Perivolos restaurants run the whole length of Santorini's longest black-sand beach, from easy blue-chaired fish tavernas with their feet in the sand to design-led beach-club lounges where lunch drifts into sunset cocktails. Perivolos is the southern continuation of the same shoreline as Perissa — one uninterrupted stretch of dark volcanic sand below Mesa Vouno — so "eating in Perivolos" really means picking your spot along the sand and deciding how much you want to spend. This guide names the beachfront places worth a table, what they cost in euros, and where to sit for grilled fish versus a full beach-club afternoon.
TL;DR — where to eat in Perivolos at a glance
| You want | Go for | Rough price |
|---|---|---|
| A stylish beach-club lunch or sunset | Sea Side by Notos | €€€ (~€35–60+ pp) |
| Grilled fish at the water's edge | Lava Taverna | €€ (~€18–30 pp) |
| A proper old-school fish tavern | Fish Tavern o Perivolos | €€ (~€18–30 pp) |
| Shared meze with a view | Mezedaki | €€ (~€15–25 pp) |
| A classic Perissa-end fish tavern | Fratzeskos Fish Tavern | €€ (~€18–30 pp) |
| Buzzy grills back from the sand | Ntomatini | €€ (~€15–25 pp) |
| Fresh fish by the kilo | Any beachfront taverna — ask the price first | ~€50–70/kg (indicative) |
Prices are indicative per person for a casual meal with a drink and move with the season, the catch and what you order — always check the menu (and the day's fish price) before you sit down.
Perivolos vs Perissa: it's one beach
First, a bit of geography that saves confusion. Perissa and Perivolos share a single black-sand beach that runs for roughly 7 km along Santorini's calm southeast coast. Perissa is the busier northern end below the Mesa Vouno headland; walk (or drive the beach road) south and the sand quietly becomes Perivolos, which is where most of the island's polished beach clubs and lounge restaurants have set up. The far southern tip is Agios Georgios. Because it's all one shore, the dining choice is less about the village name and more about the vibe you want — old-school taverna on the sand, or sofas, DJ and a cocktail list. For the beach itself, see our guide to Perivolos beach; for the wider coast, the best beaches near Perissa.
The beach-club end: Sea Side by Notos
The name most people mean when they say "eating in Perivolos" is Sea Side by Notos, a design-led beach restaurant and lounge right on the sand. Think a wooden pergola, deep sofas and cushions, a Mediterranean-and-seafood menu and showy signature desserts — it works equally as a long lunch or as the spot for cocktails as the sun drops. It sits in the €€€ band, so expect fresh seafood mains and a bill to match; it holds a strong rating of around 4.7, which for a beach club on Santorini is genuinely good rather than just marketing. Reserve ahead in peak season, and if you take a sunbed, ask about any minimum spend before you settle in.
This is the place to book if you want the full Perivolos beach-club afternoon: swim, sunbed, a proper meal and a cocktail without moving. If that's not your scene, the tavernas below do the same sea view for half the money.
The tavernas on the sand
Between the beach clubs, Perivolos keeps its older, simpler tavernas — the ones with paper tablecloths, grilled fish and a carafe of cold white a few steps from the water. These are where we'd send most visitors for an honest, good-value meal.
Lava Taverna is a blue-and-white taverna set right on the black sand toward the Perivolos end of the beach, with tables at the water's edge. It's the easy seaside choice for grilled fish, Greek classics and a glass of wine as the light fades, sits in the €€ band, and carries a rating around 4.6. On a warm evening those water's-edge tables are some of the nicest seats on this stretch of coast.
Mezedaki is a cheerful, turquoise-tabled meze restaurant on the Perissa–Perivolos beach road, built for sharing — small plates, seafood and dips passed around the table with a Greek-music soundtrack and a view of the sea. It's €€, rated around 4.5, and the format (order a spread of mezedes rather than one big main each) tends to be the best-value way to eat well on the beach with a group.
Fish Tavern o Perivolos is the old-school pick — a proper fish tavern on the Perivolos sand running since 1981, with a warm wood-and-stone dining room and tables out under thatched umbrellas on the beach. It's €€, rated around 4.6 across some 2,500 reviews, and the draw is straightforward: fresh fish off the day's catch, grilled or fried, a few steps from the water. As with any Greek fish taverna, order the fresh fish by weight and have it weighed before it's cooked.
The Perissa-end alternatives
If you're staying at the northern, Perissa end and don't want to walk south, two more names are worth knowing — they're technically Perissa rather than Perivolos, but they're part of the same eating scene and we cover them fully in our where to eat in Perissa guide.
Fratzeskos Fish Tavern is a long-running fish tavern right on the Perissa seafront, tables under thatched shade a few steps from the sand. The kitchen keeps it simple and Greek — grilled fish and octopus, fried calamari, tomato fritters (tomatokeftedes), a cold carafe of white. It's €€; note its rating sits lower, around 3.9, so it's a solid classic rather than a standout — go for the setting and the fresh fish, not for a refined kitchen.
