Spending the summer on a Greek island is almost a cliché. Doing it with style and expertise, however, is something altogether more distinctive. Yapa Antiparos belongs firmly in the latter category. This seasonal venue, housed within the former Folklore Museum of Antiparos, is dedicated to showcasing the island’s remarkable aromatic wealth. Both the kitchen and cocktail programme at Yapa Antiparos celebrate unusual botanicals — such as mastic and Phoenician juniper — and ingredients drawn from the island’s resilient biodiversity, shaped by its volcanic, semi-arid landscape.
Yapa Antiparos, from the heart of Milan to the beaches of the Cyclades
The essentials first. Yapa is a Milan-based restaurant and cocktail bar that has built its identity around an openness to the world. Chef Matteo Pancetti has created a menu that blends South American and Asian influences with touches of Italy, while bar manager Matias Sarli complements the cuisine with cocktail pairings inspired by distant flavours and cultures.
Until August 31, 2026, this experience will define the offering at Yapa Antiparos, naturally incorporating everything the island can provide in terms of agriculture and culinary heritage. “Despite the island’s dry and windy nature, Antiparos reveals an extraordinary aromatic richness,” says Sarli. “These botanicals have become a new vocabulary for us, allowing us to create cocktails that remain true to Yapa’s nomadic spirit while being deeply rooted in the island itself.”
Local ingredients and biodiversity
Working with local ingredients is easier said than done. Turning intentions into reality requires a deep understanding of a place and strong relationships with the people who live and cultivate it.
That is why the months leading up to the opening of Yapa Antiparos were devoted to exploring local farms, fishing boats and small island producers. As a result, the restaurant menu features some of Yapa Milan’s signature dishes alongside local cheeses, Paros olive oil, locally raised lamb, traditional bread, Greek basil, tomatoes, edible flowers and fish caught daily in the surrounding waters. Completing the picture is a vegetable garden cultivated directly by the Yapa Antiparos team.
A one-of-a-kind cocktail list
The same philosophy informs the drinks programme, with cocktails built around native fruits and botanicals. Among them are wild olives, figs, thyme, mastic, Phoenician juniper and the Mediterranean shrubs that define the Cyclades landscape.
One example is the signature cocktail Thanasis, made with tsipouro — the classic Greek white spirit — alongside mastic, Mediterranean salt and capers. Mastic also appears in the Nomádas, where it is combined with mezcal, a citrus blend, wild fennel and green chilli. Another standout is the alcohol-free 00 Figs, a mix of fig and mint cordial, fig-leaf soda, citric solution and dealcoholised blue agave.
One final note for those planning a visit to Yapa Antiparos: the venue opens at 7:30 p.m., with two dinner seatings followed by a late-night cocktail experience.
Images courtesy of Yapa
