Best Restaurants in Santorini 2026: Where Locals and Foodies Eat
Last updated: May 29, 2026
I have spent a lot of time on Santorini, and I will tell you the honest truth: the food scene here is both extraordinary and easy to get wrong. The caldera-view restaurants in Oia get all the Instagram attention, but the most memorable meals I have had on this island were in a low-ceilinged taverna in Exo Gonia, and on a plastic chair at a fish shack in Vlychada. Santorini has world-class dining at every price point. You just need to know where to look.
This guide covers the restaurants our team at Discover Cyclades actually returns to, organised by area and vibe so you can match a meal to the moment. Whether you are celebrating an anniversary with a caldera view, hunting for genuine Greek village food, or just want the best souvlaki after a long beach day, there is something here for you.
If you are still planning your trip, our Santorini island guide covers the big picture, and our Santorini where to stay guide will help you pick the right base for the kind of dining you want.
The Quick Answer
| What You Want | Where to Go |
|---|---|
| Fine dining, Michelin calibre | Selene (Pyrgos) |
| Best sunset and caldera view | 1800 Floga / Lycabettus (Oia) |
| Authentic local taverna | Metaxi Mas (Exo Gonia) |
| Fresh seafood | To Psaraki (Vlychada) or Ammoudi Bay |
| Vegetarian-friendly | Selene or Roka (Oia) |
| Best value meal | Souvlaki grill in Fira or Metaxi Mas |
Caldera-View Fine Dining: Oia and Imerovigli
This is the category most visitors come for, and it delivers, provided you plan ahead.
1800 Floga sits inside a restored sea captain's mansion in Oia. The setting alone would justify the visit, but the kitchen takes things seriously too. Expect contemporary Greek dishes built on Santorini specialities: silky fava puree, tomatokeftedes with sun-dried tomato sauce, white aubergine with miso. Price band: €€€. Book four to six weeks ahead for a sunset table in summer.
Lycabettus is one of the oldest fine-dining addresses in Oia, built into the caldera cliff with tiered terraces that give almost every table an unobstructed view. The menu leans toward refined Mediterranean with strong Greek ingredients. Sommelier service is excellent, and the Assyrtiko wine list covers the best producers on the island. Price band: €€€.
Roka offers a calmer version of the Oia experience. It is small and low-key, with a short menu of well-executed mezze and grilled fish. The mood is relaxed and the prices are friendlier than the grand cliff-side spots nearby. If you want the Oia ambience without the full ceremony, this is where to go. Price band: €€.
For Imerovigli, the village sitting directly above the caldera between Oia and Fira, the Vedema Resort dining room (connected to the wider Vezene group) delivers polished modern Greek in a boutique-hotel setting. It is quieter than Oia and the views are just as dramatic. Price band: €€€.
One piece of practical advice: sunset tables at all Oia restaurants book up in July and August weeks in advance. Our guide to things to do in Santorini has a full section on timing your sunset experience.
Modern Greek and Fine Dining Inland: Pyrgos
Selene is the name that comes up first whenever serious food lovers ask about Santorini. It moved from Fira to the medieval hilltop village of Pyrgos a few years ago, and the relocation was inspired. The restaurant occupies a beautifully restored stone building with views over the vineyards and the sea beyond. Chef Ettore Botrini (and before him the long legacy of founder Giorgos Hatziyannakis) built a cuisine that is entirely rooted in the Santorini landscape: fava from Santorini fields, cherry tomatoes grown in volcanic soil, white aubergine that you will not find anywhere else in Greece, and Assyrtiko wine from plots just kilometres away.
The tasting menu is worth every euro for a special occasion. There is also a more relaxed bistro menu for lunch. Selene is effectively Michelin-tier without the Michelin price inflation of, say, Athens or Paris. Price band: €€€.
To get to Pyrgos comfortably, especially if you want to enjoy a bottle of Assyrtiko, renting a car is helpful. See our Santorini car rental guide for options.
Beloved Tavernas Inland: Exo Gonia and Megalochori
Metaxi Mas in Exo Gonia might be the most beloved restaurant on the island. It looks nothing special from the outside, a tidy village house at the end of a quiet road, but inside it is always full, always loud, and the food is exactly what you want after a day of touring. The menu reads like the greatest hits of Greek taverna cooking: grilled octopus, lamb chops, spanakopita, grilled halloumi, and a mountainous horiatiki salad. Portions are large, the house wine is decent, and the bill comes as a pleasant surprise.
The catch: everyone knows about Metaxi Mas now. It fills up on most nights even in shoulder season. Book ahead. If you arrive without a reservation in August, expect to wait. Price band: €€.
Smaller family tavernas in Megalochori and around Pyrgos reward explorers who drive off the main road. Many have no website and take reservations by phone only. Part of the joy is discovering them yourself, ideally on a hired scooter or after picking up a car at the port.
Italian and International Options: Fira
Santorini has a strong Italian restaurant scene, partly because the island attracts a large Italian visitor base who demand quality pasta.
Barolo in Fira is widely regarded as the best Italian restaurant on the island. The handmade pasta is the main event: tagliatelle with wild boar ragu, cacio e pepe done properly, and seasonal risotto. The wine list covers both Italian labels and Santorini whites. Reservations recommended in peak season. Price band: €€.
Cacio e Pepe (the standalone restaurant, not just the dish) is a smaller, more casual Italian option in Fira that wins consistently on value. It is ideal for a laid-back dinner when you want comfort food without the ceremony. Price band: €-€€.
