Dinner with roaming goats and the Obama stamp of approval

There are some restaurants that never leave your memory because the food is incredible, and there are some restaurants that stick with you because the environment is magical. Cantina in Sifnos is both.

We did our honeymoon in Greece in 2023, spending a month — two weeks with no work and two weeks “working” remotely, if you can really call it that — traveling to Athens, Sifnos, Folegandros, Milos, Santorini and Crete. When I think about the island I really fell in love with, Sifnos stands out. At the time, it felt like it was right on the cusp of Mykonos-level popularity, and now, with a New York Times story about spending 36 hours in Sifnos, I fear it’s no longer a secret at all. When we were there, the streets weren’t too crowded, the town wasn’t swarmed with tourists, but there was one restaurant that was incredibly difficult to get into.

Admittedly, we didn’t even know about the restaurant when we arrived on the island. This is somewhat surprising because I’m usually a deep researcher pre-trip, and you’d think I’d really go all in on that trait for my honeymoon. But with wedding planning and a health scare that happened just two months before we got married, we decided to outsource the trip to a travel planner. It was lovely to have all of the logistics taken care of, but it’s probably not something I’d do again. I love getting in the weeds with the details. It’s a big part of the joy of traveling for me.

We stayed at a lovely family-owned boutique hotel called Gerofinikas (highly recommend, but more on that later) and when we checked in, they recommended getting a reservation at Cantina if any tables were available. I called the restaurant on WhatsApp, and after getting a busy line four times, they finally picked up. I felt like I was calling a radio station to win concert tickets, but somehow the stakes felt higher. They told me they were fully booked, so I accepted my fate. Of course, it was still in the back of my mind, but I tried to let it go.

The next morning over breakfast, I heard a couple talking about having “the best meal of their life.” I obviously had to ask them about it aaaaannnnnd they were referring to their dinner at Cantina.

I had to find a way to make this happen. I was determined.

After a little Googling, I found that Barack, Michelle, Sasha and Malia Obama had just dined there with Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson days before. Now there was no way I would get in.

But fate intervened and magic happened. At the pool later that day, we befriended a lovely British couple, and they mentioned that they had a reservation at Cantina that week. We told them we were eager to go but would have to save it for our next trip to Sifnos. They loved that we were on our honeymoon and as luck would have it, we happened to have a reservation they wanted at a spot that was recommended to us by someone on the ferry, so they offered to swap with us. A reservation swap? It was the perfect plan. It worked out beautifully.

We took a taxi from our hotel to the top of the hill and were warned in advance that you have to go down at least 100 steps to get to the bottom of the hill where the restaurant is. It is beyond worth it, and the walk and view are enjoyable. On the way back up, after lunch or dinner, you’ll be feeling the steps more, of course, but you’ll be so happy and full, you won’t mind it.

Cantina is built on a “no waste” ethos, focusing on only serving hyper-local seasonal food. And you feel it in every bite and every moment of the meal. The restaurant is nestled at the bottom of a big hill (you know, the one you climbed down to get there), and once you’re sitting, you really feel like you’re part of your environment. It almost feels as if the restaurant is carved out of the rock itself even though it isn’t. It’s like it was always meant to be there, cozied up right next to the beach and directly next to the rocks.

During our meal, we saw goats roaming around the small mountain behind us, and it was fun and endearing, even when a goat kicked a rock down just a few feet from our table. We laughed because it made the experience feel even more fun, but someone on the Cantina team wasn’t happy about it. I get it. He doesn’t want a diner to get hit by a rock. Valid. Fair. He made a quick phone call, yelled a few words in Greek, and in a matter of minutes, a man was picking up the goats on the mountain and bringing them to a different spot. I still remember that moment. How could I not? It was a fantastic cherry on top of the experience.

Yes, you go here for the food. It’s absolutely delicious and incredibly fresh. But you also go for the feeling. And the feeling I had at Cantina was one of raw appreciation and unity with the beach, the rocks and the island itself.

I did not take a single note at dinner. In fact, I left my phone at home and we used my husband’s. When I wasn’t eating, I was talking to my (new!) husband, watching the light bounce off of the rocks, listening to kids laugh as they played on the beach down below. Every single bite was so wildly fresh. It made me look at food differently. What I do remember of the food you can see in these photos. The steak, perfectly prepared with a fresh, herby green sauce on the side. The raw fish, sliced thin and bathing in local olive oil. I was so in it, I can’t even list the exact preparation of each dish, three years later. But these photos bring back the memories and the taste. That’s part of the magic. We all need to have more meals like that.

Book a trip to Sifnos. You’ll be glad you did and writing this has reminded me that I need to go back ASAP. At least a few weeks before you get to Sifnos, cross your fingers, say a prayer if that’s your thing, and message Cantina on WhatsApp at +30 698 993 5010 and request a reservation. (Oh, and check out their sister restaurant, Pelicanos. I haven’t been, but it’s on the top of my list for my next Sifnos trip.)