Fine dining in Sifnos is not the exception, but rather the norm in Apollonia. Walking through the long pedestrian zone, there is one restaurant after the other amidst shops and bars. I noticed Cayenne Restaurant Art Gallery on an early morning walk with its quiet courtyard and lush bougainvillea right away.
Cayenne Restaurant Art Gallery @Apollonia
After taking a picture of the menu, I convinced my two travel companions to give modern Greek cuisine a chance. The restaurant was busy when we arrived, but we got a table without a problem. In June there was no problem for walk-ins.
We started our meal with a delicious Pantzarosalata (a roasted red beet salad) with oranges, nut, and yogurt. It was the perfect starter on this still warm evening and excellently seasoned. There was a definite wish in the air that this dish could have been a bit larger.
Pantzarosalata @Cayenne Restaurant Art Gallery
Next up was octopus in vinegar on a bed of couscous. The spicy sauce accompanying it rounded the whole thing up nicely. The octopus was perfectly cooked and had a soft texture. The arugula added a softer pepperiness to the dish. Compared to octopus we had the first day at Deep Blue restaurant in Vathi, this was heavenly.
octopus in vinegar with couscous @Cayenne Restaurant Art Gallery
A swordfish souvlaki came next with roasted potatoes. I can’t remember what kind of sauce this was one, but it was just amazing. The brochette held three large pieces of fish, so it was perfect for sharing. The fish was still juicy, the potatoes had a nice crust on top, and the sauce tasty.
fish souvlaki @Cayenne Restaurant Art Gallery
We also ordered one main dish, which was the caper risotto. Our waiter told us that this was one of their signature dishes, so of course we had to try it. And it was honestly just amazing. It had a creamy texture while the rice still had enough of a bite to not make it mushy. But the star was definitely the capers, which grow in abundance on the island. I even took two glasses back home with me. I loved that it was decorated not only with caper berries but also the leaves, same as we found inside. Excellent dish!
caper risotto @Cayenne Restaurant Art Gallery
Since we loved that so much we decided to also order Dolmadakia, the stuffed wine leaves. Even though no one was really hungry anymore, we all wanted to try one more dish. We should have left it with the risotto, because that was definitely the high note. The Dolmades were not bad per se, but rather too much after the rice dish. They lay hidden underneath a heavy cream sauce and this is not a dish you want to finish your meal with. Rather order it at the beginning when you are still hungry.
Dolmadakia @Cayenne Restaurant Art Gallery
Cayenne Restaurant Art Gallery was by far the most expensive restaurant we visited during our week on Sifnos, it was also the most interesting one in regards to their creations. Every dish was thoughtful, well balanced, and put together. The caper risotto was an instant hit amongst us and the service was great. Overall a very memorable evening! Yours, Pollybert
Cayenne Restaurant Art Gallery
Apollonia, Sifnos
Tel: +30 2284 031080
Email: nick.neroutsos@gmail.com
Mon-Sun: 12:00-24:00
https://www.instagram.com/cayenne_restaurant/
