The real decision with Santorini restaurants isn’t which one is “best”. It’s which view, which village and how much of your budget you want to spend on a sunset. A front-row caldera table can cost twice what a fish taverna by a harbor charges for a better plate of fish, and the island’s most interesting cooking is often inland, where nobody is selling the view. Our advice: book one big caldera dinner early, then eat the rest of your meals in the villages, by the sea and at lunch.
Quick answer: For the best restaurants in Santorini with a view, look to the caldera in Oia, Imerovigli, Firostefani and Fira; for value and fresh fish, go to Vlychada, Akrotiri and the inland villages. On restaurants’ own menus checked on October 1, 2026, a pork gyros pita in Oia cost EUR 6.90, Santorini fava EUR 9.80 to 12, a taverna moussaka EUR 16 to 19, and a caldera set menu for two EUR 120 to 220.
Last updated October 6, 2026. We checked every independent restaurant below against its own website (menus, hours, booking rules) on October 1, 2026, and hotel restaurants against their hotels’ own sites in September 2026. This is a list of places, not a set of meal reviews: we say what each restaurant publishes and why it earns a place, and we don’t pretend to have eaten everything on the island.
- What changed: the MICHELIN Guide said in December 2025 that it would rate Santorini for the first time, with a selection due in the second half of 2026; check the MICHELIN Guide’s site to see whether it is out yet. Argo has moved from Fira to a new venue in Kontochori, and Koukoumavlos is listed as the restaurant of Katikies Chromata in Imerovigli.
- What it costs: from EUR 5.40 for a vegetarian pita in Oia to EUR 60-65 a head before drinks at Ambrosia, and EUR 120-220 for Kastro Oia’s set menus for two (menus checked October 1, 2026).
- Season: many restaurants run roughly April to October; Ambrosia and Argo publish exactly that window. From November the choice thins, especially outside Fira.
- The trap: sunset tables come with rules. Kastro Oia seats its sunset booking at 18:30 from September 9, and Ambrosia asks you to reconfirm two days ahead, give a card number and accept no refund for cancellations inside 72 hours.
- Ammoudi: the road down to Ammoudi’s waterfront tavernas is closed to private vehicles until March 31, 2027 under the 2026 Civil Protection measures, with municipal shuttles running in rotation.
On this page: Quick picks | How we chose | Where to eat by village | 16 restaurants | Prices | Booking and season | Vegetarian, vegan, kids | Restaurants with a view | What to eat | Food tours and classes | What’s changed | FAQ
Santorini Restaurants at a Glance: Quick Picks
Start here if you just need a name. Prices are as published on each restaurant’s own menu on October 1, 2026; where a menu wasn’t dated, the full entry says so.
| If you want | Try | Village | Price signal | Book? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A classic caldera sunset dinner | Kastro Oia | Oia | Set menus for two EUR 120-220 | Yes, sunset seating |
| Candlelit gourmet on the caldera | Ambrosia | Oia | EUR 60-65 a head before drinks | Yes, card required |
| Chef-led fine dining | Selene | Fira | Not published | Yes |
| A family taverna with a century of history | Aktaion | Firostefani | Moussaka EUR 19 (2026 menu) | Recommended |
| Meze with a rooftop sunset | Melitini | Oia | Moussaka EUR 16, octopus EUR 20 | Online |
| Fish by a working harbor | To Psaraki | Vlychada | Fava EUR 9.80, seafood orzotto EUR 26.80 | Yes |
| Seafood on the beach, with a story | The Cave of Nikolas | Akrotiri | Fish fillet of the day EUR 28 | Advised |
| Home cooking away from the crowds | Metaxi mas | Exo Gonia | No prices online | Call ahead |
| A fast, cheap meal | Pitogyros Grill House | Oia | Gyros pita EUR 6.90 | No, walk in |
| Dinner in a 400-year-old wine cellar | Alati at Vedema | Megalochori | Not published | Yes |
How We Chose These Restaurants
Every restaurant on this page passed three tests. Its own website (or its hotel’s) had to be live, with current hours or a booking route. It had to fill a real gap: a village, a budget, a cuisine or a kind of evening that nothing else on the list covers. And it had to be somewhere a visitor can actually book or walk into. No one paid to be listed, and the order below is by village, north to south, not a ranking.
The method has limits, and you should know them. Some well-loved Santorini tavernas have no website at all, so they aren’t here; that’s a gap in this list, not a verdict on their food. Hotel restaurants are listed only where the hotel names the restaurant and its chef or concept on its own site; ask when you book whether non-guests can reserve on your dates. Nothing here claims a MICHELIN star for a Santorini restaurant; check the Guide’s site for its first Santorini selection.
