Sera Abroad: Sifnos
Four Nights Exploring Greece's Gastronomic Island
Overview
Sifnos is widely regarded as Greece’s gastronomic island. Food here is not a feature of the place, it is the foundation of it.
The island is the birthplace of Nikolaos Tselementes, the chef whose work helped define modern Greek cooking, and today its reputation rests as much on its tavernas, producers, and village kitchens as it does on its leading restaurants.
Over four nights, this trip moves across the island day by day, eating in the places that define it, from beachside tavernas and wine bars to one of Europe’s most distinctive kitchens, Cantina.
The Experience
• Four nights and three full days exploring Sifnos through its food, eating in the best restaurants in each region
• Four nights’ accommodation at Hotel Petali
• Breakfast each morning at the hotel
• Multiple meals each day, including lunches and dinners across the island’s leading restaurants and tavernas
• 10+ restaurant and bar stops across the trip
• Selected wine, beer, and soft drinks included across all core meals
• A full tasting menu at Cantina, with wine pairing or non-alcoholic pairing included
• A private omakase-style dinner hosted by Giorgos Samoilis (Cantina) at Pelicanos, with full menu and drinks included
• A full immersion day with the Cantina team; visit to the kitchen to meet the team, engage with their local producers, visit to their famous stoneware factory, visit dry-ageing facilities and where they farm
• Lunches across the island’s key food regions, including Vathi, Faros, and Platis Gialos
• Evenings across Artemonas, Kastro, and Apollonia
• Beach stops, wine bars, and time built into each day between meals to experience the island properly
• Transport between venues throughout the trip
• Full hosting throughout the trip by Sera
The Culinary Journey
Sifnos is widely regarded as Greece’s gastronomic island, not because of a single restaurant, but because of the way food runs through every part of it. From village tavernas and family kitchens to a small number of restaurants shaping its current direction, the island’s food culture is both deeply traditional and quietly progressive.
This trip is built around the places that define that.
At the centre is Cantina. Set on a small cove below Kastro, it is one of the most distinctive restaurants in Europe. Chef Giorgos Samoilis works with a zero-waste, hyper-local approach, sourcing almost everything from the island and building menus that change daily based on what is available. His cooking reflects Sifnos directly, using local ingredients that has made Cantina one of the most talked-about restaurants in Europe.
Samoilis, a former biologist previously led the kitchen at Omega3, a beachside restaurant in Platis Gialos known for its modern approach to seafood. It remains one of the key stops on the island, combining raw and lightly treated fish with a more contemporary style of cooking, all rooted in local catch.
Alongside these are the island’s local tavernas. In Vathi, a wide sandy bay, restaurants sit directly on the beach, serving classic dishes rooted in local produce. In Artemonas, Mosaico centres on meze and people-watching, while in Exambela, Kelari reflects long-established methods and a more traditional style of cooking.
In Kastro, Loggia Wine Bar represents a more contemporary side of Sifnos, with a strong focus on Greek wines and a position overlooking the sea. It sits in contrast to Apollonia, the island’s main town, where evenings centre around restaurants, bars, and a more active nightlife.
Taken together, these places give a clear view of Sifnos today, from traditional tavernas and village cooking to its more modern dining and drinking culture.
Itinerary
Day One: Arrival + Opening Evening (June 10th)
• Arrival into Sifnos and check-in from 15:00 at Hotel Petali
• Welcome drinks and introduction to the island
• Opening evening across two restaurants in Artemonas and Exambela, including Mosaico
Day Two: Vathi (June 11th)
• Breakfast at the hotel
• Day spent on the west coast of the island
• Lunch split across multiple tavernas in Vathi, including Manolis
• Beach time and afternoon at the coast
• Private omakase-style dinner hosted by Giorgos Samoilis (Cantina) at Pelicanos
Day Three: Cantina Immersion + Kastro (June 12th)
• Breakfast at the hotel
• Full immersion day with the Cantina team, including a visit to the kitchen to meet the team, travel to local producers they work with, a visit to the stoneware factory they use, and a closer look at their sourcing and dry-ageing practices
• Evening in Kastro, beginning with drinks at Loggia Wine Bar
• Dinner at Cantina
Day Four: Faros + Platis Gialos + Apollonia (June 13th)
• Breakfast at the hotel
• Lunch and beach time across the south coast, including Omega3
• Afternoon to reset
• Final evening in Apollonia, including dinner and drinks
Accommodation
• Hotel Petali
A hillside hotel just outside Apollonia, offering a calm and well-positioned base for exploring the island. Rooms are simple and comfortable in a clean Cycladic style, with private terraces or balconies and wide views across Sifnos.
What’s Included
• Four nights’ accommodation at Hotel Petali
• Continental Breakfast each morning
• Multiple meals daily across the island, including lunches and dinners at leading restaurants and tavernas, with over 10 restaurant and bar stops
• Selected wine, beer, and soft drinks included across all core meals
• A full tasting menu at Cantina with pairing included
• A private omakase-style dinner hosted by Giorgos Samoilis at Pelicanos, with full menu and wine pairing included
• A full immersion day with the Cantina team, including access to the kitchen, producers, and stoneware workshop
• Transport between venues throughout the trip
• Full hosting throughout the trip by Sera
What’s Not Included
• Flights to and from Greece
• Ferry transfers to and from Sifnos
• Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
• Additional food or drinks outside of the planned itinerary
• Travel outside of the planned itinerary
Travel Information
• Guests should arrange travel to Sifnos independently
• We recommend arriving into Sifnos by early afternoon on the first day to allow time for hotel check-in before the evening programme begins
• Transport is provided between venues throughout the trip
• The trip concludes after breakfast on the final morning
Pricing and Cancellation Policy
Price: £1,950
Per person, based on two persons sharing a double occupancy room. A single occupancy supplement is available at £375 per person.
Cancellation Policy:
Bookings are considered final and non-refundable.
Should you wish to cancel more than 30 days prior to the tour start date, your booking may be transferred to another guest upon approval.
Cancellations made within 30 days of the tour start date remain non-refundable and non-transferable.
Booking & Payment
To reserve your place, a non-refundable deposit of £950 is required at the time of booking via the purchase tickets button.
The remaining balance, along with any single occupancy supplement, will be charged six weeks prior to the start of the trip.
Your place is confirmed once payment has been received.
Spaces are extremely limited.