Ntomatini is a lively, plant-filled restaurant just back from the Perissa seafront, strung with lights and busy into the night. It leans to generous grills, souvlaki and baked oven dishes rather than seafood, sits at €€ and rates around 4.6 — a reliable, buzzy dinner when you want meat off the grill instead of fish by the sea.
How much does eating in Perivolos cost?
Greek beach dining spans a wide range, and Perivolos shows the whole spread on one beach.
| Type of place | Example | Price band | Roughly per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach club / lounge restaurant | Sea Side by Notos | €€€ | ~€35–60+ with a cocktail |
| Beachfront fish taverna | Lava Taverna, Fratzeskos | €€ | ~€18–30 with wine |
| Meze / sharing taverna | Mezedaki | €€ | ~€15–25 sharing |
| Grill house back from the sand | Ntomatini | €€ | ~€15–25 |
The single biggest variable is fresh fish, which Greek tavernas sell by the kilo — often in the region of €50–70/kg for the good local catch, sometimes more, so a whole sea bream or sea bass can quietly become the most expensive thing on the table. This is normal and not a scam, but you should always ask the price and have the fish weighed in front of you before it's cooked. Frozen fish must be marked on the menu (usually with an asterisk); fresh is dearer for a reason.
Skip the tourist trap: how to eat well on the beach
A few honest rules for the Perivolos–Perissa sand, because not every table with a sea view is a good one:
- Check prices before you sit, especially at sunbed-and-restaurant beach clubs — ask whether a sunbed carries a minimum spend, which on Santorini's smarter beaches can run €20–50+ per set in high season.
- Be wary of photo menus and anyone actively waving you in from the walkway. The tavernas locals rate fill up on their own; the ones that need a tout usually tell you something.
- Order fish by weight, weighed in front of you. A vague "market price" with no scale is the classic beach-taverna trap.
- Book the beach clubs, walk into the tavernas. Notos-style lounges reward a reservation in peak season; the simpler places are fine to just turn up.
- For a drink rather than a meal, the beach-bar scene is a separate thing — see Perissa's beach bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the best restaurants in Perivolos?
The best-rated Perivolos restaurants sit right on the black sand: Sea Side by Notos (a €€€ design-led beach club and lounge, rated around 4.7) for a stylish lunch or sunset, and simpler tavernas like Lava Taverna and Mezedaki (both €€, rated around 4.5–4.6) for grilled fish and shared meze at the water's edge.
Is Perivolos more expensive than Perissa for eating out?
Broadly, yes — Perivolos has the concentration of beach-club lounge restaurants (the €€€ band), while Perissa keeps more of the everyday €€ tavernas. But both ends share the same beach, so you can always walk to the price point you want. A casual taverna meal runs roughly €15–30 per person; a beach club with cocktails, €35–60 or more.
How much does fresh fish cost in a Perivolos taverna?
Fresh fish is sold by the kilo, typically in the region of €50–70/kg for good local catch (indicative — it varies with season and species). A whole fish for two can therefore run €30–50+. Always ask the price and have the fish weighed in front of you before ordering; frozen fish must be marked on the menu.
Can you eat on Perivolos beach without renting a sunbed?
Yes. The tavernas — Lava, Mezedaki and the Perissa-end spots — are ordinary restaurants you can just walk into for a meal. The beach clubs like Notos also serve walk-in diners, but if you want a sunbed there you should ask about any minimum spend first, as smarter Santorini beaches often attach one in high season.
Worth the drive off the beach
When you want a meal that isn't on the sand, some of Santorini's best tables sit a short drive inland or up on the caldera. Near the south coast, To Psaraki (€€€) does quality seafood on the Vlychada marina, and out at Akrotiri you'll find The Cave of Nikolas (€€€), a decades-old waterside seafood taverna working the day's catch (rated 4.6), and The Good Heart (€€), a taverna and local-products deli. Inland and up on the rim, try Raki (€€, meze in Megalochori), the courtyard Avlogyros (€€, Megalochori, rated 4.5), the local Cretan-Greek Kritikos Taverna (€€, Messaria), Cava Alta (€€€, cave-vaulted modern Greek near Pyrgos), Kapari Wine Restaurant (€€€, Imerovigli, rated 4.7), and the caldera-view Mylos (€€€, Firostefani) or Idol (€€€, Fira). Over the headland at Kamari, Fistikies (€€, modern Greek, rated 4.8) and the beachfront Almira (€€, rated 4.7) are both worth the drive round. For a sunset seafood dinner, Ammoudi Fish Tavern (€€€) sits on the water below Oia.
For more on local dishes and where they come from, see what to eat and the full restaurants listing.