A note on price signals: we quote dishes from each restaurant’s own menu, because “EUR EUR EUR” symbols tell you little in a place where a Greek salad costs EUR 17 on the caldera and far less on the south coast. Where a menu was undated, or its website looked a year or two old, the entry says so. Kastro Oia’s menu notes that its food prices include 13% VAT and a 0.5% community tax, which is standard in Greece: the price you see is the price you pay, before any tip.
Where to Eat in Santorini, Village by Village
Where you eat shapes the evening more than what you order. Here’s what each part of the island is good for, with the restaurants from our list in each.
Oia. The most famous sunset and the most expensive tables. Kastro Oia sits beside the old castle at the tip of the village, Ambrosia offers candlelit caldera dinners, and Melitini serves meze from a roof terrace on the main road. For a cheap, fast meal, Pitogyros Grill House sells gyros near the bus stop. Oia’s hotels run some of the island’s most ambitious kitchens: Lycabettus at Andronis Luxury Suites, Botrini’s Santorini at Katikies Santorini, and Elements at Canaves Epitome, just outside the village above Ammoudi. Oia restaurants fill fastest in the hour before sunset, so book or eat early. The waterfront tavernas of Ammoudi Bay, below the village, are covered in our Oia, Santorini guide.
Fira and Firostefani. The biggest choice at every budget, from cliff-top terraces to souvlaki counters, and the easiest base without a car. Naoussa, a family restaurant since 1992, sits on the caldera cliff next to the Orthodox cathedral; Selene, led by chef Ettore Botrini, cooks inside Katikies Garden in central Fira; and Aktaion has fed Firostefani since 1922. Fira restaurants on the caldera side face the sunset; the streets behind them are cheaper and just as lively.
Imerovigli. Quieter, higher and more romantic than Oia, with views across to Skaros rock. Koukoumavlos is listed as the restaurant at Katikies Chromata, and Roka at Cavo Tagoo serves Japanese-inspired dishes off the grill. Imerovigli restaurants are fewer, and most belong to hotels, so book ahead.
Kontochori and the Fira outskirts. Argo, a Fira name for 15 years, has moved to a large new venue, Argo Village by Constantin, in Kontochori, about five minutes from the center, with Aegean views, a pool bar and wine tastings in an underground cellar.
Pyrgos, Megalochori and Exo Gonia. The inland villages are where you’ll find the best value and the most local cooking. Metaxi mas in Exo Gonia serves Cretan and Santorinian dishes on a porch below the village church. In Megalochori, the Vedema resort runs Alati, set in the 400-year-old wine cellar where the resort began. Pyrgos restaurants cluster around the lanes below the Kasteli, and a sunset from the top of the village followed by dinner on the way down is one of the island’s better evenings.
Kamari, Perissa and Perivolos. The black-sand beaches on the east and south coasts have long promenades of tavernas, beach bars and pizza places. Prices are lower, kids are welcome everywhere, and the view is the open sea rather than the caldera. Kamari restaurants line the beachfront walk; Perissa restaurants and the bars of Perivolos run along the sand. At Perivolos, the Istoria hotel’s Mr. E Restaurant serves modern Greek food all day, 12:00 to 20:00, on the beach.
Vlychada and Akrotiri. The south is for fish. To Psaraki sits above the fishing boats in Vlychada marina, and The Cave of Nikolas is a family seafood taverna on the beach at Akrotiri with a story that ties into the island’s archaeology. Both pair well with a day at the Akrotiri excavation or the south-coast beaches.
The Best Restaurants in Santorini: 16 Picks by Village
Sixteen restaurants, north to south, each chosen for a reason the others don’t cover. The first lines tell you the price level, the view and the village; the “Plan it” notes give hours, booking rules and dated prices from the restaurant’s own site.
1. Kastro Oia
Mid-to-high price, caldera and sunset, beside Oia’s castle. If you want the full Oia sunset with dinner attached, this is the address. The restaurant stands next to the old castle at the tip of the village, where the sunset crowds gather, and it has served Mediterranean food made with Santorini and Greek produce since 1990. It knows exactly what it’s for: the menu leans on set menus for two, and the site politely asks people not to stand in front of the restaurant or at other tables during the sunset, so everyone gets to see it.
Plan it: open daily 11:30 to midnight. Sunset bookings are seated at 18:30 from April 1 to May 15, 19:00 from May 16 to September 8 and 18:30 again from September 9; reserve on its own site or by phone. On October 1, 2026 its menu listed set menus for two at EUR 120 and EUR 125 (seafood) and a EUR 220 Sunset Menu with tuna tartare, mussels and lobster linguine; a la carte ran from a EUR 17 Greek salad to a EUR 42 lamb fillet, with VAT and the 0.5% community tax included. Best for: the once-a-trip Oia sunset dinner, booked well ahead.
