Hi everyone, this is the Santorini Dave guide to the best restaurants in Santorini.
Let’s get right into it.
Santorini is full of fabulous places to eat.
You’ll find food from around the world on the plaza in Fira, to the finest of romantic
candle-lit dining.
From the popular caldera towns to the inland villages, there’s fresh seafood and traditional
Greek cuisine mixed with other Mediterranean flavors, great wines and innovative cocktails.
Before we get into showcasing our favorites, know that all of the restaurants featured
in this video are reviewed in far greater depth in our Santorini Travel Guide at SantoriniDave.com,
plus you can find links to our other detailed videos including Where To Stay, Things to
Do, Best Hotels, Best Wineries, Boat Tours, and more.
And if you like this great content, then make sure to subscribe to this channel as we are
always adding new videos.
And here we go…
The Athenian House in Imerovigli is elegant
and romantic, with some of the best caldera and sunset views of any restaurant in Santorini.
Lead by renown Greek chefs, you can expect a fabulous culinary experience and one of
the largest collections of Santorini wines.
The small interior dining space is decorated in vintage Athenian style, while outdoors
is a large multi-tiered terrace with expansive views.
Make sure to book months in advance.
Metaxi Mas is another fabulous choice, lead by 2 brothers for more than 20 years.
Tucked away from the crowds and off the beaten path in the hilltop village of Exo Gonia,
you’ll be amazed by the stunning views of the ocean and surrounding villages.
For the outstanding quality of food here, prices are very reasonable, with plenty of
seafood, meat and vegetarian options available.
It’s an excellent place for a romantic or casual dinner.
Some guests choose to dress up, but it’s not formal by any means.
Advance reservations are recommended, as there is almost always a line.
Selene is a fancy fine dining restaurant inside of a gorgeous former monastery in Fira.
The building is now home to Katikies Garden Hotel, the only 5-star hotel in Fira.
In its 35th year, Selene was previously located in the hilltop village of Pyrgos, and in it’s
new home is now lead by a Michelin-starred chef.
The primary dining area is outdoors in the beautiful courtyard with a fountain at its
center, and an iron pergola houses the stylish bar.
The menu, cooking classes and wine tastings all promote Santorini and Cycladic cuisines.
Cava Alta is a fabulous gem of a restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine in the hilltop
village of Pyrgos.
Tucked into a maze of alleyways, it’s housed inside a century old Santorini winery, and
run by a charming young couple.
There’s an interior dining room, and a cafe style patio with tables out front, but it’s
the shaded rooftop patio with sweeping views out to the sea that’s perfect for lunch
or dinner.
Yalos is a trendy and unique beachfront restaurant, located on beautifully secluded Exo Gialos
Beach.
It’s an idyllic location about a 10 minute drive directly east of Fira.
The food is excellent and the vibe is very chill.
The owner’s grandfather used to park his boat in the cave which now houses the kitchen.
His mother still cooks inside, preparing delicious and quintessentially Santorinian dishes.
There’s an active bar with live DJs late into the night, and the restaurant extends
out into the sand with sun beds and a variety of shady spaces to relax and pass the day.
Yalos hosts a variety of special live performances, and is a great location for weddings and event
rentals.
Ammoudi Fish Tavern is our favorite choice of the handful of great restaurants serving
fresh seafood along the iconic waterfront at Ammoudi Bay below Oia.
There’s a large deck patio that extends out over the water as well as tiers of seating
patios rising up and looking over the bay, all with amazing views.
It’s a perfect spot for a romantic meal any time of day, or to sip cocktails while
watching the popular and frequent caldera boat tours come and go from the harbor.
Candouni in Oia is a charming family owned restaurant tucked back into the backside of
Oia.
Just off a narrow alley lined with boutiques and charming shops, this candlelit garden
patio under bougainvillea filled arbors is exceptionally romantic.
There are two intimate interior dining rooms, just outside the kitchen, and a quaint bar
that’s perfect for a cocktail before a night out on the town or a night cap after dining
elsewhere, with live traditional Greek music most nights.
