Lazarou Beach

Lazarou Beach sits directly on the waterfront at Platis Yialos, the long sandy bay on Sifnos's southern coast that draws most of the island's summer crowd. The restaurant occupies a prime position with unobstructed views over the water, and the combination of a proper kitchen serving traditional Greek food and a setting that doubles as an event venue makes it one of the more versatile spots on this food-obsessed island.

Sifnos has a culinary reputation that runs far deeper than most Greek islands — it's the birthplace of Nikolaos Tselementes, the chef who essentially codified modern Greek cooking in the early 20th century. Eating well here is an expectation, not a bonus, and Lazarou Beach positions itself squarely within that tradition. The menu draws on the kind of dishes that belong to the island: slow-cooked chickpea soups, grilled seafood, and straightforward meze that let the ingredients do the work.

The venue aspect sets it apart from a standard taverna. Lazarou Beach is marketed explicitly as one of Sifnos's leading wedding and event locations, which means the space is designed to accommodate larger gatherings without losing the relaxed, open-air character that makes waterfront dining here worthwhile.

What to Expect

Platis Yialos is a developed but not overdone beach — a 400-metre arc of sand backed by a handful of hotels, tavernas, and cafes. Lazarou Beach occupies a stretch of that waterfront, giving tables a direct sightline to the sea. The setting is informal enough that you can come straight from the beach, but composed enough that it works for a long lunch or a special occasion dinner.

The food follows the logic of Greek seaside cooking: fresh fish and seafood, grilled meats, and the slow-cooked legume dishes that Sifnos is specifically known for. Expect revithada (baked chickpeas), mastelo (lamb or goat slow-cooked in wine and dill, more common at Easter but found on good menus year-round), and whatever the kitchen is running with based on the day's catch. Local Sifnian wine and Cycladic labels are the natural pairing.

The space is substantial enough to host weddings and private events, which tells you something about both its capacity and the level of organization behind it. On a normal evening, the event infrastructure stays out of the way; what you notice is the open-air layout and the water. Service is geared toward a relaxed pace — this is not a quick turnaround restaurant.

The Instagram presence (@lazarou_beach, 1,800-plus followers) shows a consistent mix of food, beach scenery, and event setups, which gives a reasonable visual preview of what the space looks and feels like across different occasions.

How to Get There

Platis Yialos is on the south coast of Sifnos, roughly 12 kilometres from Apollonia, the island's capital. The road from Apollonia to Platis Yialos is well-signed and takes around 20 minutes by car or scooter.

From Kamares port, where the ferry docks, the drive to Platis Yialos is approximately 15 minutes via Apollonia. Taxis are available at Kamares and can usually be arranged through your accommodation.

There is a bus service connecting Apollonia to Platis Yialos during the summer season. The route is one of the island's busiest, running frequently in July and August, with reduced frequency in shoulder months. The bus stops in the village at the top of the beach; Lazarou Beach is on the waterfront, a short walk downhill.

Parking near the beach at Platis Yialos is available but fills up quickly in high season. If you're driving, arriving early or outside peak lunch hours gives you a better chance of finding a space close to the water.

Best Time to Visit

Lazarou Beach operates through the main tourist season, which on Sifnos runs from late May through early October. July and August are the busiest months at Platis Yialos; the beach and its restaurants are at full capacity, and booking ahead for dinner is sensible.

June and September are the more comfortable windows — warm enough for swimming, noticeably less crowded, and with the full menu running. The Cyclades can be windy in July and August (the meltemi northerly blows hardest in midsummer), but a south-facing waterfront location like Platis Yialos gets some shelter on the windiest days.

Lunch at a waterfront restaurant in Greece means sitting in direct sun; bring or borrow shade. Early dinner, from around 7:30 PM onward, catches the last of the evening light while the temperature drops to something reasonable. The Facebook listing notes the venue as open until 9:00 PM, though hours on social listings should be confirmed directly.

Tips for Visiting

• Book ahead for dinner in high season. Platis Yialos restaurants fill up in July and August, especially on weekends. The Facebook page and Instagram are the most accessible ways to make contact given the current contact details (phone: +30 2284 071210; email: [email protected]; website: lazaroubeach.com).
• Verify hours before you go. Social media listings indicate closing around 9:00 PM, but hours can shift across the season. Calling ahead or checking the website is the safest move.
• Order the slow-cooked dishes if they're on the menu. Sifnos's culinary identity is built around long-cooked legumes and meats. A waterfront setting doesn't mean the kitchen defaults to tourist-grade grills.
• Combine with the beach. Platis Yialos is a swimming beach as well as a dining strip. A morning swim followed by a long lunch at Lazarou Beach is a standard day on this part of the island.
• For events or weddings, contact well in advance. The venue has a specific track record as a wedding location on Sifnos. If you're considering it for a private event, reach out through the website or social channels months before your target date, not weeks.
• Cash on hand. Sifnos has ATMs in Apollonia and Kamares, but smaller beach restaurants don't always have reliable card terminals. Worth checking, but having euros available avoids any friction.
• Transport back. The last bus from Platis Yialos to Apollonia runs in the evening, but schedules shift across the season. If you're planning a dinner, confirm the last bus time or arrange a taxi pickup in advance.
• Platis Yialos has several restaurants side by side. Lazarou Beach sits on the waterfront strip — the Instagram page and the Facebook listing are the most reliable way to identify the exact location before you arrive.

What to Order

Sifnos is one of the few Greek islands with a specific culinary canon, and any restaurant worth its salt here will reflect that. Revithada — chickpeas slow-cooked in a clay pot, typically with olive oil, onion, and lemon — is the island's signature dish, traditionally baked overnight in a wood oven. If it's on the menu, order it.

Fresh fish at a Platis Yialos waterfront restaurant will usually be priced by weight and sourced locally where possible; ask what came in that day rather than defaulting to the printed menu. Grilled octopus, fried zucchini, and tzatziki are standard supporting characters on a meal like this.

For wine, look for bottles from the Cyclades — Assyrtiko from Santorini is widely available and works well with seafood; Sifnos itself doesn't have a large commercial wine industry, but local labels and taverna carafes of house white are typical. Finish with a Greek coffee and loukoumades (fried dough balls with honey) if they're offered as dessert.