2. Ambrosia
High-end, candlelit caldera terrace, Oia. Ambrosia is small and formal in the way Oia does formal: a candlelit panorama terrace over the caldera, plus two indoor rooms filled with antiques for cooler nights. The kitchen calls its food Greek gourmet with international flavors, and its 2026 menu marks vegan dishes clearly, including a ravioli filled with seitan and pumpkin, which you won’t find at many caldera restaurants. The restaurant describes itself in superlatives on its own website; we’d rather you judged the food.
Plan it: dinner only, 18:30 to 23:30 from May to August and from 18:00 in April, September and October, in two seatings in summer and three in the shoulder months. Its reservations page puts dinner at EUR 60-65 a head, without drinks or tip. Book on its own site, by phone or by email, then reconfirm two days ahead or lose the table; a card number secures it, and cancellations inside 72 hours aren’t refunded. Best for: couples marking an occasion, and vegans who want a caldera dinner too.
3. Melitini
Mid-price meze with a rooftop sunset, Oia. Two friends, Pantelis and Takis, moved to Santorini after years in Athens and opened Melitini as a meze restaurant: Greek small plates from family recipes, with ingredients from local producers and island wines. It sits on Oia’s main road, about 1.6 km from the village entrance sign, rather than on the cliff path, so you aren’t paying for a front-row caldera seat, yet its roof still catches the sunset. The menu labels gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan dishes, including a vegan Santorini fava.
Plan it: 13:00 to 21:30 (last seating), with the kitchen open until 22:00, for the 2026 season. Book through its own site or by phone; there’s a small parking area in front. Its menu listed octopus at EUR 20, moussaka at EUR 16, pappardelle with beef at EUR 17 and lamb souvlaki at EUR 18, with gluten-free pasta for EUR 3 extra. Best for: a table of shared plates in Oia without caldera prices.
4. Pitogyros Grill House
Budget gyros and charcoal grill, Oia. Not every meal in Oia needs a view. Pitogyros does pita gyros, souvlaki, kebab and its own handmade sausages, with meat roasted over charcoal, a short walk uphill from the bus stop, just left of a basketball court near the school. It’s also one of the easier places in Oia for a cheap vegetarian or vegan bite.
Plan it: 12:00 to 23:00. No reservations: put your name on the waiting list for a seat or order take-away at the cashier. Its menu listed a pork gyros pita at EUR 6.90, a pork souvlaki pita at EUR 6.70, a kebab pita at EUR 7.20, a vegetarian pita at EUR 5.40 and a vegan pita in carob bread with hummus at EUR 5.80; the menu page carries no year, so expect small rises. Best for: Santorini cheap eats before or after the Oia sunset crowds.
5. Lycabettus at Andronis Luxury Suites
Fine dining on the cliff, Oia. Andronis Luxury Suites, built into the cliff on Oia’s pedestrian street, bills its fine-dining restaurant, Lycabettus, as a one-time National Geographic cover, and the cliff-edge setting is the reason. If you’d rather eat simply under the same roof, the hotel’s second restaurant, Miltos’ Greek Table, serves traditional Greek food.
Plan it: dinner 18:30 to 22:00 (hotel site, September 2026). Ask for the current menu, prices and any minimum spend when you book, and confirm that non-guests can reserve on your dates. Best for: a special-occasion dinner where the setting is half the point.
6. Botrini’s Santorini at Katikies Santorini
A starred chef’s island outpost, Oia. Katikies Santorini, at the start of Oia’s main pedestrian street about 10 meters from the square by the church of Saint George, hosts Botrini’s Santorini, the island branch of Ettore Botrini’s Michelin-starred Athens restaurant. If you’re curious about Greek cooking at its most technical, this and Selene in Fira are two places on the island to taste it.
Plan it: book through the hotel, and ask about menus, prices and whether non-guests can reserve on your dates. Best for: serious food lovers who want a chef-driven dinner in Oia.
7. Elements at Canaves Epitome
Degustation dining above Ammoudi. Canaves Epitome stands just outside Oia, about 2 km from the center above the fishing harbor of Ammoudi, and its Elements restaurant serves degustation menus by chef Tassos Stefatos. The hotel’s second restaurant, Omnia, is built around a pool stage, and there’s a Sunset Lounge bar for a drink first.
Plan it: book through the hotel, and ask about menus, prices, non-guest bookings, access and parking when you reserve. Best for: a long tasting dinner away from the crush in central Oia.
