Oi Plakes

Oi Plakes has been feeding locals and visitors on Serifos for over 18 years, which on a small Cycladic island is as close to an institution as a restaurant can get. It operates as a traditional taverna and grill — what Greeks call a psistaria — and its 4.5-star rating drawn from more than 850 Google reviews puts it consistently among the most respected places to eat on the island.

The name, which translates loosely as "the flagstones" or "the slabs," points to the unpretentious, grounded character of the place. This is not a restaurant chasing trends or tourist euros with a laminated picture menu. The kitchen focuses on the kind of food Serifos households have always eaten: grilled meats, classic mezedes, and whatever the island's suppliers and seasons make possible.

Serifos is one of the quieter Cyclades — fewer visitors than Mykonos or Santorini, a rougher landscape of granite hills and whitewashed chora perched high above the port. Eating well here means finding the places that have earned their longevity, and Oi Plakes is exactly that kind of find.

What to Expect

Oi Plakes runs as a grill-forward taverna, so the focus is on fire and charcoal rather than elaborate sauces. Expect the straightforward pleasures of a properly managed Greek psistaria: cuts of lamb and pork, whole grilled fish when available, and the kind of appetizers — tzatziki, taramosalata, grilled bread, perhaps a village salad thick with Cycladic tomatoes — that exist to be eaten slowly with a carafe of local wine or cold beer.

The setting is relaxed and unpretentious. Serifos tavernas of this type typically have outdoor seating that catches the evening breeze, practical tables, and a pace calibrated to the island rather than the clock. You are not being rushed to a second seating. The atmosphere is one of people who have come to eat, talk, and stay for a while.

With over 850 reviews converging on a 4.5 average, the consistency of the kitchen is evident. On a small island where word travels fast and repeat customers are the backbone of any business, a restaurant does not sustain that kind of rating through a single good summer. The social media presence — active Instagram and Facebook accounts under the name Plakesserifos — shows a kitchen that takes some pride in what it puts on the table.

The restaurant is classified as a mid-to-upper price range establishment (noted as $$ on some platforms), which on Serifos reflects quality ingredients and honest cooking rather than luxury positioning.

How to Get There

Oi Plakes is located on Serifos at coordinates 37.1572°N, 24.5040°E, which places it in the broader area around Livadi, the island's port settlement. Serifos is small enough that most accommodation in Livadi and the surrounding beach areas is within a short drive or taxi ride of the restaurant.

From the ferry port at Livadi, you can reach most Serifos restaurants either on foot within the port area or by the island's taxi service. There is no bus network on Serifos that operates into the evening, so if you are staying in Chora — the hilltop capital — a taxi down or a short drive is the practical option for a dinner reservation.

Parking on Serifos is generally informal; the island does not have dedicated restaurant parking lots, but roadside space in the Livadi area is usually available in the evening. If you are renting a car or scooter, as most independent visitors do on Serifos, arriving by your own transport is the simplest approach.

Accessibility details for the specific premises are not confirmed in available data; it is worth calling ahead if step-free access is a requirement.

Best Time to Visit

Oi Plakes is an evening restaurant, opening at either 5:30 PM or 6:00 PM depending on the day of the week and staying open until between 11:30 PM and 1:00 AM. It does not serve lunch.

Serifos receives the bulk of its visitors in July and August, and during peak season popular restaurants fill up quickly. Arriving at opening time — 5:30 PM on most days — gives you the quietest, coolest window for dinner and the best chance of a table without a long wait. Later in the evening, particularly on weekends in high summer, the restaurant is likely to be busy.

Shoulder season — June and September — is an excellent time to eat on Serifos. Temperatures are still warm, the island is less crowded, and restaurants are fully operational without the August pressure. The Cyclades can see strong meltemi winds in July and August, which affects open-air seating comfort; by September the wind typically eases.

The restaurant appears to operate seasonally, as is standard for Greek island tavernas. If you are planning a visit outside of the main summer window — particularly between October and April — it is worth calling ahead on +30 2281 051913 to confirm the kitchen is open.

Tips for Visiting

• Call to confirm in low season. Like most Serifos restaurants, Oi Plakes follows seasonal rhythms. Outside June through September, phone ahead before making the trip down from Chora or from your accommodation.
• Arrive early on weekends. Friday and Saturday evenings in July and August are the busiest. Getting there at opening — 5:30 PM on those days — is the most reliable way to secure a table without a long wait.
• Monday and Tuesday hours run later. On those two nights, the restaurant opens at 6:00 PM and stays open until 1:00 AM, which gives you more flexibility if you want a late dinner after an afternoon at the beach.
• Order the grilled meats. This is a psistaria first and foremost. The kitchen's strength lies in fire-cooked dishes rather than elaborate preparations. Trust the grill.
• Start with mezedes. Greek taverna meals are built around shared small plates at the beginning. A spread of dips, salad, and bread to start sets the pace and the appetite correctly.
• Bring cash as backup. Card acceptance on Serifos can be inconsistent across smaller establishments. Keeping euros on hand avoids any awkward end to dinner.
• Ask about the wine. Serifos does not have the same wine-producing profile as Santorini or Paros, but tavernas here typically offer local or regional Cycladic wines by the carafe that you will not find on a bottle list elsewhere.
• Factor in the taxi if you are in Chora. The road between Chora and Livadi is winding and steep. After dinner and wine, having the taxi number saved — or asking your accommodation to arrange a pickup — is the practical move.

What to Order

As a traditional Greek grill taverna, Oi Plakes organizes its menu around the fundamentals: grilled lamb chops (paidakia), pork souvlaki, whole grilled fish, and the accompanying appetizers that make a Greek meal something more than a plate of protein.

For starters, a village salad (horiatiki) is mandatory — on the Cyclades these come with good local tomatoes, feta, cucumber, olives, and capers, and Serifos in summer delivers produce with real flavor. Tzatziki, grilled pita or bread, and possibly revithokeftedes (chickpea fritters, a Cycladic specialty) round out a proper beginning.

On the grill, lamb is the classic choice at a Greek psistaria. Paidakia — small marinated chops cooked over charcoal — are the benchmark dish at any serious grill restaurant. If fresh fish is available the evening you visit, it is worth asking what came in that day; Serifos sits in productive Aegean waters and the island has a small but active fishing community.

Finish with whatever the kitchen offers as a sweet — often something simple like a seasonal fruit plate or local honey — and a Greek coffee or digestif.

History and Context

The Instagram bio for Plakesserifos notes "18 years with you... thank you for your support... 18 years and counting," which places the restaurant's founding in the mid-2000s. On Serifos, where tourism is relatively low-key compared to the more commercially developed Cyclades, building a loyal customer base over nearly two decades requires consistent quality rather than novelty.

Serifos itself has a long history of iron ore mining — the island's landscape still bears the marks of the mines that operated here through the 19th and early 20th centuries — and a quiet, proud character that has shaped the kind of hospitality you find in its restaurants. Tavernas here tend to be family-run, seasonally focused, and oriented toward regular customers as much as passing visitors.

Oi Plakes fits that mold: a place that has outlasted many competitors on a small island not by reinventing itself but by doing one thing well and doing it consistently across many summers.