Beachfront tavernas and seafood along the black sand, Santorini's volcanic-soil specialties, and the Greek classics. 34+ places to discover.
Santorini's volcanic soil and dry climate give its produce an intense flavour — these are the island dishes to seek out.
Santorini's famous yellow split-pea purée, PDO-protected and grown in the island's volcanic soil — served warm with olive oil, lemon and raw onion.
Fritters of chopped Santorini cherry tomatoes, herbs and onion, fried crisp — the island's classic meze.
Santorini's sweet, mild white aubergine, often grilled or turned into a creamy dip — a specialty of the volcanic terroir.
Grilled octopus, calamari and fresh fish straight from the Aegean, best eaten at a taverna table right on the sand.
The Greek staples done everywhere — pork or chicken off the spit, wrapped in warm pita with tzatziki, tomato and chips.
The island's wines: a crisp, mineral Assyrtiko white with dinner, and a small glass of sweet amber Vinsanto to finish.
Elevated dining with modern Greek and Mediterranean flavors, fresh Aegean fish, and Santorini's volcanic-soil produce.
Modern Greek
A creative modern-Greek restaurant in Oia, set on a blue-chaired terrace with embroidered cloths and a sea view away from the caldera crowds. The kitchen plates careful, contemporary takes on Greek and Cycladic cooking — think beef carpaccio and inventive salads — paired with a strong Santorini wine list, for when you want Oia dining without the sunset-strip prices.
Modern Greek & wine
A modern-Greek and wine restaurant set in a whitewashed, arch-vaulted space up near Pyrgos, a short drive inland from Perissa. Careful, contemporary plates and a strong Santorini wine list are the draw, in a calm dining room for when the meal — not a sea view — is the occasion.
Modern Greek
A standout modern-Greek gastro taverna up in Fira — opposite the Metropolitan Cathedral, a short drive from Perissa — that earned a 2026 FNL 'Skinos' distinction, named among ten Greek restaurants in Greece not to miss. Creative takes on Santorinian and Cycladic cooking in a cave-vaulted dining room, for when the meal itself, not the sea view, is the occasion.
Mediterranean & seafood
A stylish beach restaurant on the sand at Perivolos, with a wooden pergola, deep sofas and a menu that runs from fresh seafood and Mediterranean plates to showy desserts. It doubles as a lounge, so it is as good for a long lunch as for cocktails at sunset.
Modern Greek & wine
A modern-Greek wine restaurant in Imerovigli, up on the caldera ridge a drive from Perissa. It plates creative, contemporary Greek cooking alongside a serious Santorini wine list, served on a candlelit terrace — a quieter, dinner-focused alternative to the Fira and Oia crowds.
Modern Greek
A stylish modern-Greek restaurant and champagne bar in Firostefani, on the caldera edge just north of Fira and a drive from Perissa. Design-led interiors and a terrace with a full caldera view make it as good for a cocktail as for a contemporary Greek dinner above the sea.
Modern Mediterranean
A modern Mediterranean restaurant and bar on the caldera edge in Fira, a short drive up from Perissa. The tables look straight out over the volcano and the sea, and the kitchen plates contemporary Greek and Mediterranean dishes — a caldera-view dinner without heading all the way to Oia.
Relaxed beachfront tavernas and mezedopoleia serving generous plates of home-style Greek cooking.
Modern Greek & Mediterranean
A polished Mediterranean restaurant in Kamari, the black-sand resort over the headland from Perissa, done in bright whitewashed Cycladic style with a plant-filled courtyard and airy dining room. Chef Chris Koskinas gives traditional Greek recipes a modern turn with a focus on fresh, seasonal produce and bread baked daily in-house, paired with local Santorini wines.
Traditional Greek
A small, well-loved Greek restaurant in the middle of Fira, a short drive up from Perissa. Behind a blue-and-white Cycladic facade the kitchen keeps it traditional — grilled meats, souvlaki and Greek classics — at friendlier prices than the caldera-edge tables nearby.
Greek & Cretan taverna
One of Santorini's most loved tavernas, tucked into the inland village of Exo Gonia — a short drive up from Perissa — with a rustic stone dining room and a terrace looking out over the plain to the sea. The kitchen does Greek and Cretan cooking with real care, from slow-cooked meats to fresh seafood pasta, and it books out well ahead in high season for good reason.