8. Koukoumavlos at Katikies Chromata
Fine dining in Imerovigli. Katikies Chromata, 20 meters from Imerovigli’s main square and about 4 km beyond Fira, names Koukoumavlos as its main restaurant, with an aperitivo bar on the hotel’s top level. The restaurant’s old standalone website now shows a parked domain, so the hotel’s own site is the place to book.
Plan it: book through Katikies Chromata, and ask about prices when you book. The hotel doesn’t take children under 13 as guests, so ask about the restaurant’s policy if you’re dining with kids. Best for: a calmer caldera dinner than Oia, in a village known for its wide caldera views.
9. Aktaion
Mid-price family taverna since 1922, Firostefani. Lefteris Roussos rented the building that still houses Aktaion in 1922, and the third generation of the family, Vangelis Roussos, took over in 1984, so this is a century-old business on the caldera. It sits by the church of Saint Gerasimos and a cobbled square in Firostefani, about a fifteen-minute walk from Fira, with views of the caldera and the volcano. The menu reads like a primer in Santorini cooking: fava, korkosela, a Santorini salad with salt cod, octopus with fava and sweet capers, tomato fritters, chloro cheese and garlic pasta, plus moussaka from the oven.
Plan it: open Monday to Saturday 13:00 to midnight and Sunday from 18:00. It takes reservation calls in set windows (Monday to Saturday 13:00-19:30 and 21:00-23:30) or through the form on its own site. Its 2026 menu lists Santorini fava at EUR 10, homemade moussaka at EUR 19, grilled octopus with fava at EUR 21 and grilled sea bass fillet at EUR 25 (prices printed without a currency sign), with gluten-free dishes marked. Take-away is available. Best for: first-timers who want to taste the island’s classic dishes in one sitting.
10. Selene at Katikies Garden
Chef-led fine dining in central Fira. Selene is the restaurant inside Katikies Garden, in the center of Fira, and it is led by Ettore Botrini, whose Athens restaurant holds a MICHELIN star. The hotel also runs Selene Wine Bar, set in the yard of an 18th-century Catholic monastery, and Selene Wine Caves, so you can make a whole evening of it without leaving the building.
Plan it: book through Katikies Garden, and ask for the current menus, prices and whether non-guests can reserve. Katikies Garden is the group’s family-friendly hotel, the one its Imerovigli sister recommends to families with young children. Best for: Santorini fine dining in Fira, without the drive to Oia.
11. Naoussa
Mid-price Greek cooking on the Fira cliff. Brothers Kyriakos, in the kitchen, and Costas, running the floor, started Naoussa in 1992 and later moved it from the old tavern to the caldera cliff next to Fira’s Orthodox cathedral, where it looks over the caldera toward the sunset. The restaurant promises traditional Greek cooking at reasonable prices, which on this stretch of cliff is a promise worth testing.
Plan it: its site lists Monday to Saturday 12:00 to 00:30 and Sunday 12:00 to midnight, with phone and email booking. The site’s footer still says 2023 and its only online menu dates from 2021, so check prices on the spot. Best for: a caldera-view dinner in Fira that doesn’t need a special-occasion budget.
12. Argo Village by Constantin
A big new venue with Aegean views, Kontochori. For 15 years Argo was a Fira restaurant. Its own site now says it has moved to a 4,500-square-meter venue, Argo Village by Constantin, in Kontochori, about five minutes from Fira, with Aegean views from every corner. The kitchen, credited to Konstantinos Chatzopoulos and his team, cooks Greek and Mediterranean dishes with produce from its own hydroponic garden plus fresh fish, and the venue adds wine tastings in an underground cellar, cooking lessons and a pool bar.
Plan it: open daily from April to October, 12:00 to midnight. Book by phone, email or the reservation form on its own site, whose page title still says Fira even though the venue is in Kontochori. Its online menu is an old 2017 catalog, so ask for current prices when you book. Best for: groups, long lunches, and anyone who wants a cooking lesson or a pool with lunch.
13. Metaxi mas
Mid-price village cooking, Exo Gonia. Metaxi mas, Greek for “between us”, sits beside the church of Agios Charalambos in Exo Gonia, down a flight of stairs from the parking lot to a porch the restaurant compares to an island house’s. It cooks Cretan and Santorinian food with vegetables from its own kitchen garden: Santorini fava, baked white eggplant, fillet in Vinsanto sauce, pork chops in orange sauce, and a wine list chosen for pairing.
Plan it: book by phone between 12:00 and 23:00 or by email through its own site, which publishes neither prices nor season dates, so call ahead, especially outside high summer. You’ll want a car or a taxi. Best for: travelers who want the island’s home cooking in a real village.
