and cocktail bars.

We fancy some VIP treatment, too, so grab an outdoor table at popular Pantelis to be serenaded by its bouzouki and guitar players.

The family taverna, run by four generations since 1950, serves draft beer costing $5 and Greek specialties soutzoukakia (spicy baked meatballs) and pastitsio (a rich pasta bake) for around $7.25 a dish.

Visit Patmos during June or September, when the mercury hits 28C and there are fewer holidaymakers, and you could have the lovely shingle beaches of Geranou, Vagia and Lambi to yourself.

These rugged shores offer the privacy to re-enact that scene in 007 movie Die Another Day when Halle Berry’s Jinx emerges from the sea, greeted by Bond.

On the drive back to Skala, stop at Souvlaki Pappou (Grandfather’s Wraps).

A stone’s throw from the marina, its jovial owner Maria dishes up the island gossip as well as herby chicken and pork skewers with a honey and goats’ cheese salad for less than £10.25.

Brosnan even sent his tender to collect a “substantial” order for his wife and friends.

He had likely worked up an appetite visiting the historic center of Patmos.

Halfway up the mountain between Skala and capital Chora, the Cave of the Apocalypse is where Saint John supposedly heard God’s voice from a cleft in a rock and transcribed the Book of Revelation.

The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, dominating the Patmos skyline, was built in 1088 to honour the disciple.

Perched atop the hill of Chora, the working monastery has been a place of pilgrimage ever since.

We spot a snap of Brosnan, which hangs from a photographer’s stall outside the entrance.

The medieval Chora is a labyrinth of cobbled passageways lined with whitewashed houses and shops.

At its heart is a bustling, flowered square of cafes and bars which draw in crowds for sunset and stay open until late.

To reach Patmos, you can fly British Airways to Kos, from where ferries to Skala take just over two hours.

There’s budget-friendly hotels a few steps from the port, including the fuss-free Byzance.

From here you can also catch a ferry for £4.20 to Patmos’s even smaller neighboring isle, Lipsi, which just so happens to be the next stop on Brosnan’s itinerary.

Just five miles from end to end, and with a population of 800, Lipsi has so far escaped mass tourism.

There’s only a handful of hotels and holiday apartments, watersports are non-existent and sunbeds banned.

It is a ramblers’ haven, with low hills and plenty of wild, fertile land.

Turquoise water

Life slows down here. Each morning, from our balcony at the charming white-and-blue Angela Studios we watch the colorful boats bobbing in the harbor.

In search of breakfast, we roam the narrow paved streets of Lipsi Town guided by the scent of freshly brewed coffee and sound of chatter from Kairis bakery.

But our days are filled with beaches.

The most beautiful is Platis Gialos, a five-minute drive or 35-minute walk north of the port.

Surrounded by rocky terrain, it has shallow turquoise water and some shade from trees, plus a taverna serving a half carafe of local white wine for $6.

Or the quieter, pebbled cove of Elena, set behind a blue-domed church, is Instagram gold.

Lipsi is also surrounded by a small group of islets, which can be explored on hotelier Rena’s immaculate wooden sail-boat.

Among stops on the full-day excursion are the pristine waters of Makronisi, for a swim under the shale-rock arch and cliff-diving — and blindingly blue snorkeling spot Tiganakia.

Back on land, we join locals harborside to watch the sunset.

It is a favorite haunt of Ianello who had previously given us a tour of his hilltop farm decorated with 500 reclaimed bikes and metal.

When curious tourists wandered on to his property during our visit, he welcomed them in for a beer like a long-lost friend.

It’s typical of Lipsians’ generous nature.

We receive the same treatment at Pefko, one of a few fish taverns on the promenade.

Owner Nikos regales diners with tales of his idyllic home as you feast on plates of prawn saganaki (a tangy tomato and feta sauce) for around $12, calamari, swordfish and warm stuffed vine leaves.

We never did corner Bond for a photo, but Patmos and Lipsi do have the winning combination of culture, cuisine and coastline.

Mission accomplished.

The Sun UK