Panigyri Festival Food is located along a busy street in downtown Fira, with a beautiful
garden patio, and a theme inspired by Greek feasts,
serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Cooked in a wood-fired oven, they offer new twists on traditional Greek dishes, with an
impressive collection of various olive oils, paired to go with each dish.
There’s funky decor, and a lively bar with live music during the evenings.
Argo is a popular multi-tiered restaurant along a busy thoroughfare in Fira.
Expect romantic patios filled with candle-lit tables under overhanging bougainvillea, in
a festive atmosphere.
There are better caldera views nearby, but the food here is excellent, with modern twists
on traditional Greek and Santorinian dishes.
Naoussa, is another great choice, very centrally located near the Orthodox Cathedral in Fira,
in the heart of the main pedestrian plaza.
The menu is very traditionally Greek, with occasional live music, and more than occasional
plate smashing.
The caldera and sunset views here are fabulous too.
At the other end of the same plaza, is another casual tavern, Ouzeri, also in the heart of
Fira.
You’ll find traditional Greek meze platters, small portions meant to share, with great
views toward the non-caldera coast of the island.
It’s large and airy, with very reasonable prices and great food.
Cacio e Pepe serves authentic Italian cuisine, the best on Santorini, in the heart of busy
Fira.
You’ll find fresh handmade pizzas and fresh handmade pastas are the signature, with a
large selection of Italian wines.
It’s great for families and large groups, as well as romantic dinners on the patio,
and is popular with locals as well.
Roka, on the backside of Oia, is tucked back off a quiet pedestrian lane away from the
village’s main hustle.
Upfront is a comfy garden patio, and a back porch dining area with west facing sunset
views out over the water, and a small play area for children.
Inside are two brightly painted interior dining rooms, with a wood stove that’s active on
cool nights.
Elinikon is a traditional cafe with authentic Greek meze and affordable prices, near the
windmills of Oia.
The ground floor and rooftop terrace here have some of the best sunset views of any
restaurant in Oia, with amazing unobstructed vistas out over the ocean.
Karma is another courtyard restaurant tucked away in Oia, with a cozy garden full of plants
around a central fountain.
They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with many vegan and vegetarian choices based on
healthy modern takes on traditional Greek island cuisine.
Ambrosia is one of the most romantic and well known fine dining restaurants, located just
off the main pedestrian thoroughfare in Oia.
Outside are 2 very small exterior patios with fabulous caldera views.
Inside, the intimate cave dining room is decorated with Greek antiques.
You’ll want to linger forever at their candle lit tables overlooking the volcano.
Lotza in Oia has been open since 1982.
With beautiful caldera views, there’s a casual, laid back environment throughout the
day, followed by a romantic vibe in the evening around sunset.
Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, it’s a great spot for a meal or cold drinks and
dessert at any time.
The baklava here is legendary.
In Imerovigli, we love Avocado restaurant.
They offer extremely warm, welcoming service, with sunset views from across the street if
not right up on the caldera.
It’s a great choice for lunch or dinner, with traditional Greek standards including
seafood and meat dishes with plenty of vegetarian options.
And they’ve recently opened a second restaurant, Dear Ellie just a few doors down with excellent
cocktails, and a rooftop patio where you can see both the sunrise and sunset from.
Anogi on the main plaza in Imerovigli back from the caldera is relatively new and very
reasonably priced.
You’ll find the owners warm and generous, the atmosphere casual and trendy, and the
food excellent.
There are also lots of fabulous hotel restaurants with stunning caldera views.
Virtually all of the best hotels from Fira to Oia also have excellent restaurants, which
tend to be on the fancier end of the spectrum.
At all of these establishments featured in this video, and especially during the summer
months, you will want to make reservations ahead of time, and remember to let them know
that you heard about them on SantoriniDave.
If you enjoyed this video, please remember to like and subscribe to see more super useful
travel videos about Greece and beyond from SantoriniDave.com
Thanks for watching.