14. Alati at Vedema
Dinner in a 400-year-old wine cellar, Megalochori. Vedema, a Luxury Collection resort inside the medieval village of Megalochori, grew out of a 400-year-old winery, and its Alati restaurant is set in the old canava, the cellar where the resort began. The resort also runs Trataro, a Canava Wine Bar and private dining.
Plan it: book through the resort, and ask about prices and non-guest reservations when you book. Arrive early and walk Megalochori’s lanes first. Best for: a romantic, atmospheric dinner with no caldera required.
15. To Psaraki
Mid-price fish taverna above Vlychada marina. The name means “the little fish”, and the restaurant sits above the marina where, it says, the boats dock every morning with the day’s catch, which it pairs with vegetables from its own farm. Pick from three settings: the veranda over the boats, a Cycladic courtyard or an upper-deck lounge. The kitchen’s own favorites are the cherry-tomato salad, fava, sea bass ceviche and a saffron seafood orzo.
Plan it: kitchen open 13:00 to 22:00; book by phone or email through its own site. Its menu listed Santorini fava at EUR 9.80, fish ceviche at EUR 22, linguine with shrimp at EUR 24.50 and seafood orzotto at EUR 26.80 (menu undated). It has an accessible restroom and baby-changing facilities, details few island restaurants publish. Best for: Santorini seafood at a fair price, after a morning on the south-coast beaches.
16. The Cave of Nikolas
Mid-price family seafood taverna on Akrotiri beach. The best origin story on the island: Uncle Nikolas dug a small cave by hand on Akrotiri beach to shelter himself and his boat, and Spyridon Marinatos, who led the Akrotiri excavation, suggested turning it into a tavern to feed the hungry excavation workers. His daughter Margarita took over in 1981, and the family now produces most of its own meat, cheese, vegetables and wine on its farm.
Plan it: open daily 13:00 to 23:00; book through its own site, by phone or by email. Its menu listed Santorini fava at EUR 12, fried calamari at EUR 14, fish fillet of the day at EUR 28, a seafood platter for two from EUR 40, and fresh fish by the kilo (sea bream EUR 45, lobster EUR 90). The site’s footer says 2024, so treat those prices as a floor. Best for: lunch after the Akrotiri excavation, with the sea a few steps away.
How Much Do Restaurants Cost in Santorini?
Santorini is one of the most expensive places to eat in Greece, but the spread is enormous, and the menu is not where most of the premium hides. These prices come straight from restaurants’ own menus as listed on October 1, 2026; check the last column before you rely on one.
| Dish | Where | Price | Menu date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetarian pita | Pitogyros, Oia | EUR 5.40 | Undated |
| Pork gyros pita with fries | Pitogyros, Oia | EUR 6.90 | Undated |
| Santorini fava | To Psaraki, Vlychada | EUR 9.80 | Undated |
| Santorini fava | Aktaion, Firostefani | EUR 10 | 2026 menu |
| Santorini fava | The Cave of Nikolas, Akrotiri | EUR 12 | Site dated 2024 |
| Moussaka | Melitini, Oia | EUR 16 | Undated |
| Greek salad | Kastro Oia | EUR 17 | Live menu, undated |
| Moussaka | Aktaion, Firostefani | EUR 19 | 2026 menu |
| Grilled octopus | Melitini, Oia | EUR 20 | Undated |
| Seafood orzotto | To Psaraki, Vlychada | EUR 26.80 | Undated |
| Fish fillet of the day | The Cave of Nikolas, Akrotiri | EUR 28 | Site dated 2024 |
| Lamb fillet | Kastro Oia | EUR 42 | Live menu, undated |
| Sea bream, by the kilo | The Cave of Nikolas, Akrotiri | EUR 45 per kg | Site dated 2024 |
| Dinner per person, food only | Ambrosia, Oia | EUR 60-65 | Booking page, undated |
| Set menu for two | Kastro Oia | EUR 120-220 | Live menu, undated |
Three patterns stand out. The same simple dish doesn’t swing as much as you’d fear: fava ran EUR 9.80 to 12 on every menu listed here, from the caldera to the south coast. Seafood is where bills balloon, especially fish priced by the kilo, so ask for the weight and the price before it’s cooked. And the real sunset premium sits in set menus, minimum spends and booking rules rather than in any single dish.