Greek seafood
A well-regarded fish restaurant tucked away on the marina at Vlychada, on the island's quieter south coast a short drive from Perissa. The kitchen works with the day's catch and Santorinian produce — fresh fish, seafood and creative meze — served on a plant-shaded terrace by the boats, away from the beach-bar crowds.
Traditional Greek
A warm, family-run Greek restaurant in Imerovigli, up on the caldera ridge above Fira and a short drive from Perissa. The kitchen turns out generous traditional cooking — grilled meats, slow-braised lamb and Greek classics — served on its own printed placemats in a relaxed, friendly setting.
Greek & Mediterranean
A long-standing beachfront restaurant on the seafront at Kamari — the black-sand resort on the far side of Mesa Vouno from Perissa — with awning-shaded tables and lounge seating a few steps from the water. The kitchen runs from grilled fresh fish and Greek classics to wood-fired pizza, an easy all-day spot with the sea in view from every table.
Greek meze
A well-rated meze restaurant in the quiet village of Finikia, just outside Oia and a drive north from Perissa, built for sharing plates of Greek small dishes. A warm, wicker-lamp-lit covered terrace and a rooftop with a sea view make it a calmer, better-value alternative to eating in the middle of Oia itself.
Vegetarian & vegan
A laid-back, bohemian beach café on the Perissa seafront — fully vegetarian and mostly vegan — with an enormous menu spanning breakfasts, smoothies, salads and plant-based takes on Greek classics. Mismatched colourful chairs, chill music and a shady, plant-filled terrace steps from the black sand, doubling as a spot for morning yoga and live music.
Greek seafood
A characterful seafood taverna right on the water at Akrotiri, near the island's southwest tip and the archaeological site, a drive round the bay from Perissa. Started decades ago by Uncle Nikolas out of an old boat shelter, it works with the day's catch — the menu shifts with what the fishermen bring in — for fresh fish, lobster pasta and seafood in a stone-walled dining room.
Greek & local products
A friendly taverna and local-products deli in Akrotiri, near the island's southwest tip and the archaeological site, a drive from Perissa. It pairs honest Greek home cooking with Santorinian wine and produce you can buy to take home, a low-key stop away from the beach resorts.
Greek seafood
A long-established fish tavern on the black sand at Perivolos, run since 1981, with tables spilling from a warm wood-and-stone dining room out to the beachfront under thatched umbrellas. The kitchen does classic seafood — fresh fish off the day's catch, grilled and fried — with the sea a few steps away, making it one of the most reliable proper sit-down tavernas on this stretch of Perivolos.
Traditional Greek
A traditional Greek restaurant in Pyrgos, the island's highest village, with a vine-shaded terrace that opens onto a panoramic view over the caldera and the sea. It is a reliable stop for classic Greek cooking — grills, oven dishes and meze — paired with one of the best inland views on Santorini, a short drive up from Perissa.
Greek small plates
A relaxed Greek small-plates and meze bar in the heart of Oia, done in whitewashed Cycladic style with a shaded courtyard. It is the easy, less-fussy way to eat in Oia — order a run of little dishes to share rather than a formal dinner — a drive north from Perissa but an easy stop if you are up for the Oia sunset.
Greek & Mediterranean
A lively, plant-filled restaurant just back from the Perissa seafront, strung with lights and busy into the night. The kitchen turns out generous Greek and Mediterranean plates — grills, souvlaki and baked dishes — in a relaxed, buzzy setting.
Home-style Greek
A small, homely taverna a short walk back from the Perissa seafront, doing honest home-style Greek cooking to take away or eat in. Tables sit in a stone-walled courtyard with a wood oven, gingham cloths and bougainvillea, and the kitchen turns out cooked-to-order classics — grills, fried seafood and slow-cooked dishes like beef stifado — at friendly, un-touristy prices.
Greek meze
A cheerful beachfront meze restaurant with turquoise tables and a soundtrack of Greek music, set right on the sand between Perissa and Perivolos. It is built for sharing — small plates, seafood and dips passed around the table with a view of the water.
Traditional Greek & seafood
A busy fish tavern right on the Perissa seafront serving classic Greek cooking — grilled fish, seafood platters and Greek salad — from a lantern-lit terrace a few steps from the black sand, with the beach in view from the tables.