Beefbar Santorini is part of the international Beefbar group and brings a sleek steakhouse concept to the island. It is a good choice for a group with mixed tastes, since the menu is broad and the quality of the meat is reliably high. It skews more international than Greek, which is fine when you simply want a great steak with a cold Assyrtiko. Price band: €€€.
Seafood: Ammoudi Bay and Vlychada
Santorini is not primarily a fishing island, but its two best seafood addresses are worth the detour.
Ammoudi Bay sits at the bottom of the steep staircase below Oia, a tiny horseshoe harbour with a handful of tables right at the water's edge. The fish here, grilled whole and served simply, is as fresh as it gets. It is touristy, it is not cheap, but the setting is hard to beat at golden hour with a glass of local white. Multiple small tavernas share the harbour. None is dramatically better than the others; just pick the one with available seats. Price band: €€-€€€.
To Psaraki in Vlychada, the fishing harbour on the south coast, is a more local experience. The tables sit among the traditional cave houses carved into the pumice cliffs. The menu follows whatever came in on the boats that morning: sea bream, red mullet, prawns, grilled cuttlefish. You will need a car or scooter to reach Vlychada, but it is well worth the drive. Price band: €€.
Our ferry routes guide for Athens to Santorini is helpful if you are planning arrival timing around a dinner booking.
Santorini Specialities You Should Order
Wherever you eat on the island, seek out these dishes that are unique to Santorini:
Fava: A smooth split-pea puree made from Santorini's own yellow fava beans, which grow in the volcanic soil and develop an earthy sweetness you will not find in mainland versions. Served warm with capers and olive oil.
Tomatokeftedes: Fried tomato fritters made from the island's tiny, intensely flavoured cherry tomatoes. They look simple and taste extraordinary. Every taverna makes them slightly differently.
White aubergine: A pale, almost white variety of aubergine grown only in Santorini. Sweeter and less bitter than regular aubergine. Try it grilled, in a salad, or stuffed.
Assyrtiko wine: The island's flagship grape variety, grown in basket-trained vines that spiral low to the ground to survive the Meltemi wind. It makes a crisp, high-acid, mineral white wine that pairs brilliantly with seafood and mezze. Our Santorini wineries guide covers the best producers and tastings.
Budget Eating: Souvlaki and Everyday Spots
Not every meal on Santorini needs to be a production. The island has good souvlaki and gyros shops in Fira and Kamari that serve proper Greek fast food for 3 to 5 euros a wrap. Look for places with a queue of locals at lunchtime. They are often unlisted on the big review platforms and found by walking one street back from the main tourist drag.
Kamari, the beach resort on the east coast, also has a long strip of relaxed tavernas where you can eat a full meal for 20 to 30 euros per person without skimping. It is a good base for budget-conscious travellers. Our Santorini hotels guide has picks at every price level.
Reservations and Tips
A few practical points to save you from a frustrating evening:
Book sunset tables early. Any restaurant with a direct caldera view in Oia or Imerovigli will fill their best tables four to eight weeks in advance in July and August. This is not an exaggeration. If a special occasion dinner at sunset matters to you, book before you book your flights.
Call to confirm. Always call or email your restaurant reservation the day before. Santorini restaurants do cancel bookings occasionally when they are overbooked, and it is better to discover this on the phone than when you arrive hungry at 8pm.
Go inland for value. Every euro you save on not paying for a caldera view goes straight into wine and food quality. The best value-for-money meals on the island are in Exo Gonia, Pyrgos, and Megalochori. Rent a car or scooter and explore.
Eat late like the Greeks. Local tavernas often do not fill up until 9pm. If you want the most authentic atmosphere and the freshest grilled fish, arrive later rather than at the tourist rush of 7pm.
Try the local wine first. Assyrtiko from Santorini is one of the great white wines of Greece and genuinely world-class. It is also significantly cheaper on the island than anywhere else. Start with a local bottle before reaching for imported labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best restaurant in Santorini? Selene in Pyrgos is widely considered the finest restaurant on the island, offering Michelin-calibre modern Greek cuisine using local Santorini produce. For caldera views paired with excellent food, 1800 Floga and Lycabettus in Oia are the top choices.
Where can I eat with the best sunset or caldera view in Santorini? Oia and Imerovigli offer the most dramatic caldera-view dining. Lycabettus and 1800 Floga in Oia are both excellent for a special sunset dinner. Roka in Oia is a more relaxed option with lovely views at a friendlier price point.
What is the best authentic taverna in Santorini? Metaxi Mas in Exo Gonia is the island favourite for honest, generous Greek cooking at fair prices. It fills up every night, so book ahead. Inland villages like Pyrgos and Megalochori also hide small family tavernas that most tourists never discover.
Are restaurants in Santorini expensive? Santorini dining ranges widely. A caldera-view fine dining meal for two will cost 120 euros or more. An inland taverna meal with wine runs 40 to 60 euros. Souvlaki and gyros from a local grill cost 3 to 5 euros per wrap, and the quality is excellent.
Do you need reservations at Santorini restaurants? Yes, especially for sunset-view tables in Oia and Imerovigli, which book up weeks in advance during July and August. Selene, Metaxi Mas, and Beefbar Santorini also fill quickly. Book as early as possible, and always confirm your reservation a day before.
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