As a rough guide per person, before wine: EUR 10-15 for a pita and a drink; EUR 30-45 for a taverna meal of shared plates and a main; EUR 60-110 for a caldera dinner; and more again for a tasting menu. Greek menu prices already include VAT, so what you see is what you pay. Tipping isn’t compulsory, but leaving 5 to 10% in cash for good service is normal, and Ambrosia notes that its prices exclude tips. Santorini food prices rise a little most seasons, so read every number here as a floor, not a ceiling.
Reservations, Timing and Season
The caldera restaurants run on sunset time, and their booking rules show it. Kastro Oia seats its sunset bookings at 18:30 from April 1 to May 15 and again from September 9, and at 19:00 from May 16 to September 8. Ambrosia runs two dinner seatings from May to August and three in April, September and October, asks you to reconfirm two days ahead or lose the table, needs a card number on the confirmation day, and won’t refund a cancellation made less than 72 hours out. Treat a sunset booking like a flight: arrive on time, and read the terms.
- Sunset on the caldera, June to September: book as soon as your dates are firm, especially for a front-row table in Oia.
- Caldera dinners in shoulder season: a few days ahead is a sensible minimum, and more for weekends and holidays.
- Lunch, inland villages and beach tavernas: call the day before, or walk in at lunch; Pitogyros doesn’t take bookings at all.
- Hotel restaurants: ask at booking whether non-guests can reserve, and whether there’s a dress code or minimum spend.
Greeks eat late. Tavernas fill from about 21:00, while the caldera terraces are busiest in the hour before sunset. If you want a quiet table at a popular place, go early at lunch or late after the sunset crowd has paid.
Season matters more than most visitors expect. Ambrosia and Argo both publish an April-to-October season, Melitini announced its 2026 season without dates, and most of the others list daily hours with no season at all. Many island restaurants close or cut their hours from about November to March, especially outside Fira, so if you’re coming in winter, email or call before you plan a dinner around a particular place. Late October is still a good time to eat: the crowds have thinned, and the April-to-October restaurants are still open.
Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free and Eating With Kids
Greek cooking is kinder to vegetarians than its grilled-meat reputation suggests. Fava, tomato fritters, white eggplant, salads with fresh cheese, beans and the slow-cooked vegetable dishes called ladera are on almost every taverna menu. Vegans have a secret weapon in the Orthodox fasting tradition: ask for dishes that are nistisimo, which means made without meat, dairy or eggs, though they can include shellfish and octopus.
- Santorini vegan options: Ambrosia’s 2026 menu marks vegan dishes, including the seitan and pumpkin ravioli; Melitini labels vegan dishes, among them its fava; and Pitogyros in Oia sells a vegan pita in carob bread with hummus for EUR 5.80.
- Gluten-free: Melitini offers gluten-free pasta for EUR 3 extra, and Aktaion’s 2026 menu marks gluten-free dishes such as its grilled octopus and sea bass. Grilled fish and meat are usually safe; fried dishes and fritters usually aren’t.
- Kids: beach tavernas in Kamari, Perissa and Vlychada are the easiest, with space, sand and simple food. To Psaraki lists baby-changing facilities and an accessible restroom. Caldera restaurants often mean steps, low walls and late dinners, so book an early table and bring something to keep small hands busy.
- Allergies: say it plainly when you order, and ask how dishes are fried; many kitchens share fryers and use nuts in desserts.
Santorini Restaurants With a View: What Are You Paying For?
“Restaurant with a view” means four different things on this island, and they are priced very differently. Decide which one you want before you book.
- The caldera at sunset (Oia, Imerovigli, Firostefani, Fira). The cliff villages on the west side look across the flooded crater to Thirasia and the volcano, and from spring to autumn the sun drops toward the sea in front of you. This is the most expensive real estate in Greek dining, and the front row goes first. When you book, ask whether the best tables carry a minimum spend or a set menu, and what happens if you’re ten minutes late.
- The caldera by day. The same terraces at lunch are far easier to book, the light is better for photographing the caldera itself, and you can see what you’re eating. If the view matters more than the sunset, lunch is the smart play, and some of the best kitchens on the cliff are calmer at noon.
- The open sea (Kamari, Perissa, Perivolos, Vlychada). The east and south coasts face away from the sunset, toward the morning sun and the open Aegean. Beach tavernas here are cheaper, more relaxed and easier with kids, and you eat with sand on your feet.
- The countryside (Pyrgos, Megalochori, Exo Gonia, Vothonas). The inland villages look over vineyards and down to the east coast. The views are wide rather than dramatic, the food is often better value, and plenty of the other tables are filled by people who live here.
