July 28, 2026 | vol 19
GIORGOS SAMOILIS
words Onur Baştürk
photos George Venios & Giorgos Samoilis
Meet chef Giorgos Samoilis, who returned to Sifnos after a career in molecular biology and years spent summering on the island. Today, he is behind Cantina and Pelicanos, two of Sifnos’ most talked-about restaurants.
You began your career in molecular biology before moving into the kitchen. What led you from science to cooking, and how does that background shape the way you approach food today?
Fourteen years in research and academia were enough to close a beautiful circle in this amazing world of discoveries and knowledge. Wanting to move away from the big cities — where science is usually practised — and build a lifestyle closer to nature and my roots in the Greek islands became the catalyst for this major shift in my life. The hard-earned skills I acquired in my first career path have been instrumental in cooking and in managing my teams and restaurants. The kitchen is a laboratory in which we apply temperatures, acids and timing to proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, transforming them into something delicious that we can happily serve and eat instead of publish.
What first pulled you towards Sifnos? Was it a deliberate move, or something that evolved naturally over time?
My mother’s family comes from Sifnos. We have a family home on the island, and I spent part of my summers there as a child. At some point, the idea of moving permanently to Sifnos became a necessity.
Do you live and work on the island year-round? How does Sifnos change across seasons, and how does that influence the way you cook?
I spend around six months of the year in Sifnos, during the period when the restaurants operate, from May to October. Together with my teams, we create hyper-local, ingredient-driven menus, so seasonality is inevitable. Sifnos — like most places in Greece — has four distinct seasons. Within them, we can also recognise many micro-seasons, especially through the way products such as fruits, vegetables, fish, milk and meat appear, disappear and evolve. It is exciting and keeps us grounded in the “nowness” of the island. This process fuels the creativity that shapes our menus.
THE SPIRIT OF CAMARADERIE BETWEEN RESTAURATEURS, CHEFS AND PRODUCERS IS WHAT SETS SIFNOS APART GASTRONOMICALLY
Sifnos has a long-standing culinary tradition. How do you position your work in relation to that heritage?
We are very lucky to have the opportunity to create food in a place that, despite its small size, has such a deep gastronomic tradition. With respect for this heritage, we learn from tradition and from the people who carry it forward — the locals — while also bringing new ideas and creating new know-how within an ever-changing world full of challenges.
Sifnos is increasingly recognised as one of Greece’s most compelling gastronomic destinations. What, in your opinion, sets the island apart?
This did not happen by chance. We are a group of young professionals — restauranteurs, chefs, hotel owners and producers — who have actively shaped this new gastronomic identity over the past 15 years, even before the early days of Omega3, which we started back in 2013. There is a genuine spirit of camaraderie and collaboration between us, and in my opinion, this is what truly sets Sifnos apart from other islands.
Beyond the restaurants, what kind of life do you find yourself living on the island?
The truth is that I spend most of my time between my restaurants and projects: Cantina, Pelicanos, Lamarina and our newly formed permaculture farm. But I still find time to swim at my secret spots — which I will not reveal here! I also often find myself enjoying traditional dishes at the tavernas in Kamares port or in Vathi.
BEYOND THE HUNDRED STEPS AND THE PEBBLED SHORELINE, CANTINA FEELS FAR REMOVED FROM THE TYPICAL SEA-VIEW GREEK ISLAND RESTAURANT.
Your approach is often described as “hyper-local.” What does that mean in practice — both in sourcing and in the daily rhythm of the kitchen?
Local produce — and the people behind it — are the reason Cantina exists. This requires a highly inspired, passionate and skilful team of professionals who understand and respect the processes of nature, while constantly searching for the best that Sifnos has to offer. Every night, we go to sleep thinking about what we’ll cook tomorrow.
When someone visits Cantina for the first time, what kind of experience do you hope they leave with?
The Cantina experience begins the moment you reserve your table. You realise you are going to a place where food sits at the centre of the experience, and that it has little to do with a typical Greek island spot with a beautiful view. You come for the food and the wine.
Once you arrive, the experience deepens as you walk down the 100 steps and cross the 200 metres from our cellar along the pebbled beach to the restaurant. Music drifts out from the kitchen. An untold show begins as the sun goes down and the moon comes up. I like to think that three hours later, as you walk back up those steps, you stop for a moment, look behind you, and begin thinking differently about your own next steps after leaving Sifnos.