Greek & Mediterranean
A caldera-view restaurant in Firostefani, the quieter village just north of Fira and a short drive up from Perissa. Tables sit on a shaded terrace right on the edge, looking across the caldera, and the kitchen serves Greek and Mediterranean cooking — the draw is as much the view and the calmer Firostefani setting as the plate in front of you.
Italian
A proper Italian restaurant in the middle of Fira, with a wine-lined dining room and a menu of fresh pasta and Italian classics — a welcome change of pace if you have had your fill of Greek tavernas. A short drive up from Perissa, it is an easy, non-touristy dinner in town.
Greek meze & taverna
A relaxed Greek meze taverna in the pretty inland village of Megalochori, a short drive from Perissa. Tables sit under a thatched pergola and bougainvillea on the village square, and the kitchen turns out shared small plates, homemade pasta and Greek classics away from the coastal bustle.
Greek taverna & meze
A homely taverna tucked into the pretty inland village of Megalochori, a short drive from Perissa, with red-checked tables set out in a shaded, plant-filled courtyard. The kitchen keeps it traditional — grilled meats, meze and cooked-to-order Greek classics — for a relaxed village meal away from the coastal bustle.
Greek taverna & seafood
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 is the kind of easy seaside spot for grilled fish, Greek classics and a glass of wine as the light fades over the sea.
Cretan & Greek taverna
A long-running family taverna in the inland village of Messaria, a short drive up from Perissa, serving Cretan and Greek home cooking to a mostly local crowd. Tables spill from a warm wood-beamed dining room out to a bougainvillea-draped courtyard, and the kitchen turns out generous grills and cooked-to-order classics at un-touristy prices.
Greek seafood
A classic seafood tavern right on the water at Ammoudi Bay, the little fishing harbour below Oia and a drive north from Perissa. Tables sit at the sea's edge beneath the red cliffs, and the draw is fresh fish and seafood as the sun sets over the caldera — one of the island's iconic waterside meals.
Greek seafood
A long-running fish tavern right on the Perissa seafront, where the tables sit under thatched shade a few steps from the black sand. The kitchen keeps it simple and Greek — grilled fish and octopus, fried calamari, tomato fritters and a cold carafe of white.
Quick, flavorful bites — gyros and souvlaki off the spit, pita wraps, and Greek sweets to eat on the move.
Beach cafes and terraces for Greek coffee, freddo espresso, pastries, and a slow morning by the sand.
Perissa's tables lean on Santorini's own produce and the Aegean. Look for fava (the island's PDO yellow split-pea purée), tomatokeftedes (tomato fritters), sweet white eggplant, grilled octopus and fresh fish, alongside Greek staples like gyros, souvlaki and Greek salad — washed down with a crisp local Assyrtiko.
The beachfront strip along Perissa and Perivolos is lined with tavernas and seafood spots where you can eat with your feet almost in the sand. For a change of scene, the caldera towns of Fira and Oia have the island's smartest (and priciest) dining, a short ride away.
The beachfront tavernas of Perissa are better value than the caldera-view restaurants of Fira and Oia. A gyros or souvlaki is only a few euros, a taverna meal of mezedes and grilled fish is moderate, and prices everywhere on Santorini climb in peak summer.
Most beachfront tavernas are walk-in, but the popular spots fill up on summer evenings, so it is worth reserving ahead for dinner in July and August — especially for a sea-view table around sunset.
Yes. Greek and Santorinian cooking is full of vegetable dishes — fava, tomatokeftedes, grilled white eggplant, Greek salad, dolmades, gigantes beans and plenty of dips — so it is easy to eat well without meat at almost any taverna.
Where locals eat, the best beachfront seafood, Santorini's wines, and a self-guided food tour.
A guide to the best places to eat in Perissa and Perivolos on Santorini — seafront fish tavernas, beach-club dining, and lively meze spots on the sand.
9 min read
Where to stay in Perissa on Santorini — beachfront hotels on the black sand, mid-range studios near the village, budget rooms, plus Perivolos and Kamari.
7 min read
When to visit Perissa on Santorini — why late spring and early autumn are the sweet spot, what peak summer is like, and how quiet the off season gets.
5 min read
The best day trips from Perissa on Santorini — Oia and its sunset, the caldera capital Fira, a volcano-and-hot-springs cruise, and Minoan Akrotiri.
5 min read