A sunset table in Oia is a show: the terraces fill, the crowd at the castle grows, and when the sun finally goes, people often clap. In Imerovigli and Firostefani the view is just as good and the mood is calmer, because nobody is performing for the person at the next table. Fira’s cliff terraces sit somewhere in between and have the most choice at every budget. If you want sunset with dinner rather than sunset as dinner, book about an hour before the sun goes down so you’re settled and ordered when the light turns. Sunset moves by more than two hours between June and December, so check the time for your dates before you pick a slot.
One more thing the photos don’t show: caldera terraces can be windy, especially in early and late season, and a September or October evening on the cliff can turn cool fast. Bring a layer, and ask for a table out of the wind if the meltemi is blowing. Nobody enjoys a tasting menu with a napkin flapping in their face.
What to Eat in Santorini: The Dishes Worth Ordering
Santorini’s soil is mostly volcanic ash and pumice, it barely rains from late spring to autumn, and the wind rarely stops. The crops that survive are small, slow-growing and intensely flavored, and the island’s cooking is built around them. Order these at least once:
- Fava. A smooth yellow puree made from a local legume, Lathyrus clymenum (not split peas, whatever the menu translation says), topped with raw onion, capers and olive oil. Fava Santorinis has held EU Protected Designation of Origin status since 2011, and Santorini fava is the dish to judge a taverna by.
- Tomatokeftedes. Tomato fritters made with the island’s small, thick-skinned cherry tomato, Tomataki Santorinis, which also has protected status under EU rules. Every taverna makes them, and they range from greasy to excellent; a good batch is crisp outside and almost jammy inside.
- White eggplant. A pale local variety, usually grilled, fried or baked, and said to be sweeter and less bitter than the purple kind.
- Capers and caper leaves. Caper bushes grow out of the volcanic rock all over the island; the pickled buds and leaves turn up in salads, on fava and with fish.
- Chlorotyri. A soft, fresh goat cheese with a slight sourness, used in place of feta in the best Santorini salads.
- Seafood. Grilled octopus, small fried fish and whole fresh fish, which is priced by the kilo. Ask to see the fish and its weighed price before it goes on the grill.
- Wine. Assyrtiko, the island’s mineral dry white, and Vinsanto, its sweet wine made from sun-dried grapes, both carry PDO status and come from vines trained low in kouloura baskets against the wind.
Two habits will improve every meal. First, order in the Greek way: several small plates for the table, then one or two mains to share, rather than a starter and a main each. Second, ask what’s local and what’s in season, and order that; a kitchen proud of its fava or its fish will tell you so. Santorini food at its best is simple, and the simple dishes show the kitchen’s quality faster than anything on a tasting menu.
Food Tours, Cooking Classes and Wineries
If you want food to be the point of a day rather than a break in it, you have three good options.
- A Santorini food tour. A guide strings together tastings in a village or two, usually mixing a bakery, a taverna or meze stop, local products and a glass of wine. It’s the fastest way to learn what to order for the rest of your trip, so do it early.
- A Santorini cooking class. Classes are typically held in a family kitchen, a farm or a winery, and they almost always cover fava, tomatokeftedes and a salad. Check whether lunch with wine is included and whether the class picks you up, because many are inland.
- A winery afternoon. Santorini’s wineries pour Assyrtiko and Vinsanto with the vineyards in front of you, and several serve food. Our guide to the Santorini wineries covers which ones to visit and how to book them.
A caution on all three: they’re sold hard through hotel desks and booking apps, and the cheapest versions can be little more than a bus and a buffet. Book directly with the operator or winery when you can, read what’s included, and look for small groups.
What’s Changed in 2025 and 2026
Restaurant lists go stale faster than almost anything else in travel writing. These are the changes we found while checking this page.
| Restaurant or rule | Before | Now (checked September-October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| MICHELIN Guide | Santorini not rated; Greece’s selection covered Athens | First Santorini selection announced in December 2025 for the second half of 2026; check the MICHELIN Guide’s site for it |
| Argo | A Fira restaurant for 15 years | Argo Village by Constantin, a new venue in Kontochori, about five minutes from Fira |
| Koukoumavlos | Its own website | Old domain parked and for sale; listed as the main restaurant of Katikies Chromata, Imerovigli |
| Ammoudi Bay tavernas | Drive or take a taxi down to the water | Road closed to private vehicles until March 31, 2027 under the 2026 Civil Protection measures; municipal shuttles run in rotation |
| Anogi, Imerovigli | Website live | Site returned an error on every page on October 1, 2026; season unconfirmed |
What to Skip
- A caldera dinner every night. You’ll pay for the same view seven times. Do one or two, and eat the rest in villages and by the sea.
- Ordering fish without asking the price. Fish by the kilo is the fastest way to a shock on the bill. Ask for the weight and the total first.
