The food of Sifnos – what I ate and where to get it

Let’s start with the important stuff, the food on Sifnos was delicious! There was just one meal I found rather underwhelming, on the whole though I loved everything. Breakfast was mostly eaten at Katerina’s Studios with with fresh produce and bread bought right around the corner in Apollonia. The fresh cheese Myzithra was so good, but really needs to be consumed within the first two days.

breakfast on the balcony @Katerina’s Studios

We went for Greek coffee and fresh orange juice sometimes, but not really much more after we got a taste for breakfast on the terrace. Other meals were eaten in abundance in restaurants though, especially dinner. Sometimes even a late lunch. There was always a place to try or go back to one we really enjoyed.

Sifnos has, unlike other Greek islands, also dark bread. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten that anywhere else in Greece. What I noticed as well was that in almost all restaurants oil and vinegar have vanished from the tables. The  Greek salad comes already marinated and if you want extra olive oil you need to pay for it. Plus dessert has disappeared. Usually you got fresh fruit or a small piece of cake after a meal. No more! Not sure what’s the reason for all these changes and if this was only on Sifnos so or if all of Greece has implemented these changes. Anyway, here are my favorite dishes and the restaurants that created them.

Something simple to begin with, a couple of sandwiches from a Betty’s Bakery in Faros. It was actually two sandwiches and a savory zucchini cake as well as a cookie, which we shared on Glyfo beach. Really tasty food, freshly made and there were also cold drinks available like a very sour lemonade! All done with real fruits, there was no artificial flavor in sight. Absolutely fabulous!

lunch from a small bakery in Faros @Glyfo beach

Greek salad from Gerontopolous Café, which is right next to the bus station in Apollonia. We sat there mostly in the evenings to watch the Euro 2024, but upon arrival we decided to have coffee and eat some salad. It was delicious and had some caper leaves on top, which we later bought in the shop next door to bring home with us.

Greek salad @Gerontopoulos Café

The Deep Blue restaurant at Vathi beach should be avoided at all costs. The food was a disappointment, especially the rubbery octopus and the Papoutsakia (eggplant and mince meat).

Greek salad, octopus, and stuffed peppers @Deep Blue restaurant

Oraia Sifnos in Apollonia has the bus station to the port in front of its doors. Isn’t it great then that the restaurant has its terrace out back? We went back twice, first of all the food was great and the owner was very friendly. Also it was the only restaurant with olive oil and vinegar on the table and gave us a small ice cream for dessert. The best eggplant Imam dish was to die for, I also enjoyed the lamb with potatoes, as well as the caper leaves salad. The salad didn’t get an unanimous vote, but trust me. This was something you want to try.

eggplant Imam @Oraia Sifnos restaurant

lamb from the oven @Oraia Sifnos restaurant

caper leaves salad @Oraia Sifnos restaurant

One of the best restaurants for us on the island was Kouzinaki restaurant. Also in Apollonia and also next to the bus stop, just the other one this time going to all the beaches. We loved it so much that we came back twice.

Kouzinaki restaurant @Apollonia

The menu is small but Kouzinaki offers a couple of other dishes, which are changing daily. On our first evening we ate, amongst other things, Sultan’s delight. This Turkish dish goes back to the Ottoman influence in the area. It’s an eggplant purée with beef and so, so good! Also the sausages with feta and sun dried tomatoes were delicious.

sultan’s delight and sausages with feta @Kouzinaki restaurant

When we came back the second time there was a mushroom risotto with fish on the menu. I never thought that this combination could work, but it was fantastic!

mushroom risotto with fish @Kouzinaki restaurant

We went back for the third time on our last evening, because why try something new when we already knew that Kouzinaki restaurant cooked up a storm. The ribs in tomato sauce with roasted potatoes were by far the best I’ve ever eaten. The tomato sauce had a sweetness to it with a hint of cinnamon, it worked very well with the peppery potatoes. What a marvelous dish!

ribs in tomato sauce @Kouzinaki restaurant

Another winner was the restaurant Fasolú at Fassolou beach next to Faros. We went back to the beach a second time, because of the restaurant. The wine was tasty as well, so no complaints at all. Rather a lot of praise for the friendly service and the delicious food! We shared a tomato salad with Myzithra cheese, tzatziki, vegetables briam (oven veggies), and fava bean purée which was out of this world! It must have been mixed with water, because it was so light that I wanted to dive right in.

water and wine @Fasolú restaurant

lunch @Fasolú restaurant

Upon our return visit we got the fava beans again, as well as Greek salad this time, oven roasted pork, and some okra.

pork and okra @Fasolú restaurant

Greek salad @Fasolú restaurant

fava bean purée @Fasolú restaurant

The only open restaurant on Cheronissos beach, right next to the ceramic shop, was not great at all and is best avoided. Rather buy an ice cream in the little shop and keep you appetite for later. The worst was the eggplant saganaki.

lunch @Cheronissos beach

don’t eat the eggplant saganaki @Cheronissos beach

We fared a lot better at the restaurant from Sifnos studios in Vathi. We had a lunch of small fried fish, tzatziki, and bread. Definitely worth a visit!

late lunch @Sifnos Studios Vathi

Last but not least comes a restaurant at Piraeus. I know it is not on Sifnos, but to get to the island you need to go through Piraeus. We ate twice at Palio Roloi Piraeus, which is across from gate 9 in the port and close to the Piraeus Acropole hotel. The first evening we had live music, on our last afternoon it was quiet. Both times the food was good and the service quick. It was actually really nice to start and end our vacation here! Yours, Pollybert

first dinner @Palio Roloi Piraeus

last dinner @Palio Roloi Piraeus