Dining

Much of the food in Greece is prepared from fresh meat and vegetables along with simple flavoring. Here you will mostly find lunch that consists of mezedes, or hors d'oeuvres. Usual dishes comprise of fried meatballs, filled vine leaves, tzatziki (garlicky yogurt and cucumbers), squash balls, octopus, squid and olives. Other dishes include eggplant dip, small sausages, giant beans and shrimp. You will come across mezedes at an ouzeri (offering ouzo, an anise-flavored liqueur) or at a mezedopolio (offering wine or beer made in Greece). An ouzeri as well as mezedopolio are open only during the day.

For dinner, Greek tavernas offer special dishes like moussaka (lamb, eggplant and bechamel sauce), kabobs and paidakia (grilled lamb or goat chops). Some other restaurants offer pastitsio (lamb or goat meat along with macaroni and tomatoes) and stifado (braised beef with onions).

You will find a large number of restaurants, Greek Tavernas and ouzerie, in all tourist regions of Santorini. In Thira and Oia, you will come across plenty of moderately and expensively priced eating joints serving a wide variety of food. You must try the fried tomato balls or tomato keftades, one of the local specialties and ask for local tomatoes when ordering for salads. Tomato keftades are made preferably from small tomatoes, onions, and bread, salt and pepper. Another local specialty is kapari, a kind of vegetable spice produced on the island. It is almost the size of a pea and has a good taste. It is used in Greek salads along with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, feta cheese and olive oil.

A. Top Restaurants

Ampelos Restaurant

Address:

Fabrica Center,

Fira,

847 00 Santorini,

Greece

Phone No.: +30 22860 25554

Fax No.: +30 22860 25554

Web: http://www.ampelos.com.gr

This is a rooftop restaurant, which offers beautiful views of the Caldera and serves great Mediterranean and Californian Cuisine. They use extra virgin olive oil and local cheese in their dishes. This restaurant also has a bar and a wine cellar.

Koukoumavlos

Address:

Below the hotel Atlantis,

Fira,

847 00 Santorini,

Greece

Phone No: +30 22860 23807

Fax No.: +30 22860 23807

Koukoumavlos serves excellent Santorini cuisine and you can also enjoy spectacular views of Fira. The main course will cost you around US $20 to US $ 50. The credit cards accepted are American Express, MasterCard and Visa. You can try the shrimp boiled in retsina; or the fava offered hot in olive oil along with grilled zucchini, onions, tomatoes, and toasted almonds. Yogurt panna cotta with pistachios or sour cherry is a delightful dessert. It is open every day from noon to 3pm and 7.30pm to midnight. It is recommended to make reservations for dinner.

Ambrosia

Address

Oia,

847 02 Santorini,

Greece

Phone No.: +30 22860 71413, +30 6976 560099

At this restaurant you will find a blend of genuine Santorini cuisines and new international flavors. You can enjoy the soft music played along with your meals.

Ambrosia also offers stunning views of the volcanic Caldera. It is located in the middle of Oia, Santorini's customary and artisan town.

Skala

Address

Odos Nikolaos Nomikos,

Ia,

Santorini

Phone No.: 22860/71-362

This restaurant serves excellent taverna food and it is reasonably priced. Skala offers fine Greek cuisine offering vegetable appetizers and, for the main course, serves roasted meats. It is open everyday from 1pm to midnight. The food here will cost about US $10 to US $20. MasterCard is the only credit card that gets accepted here.

Sphinx Restaurant

Address

Odos Mitropoleos,

Near the Panagia Ypapantis Church,

Fira,

Santorini

Zip code: 84700

Phone No.: 0030 22860 23823

Fax No.: 0030 22860 23829

Email: www.sphinx.gr

Winter Details

Phone No.: 0030 210 8993924

At this restaurant, you can enjoy exceptional views of the caldera and the port at Skala Fira, along with great Mediterranean cuisine, the specialty being seafood. Here you will also find chosen brands of Greek and international wine, as well as a good selection of old French wines. The fresh pasta served in Sphinx is delicious, as are the fish dishes. This restaurant is open from 11am to 3pm and 7pm to 1am. Food costs around US $20 to US $40 and fish is priced by the kilo. American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are the credit cards that get accepted here.

Aquarius

Address

Perissa, 847 03 Santorini, Greece

Phone No.: +30 22860 82019

Fax No.: +30 22860 83030

In this restaurant you can select from a rich variety of flavors and try the delicious pastas.

Oia 1800 Restaurant

Address

1800 Restaurant

Oia (Ia)

84702, Santorini,

Cyclades Islands,

Greece

Phone No.: +30 22860 71485 or +30 22860 71800

Fax No.: +30 22860 72317

This restaurant is set in a mansion that was constructed during the mid 18th century. The cuisine includes traditional Greek favorites and fresh seafood. They also serve tasty Mediterranean cuisine. Many dishes are made with local traditional ingredients. The menu changes each year, particularly during the peak tourist season. The dishes are offered in plates, which are similar to a canvas, the difference being that here they are painted by the chef with special flavors instead of colors. They also serve an extensive range of wines from all around Greece and the local Santorinian wines. This restaurant offers visitors a selection of Cuban cigars also. It is open from April to October, 12pm to 4pm and 8pm to 1am, Monday through Sunday. The credit cards accepted are MasterCard or Eurocard, American Express and Visa. Oia 1800 is a highly expensive priced restaurant.