- Arriving late for a sunset seating. Kastro Oia and Ambrosia run fixed seatings; a missed sunset table rarely comes back.
- Driving down to Ammoudi for dinner. The road is closed to private vehicles until March 31, 2027.
- Assuming everything is open in winter. Several of the best-known restaurants publish an April-to-October season.
Santorini Restaurants FAQ
Are restaurants expensive in Santorini?
Some are, but you choose how much. On restaurants’ own menus on October 1, 2026, a gyros pita in Oia cost EUR 6.90 and Santorini fava EUR 9.80 to 12, while a caldera dinner at Ambrosia runs EUR 60-65 a head before drinks and Kastro Oia’s set menus for two cost EUR 120 to 220.
What are the best restaurants in Santorini with a view?
For the caldera at sunset, look at Kastro Oia beside Oia’s castle, Ambrosia’s candlelit terrace in Oia, Aktaion in Firostefani and Naoussa on the Fira cliff. For sea views at lower prices, To Psaraki in Vlychada overlooks a fishing harbor, and Argo Village in Kontochori looks out over the Aegean.
Where can I eat cheaply in Santorini?
Gyros and souvlaki shops are the cheapest sit-down meals; Pitogyros in Oia listed pitas from EUR 5.40 to EUR 7.20. Beyond that, eat lunch rather than dinner on the caldera, choose tavernas in Fira’s back streets, the inland villages and the beach towns, and share plates of fava, salads and fritters.
Do I need reservations for Santorini restaurants?
For a caldera table at sunset, yes, and early in summer: Kastro Oia and Ambrosia run fixed sunset seatings, and Ambrosia requires reconfirmation and a card. For lunch, beach tavernas and village restaurants, a call the day before is usually enough, and some casual places, like Pitogyros, don’t take bookings at all.
What food is Santorini known for?
Fava, a yellow puree of a local legume with EU protected status since 2011; tomatokeftedes made with the protected Santorini cherry tomato; white eggplant; capers and caper leaves; chlorotyri, a fresh goat cheese; and fresh seafood. To drink, there’s Assyrtiko, the island’s dry white, and Vinsanto, its sweet wine.
Does Santorini have Michelin-star restaurants?
Not yet. The MICHELIN Guide announced in December 2025 that it would rate Santorini for the first time, with the selection due in the second half of 2026, so check the Guide’s site for it. Ettore Botrini, whose Athens restaurant holds a star, cooks at Selene and Botrini’s Santorini.
Are Santorini restaurants open in winter?
Fewer of them. Ambrosia and Argo publish an April-to-October season, and many island restaurants close or shorten hours from about November to March, especially outside Fira. Fira usually keeps the most choice year-round. If you’re visiting in winter, contact a restaurant before you plan around it.
Is Santorini good for vegetarians and vegans?
Yes, more than you might expect. Fava, salads, fritters and vegetable dishes are everywhere, and asking for nistisimo dishes gets you food without meat, dairy or eggs. Ambrosia and Melitini label vegan dishes on their menus, and Pitogyros in Oia sells a vegan pita for EUR 5.80.
Related Santorini Guides
- Santorini wineries: tastings, Assyrtiko and Vinsanto
- Oia, including Ammoudi Bay’s waterfront tavernas
Sources and How We Checked
We checked each restaurant’s own website for hours, booking rules and menu prices on October 1, 2026, and hotel restaurants on their hotels’ own sites between September 24 and October 1, 2026.
- MICHELIN Guide: the Guide expands in Greece for 2026 (December 17, 2025)
- Kastro Oia (sunset seating times, menu and set menus)
- Ambrosia (hours, seatings, reservation policy, 2026 menu)
- Aktaion (history, hours, 2026 menu)
- To Psaraki and The Cave of Nikolas (menus, hours, history)
- Argo Village by Constantin (the move to Kontochori)
- European Commission: Fava Santorinis PDO
Santorini Tourism Guide is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with the Municipality of Thira, the Greek National Tourism Organisation, the MICHELIN Guide, the restaurants and hotels named here or any business listed here, and no one paid to be included.
Photo Credits
- Fira cliff restaurant terraces at dusk: photo by Jules Verne Times Two, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Fira caldera walkway: photo by Olaf Tausch, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
- Grilled octopus, Monolithos: photo by Klearchos Kapoutsis from Santorini, Greece, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Imerovigli roof terrace: photo by LBM1948, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Tomatokeftedes: photo by Sam Holt, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Fava threshing, Emporio: photo by Klearchos Kapoutsis from Santorini, Greece, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Salad with goat cheese and capers, Perivolos: photo by Klearchos Kapoutsis from Santorini, Greece, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)