Selene at Pyrgos at the institutional top, the Caldera-view fine-dining tradition through Oia, and the volcanic-soil Assyrtiko wine programmes. Ranked across the seven occasions our editors track. First date, close a deal, birthday, impress clients, proposal, solo dining, team dinner.
The Santorini top 10 for 2026 is led by Selene. Editorial runners-up: Lauda, Botrini's, The Athenian House, Varoulko Santorini.
Santorini is the most-photographed dining destination in the Greek Aegean and one of the most architecturally significant fine-dining capitals in the Mediterranean. The institutional cliffside fine-dining circuit through Selene at Pyrgos to Santorini's most-cited modern Greek fine-dining reservation that George Hatziyiannakis built into the country's most influential chef-driven destination. Botargo at Akrotiri, La Maison at Imerovigli, the Throubi at Megaronisi, and the institutional Caldera-view restaurants of Oia anchors a culinary identity that other Greek islands can't approximate at the same scale. The contemporary chef-driven generation through 1500 BC Restaurant, Aegialis, and the institutional Imerovigli sunset-dining tradition has built a Santorini fine-dining bench that argues for Cycladic cooking at international register. Santorini's particular contribution to global gastronomy is the institutional Santorini wine programme. The white Assyrtiko, the dessert Vinsanto from sun-dried grapes, and the volcanic-soil tomatokeftedes-and-fava-beans that define the local cuisine. The neighbourhoods to know are Oia for the institutional Caldera-view fine-dining circuit and the most architecturally significant rooms, Imerovigli for the chef-driven sunset-dining tradition, Fira for the institutional brasserie circuit and the most beloved casual cooking, Pyrgos for the institutional Cycladic traditional cooking, and Akrotiri for the most exciting newer rooms. These ten restaurants are the working list.
#1 in Santorini to Fira, Greece · Modern Greek · $$$$
BirthdayClose a DealFirst Date
Forty years of Santorinian obsession distilled into a single tasting menu. The island's most important table, full stop.
Food9.5/10
Ambience9.0/10
Value7.5/10
Selene. #1 in Santorini to Fira, Greece
Selene is Santorini's #1 restaurant on our 2026 ranking. A celebratory register that scales for a table of four to twelve. Forty years of Santorinian obsession distilled into a single tasting menu. The island's most important table, full stop. The kitchen's discipline and the room's composure are the reasons it earns this position; the food is the proof, but the table is the argument.
The dish to know: the chef's tasting menu. Eight courses that argue for a defined geography. The wine programme matches the kitchen. Neither showy nor undercooked. And the service team operates at the calibration the room demands. Katikies Garden Hotel, Old Catholic Monastery, Fira places it in the part of Santorini where the dining year actually happens; the address is part of why the reservation is the right one.
For our editors, this is the Santorini table for birthday Also strong for close a deal, first date. Read the full review on the Selene page; book the table when you know the conversation matters.
Address: Katikies Garden Hotel, Old Catholic Monastery, Fira
Cuisine: Modern Greek
Price: $$$$
Dress code: Business casual to formal; jackets recommended for men in the dining room
Reservations: Two to four weeks ahead for weekend service; mid-week reservations sometimes available within seven days
#2 in Santorini to Oia, Greece to Est. 1971 · Greek Fine Dining · $$$$
BirthdayClose a DealFirst Date
Oia's inaugural table, still the most romantic seat above the caldera. Where questions get answered with yes.
Food9.0/10
Ambience9.5/10
Value7.5/10
Lauda. #2 in Santorini to Oia, Greece to Est. 1971
Lauda is Santorini's #2 restaurant on our 2026 ranking. A celebratory register that scales for a table of four to twelve. Oia's inaugural table, still the most romantic seat above the caldera. Where questions get answered with yes. The kitchen's discipline and the room's composure are the reasons it earns this position; the food is the proof, but the table is the argument.
What gets ordered: the chef's seasonal menu. A structured progression of plates that argues for the kitchen's defined point of view. The wine programme matches the kitchen. Neither showy nor undercooked. And the service team operates at the calibration the room demands. , Santorini places it in the part of Santorini where the dining year actually happens; the address is part of why the reservation is the right one.
For our editors, this is the Santorini table for birthday Also strong for close a deal, first date. Read the full review on the Lauda page; book the table when you know the conversation matters.
Address: , Santorini
Cuisine: Greek Fine Dining
Price: $$$$
Dress code: Business casual to formal; jackets recommended for men in the dining room
Reservations: Two to four weeks ahead for weekend service; mid-week reservations sometimes available within seven days
#3 in Santorini to Oia, Katikies Santorini to Michelin-Starred · Contemporary Mediterranean · $$$$
BirthdayClose a DealFirst Date
Chef Ettore Botrini's consecutive Michelin stars meet an Oia sunset. The island's most technically accomplished kitchen.
Food9.5/10
Ambience9.0/10
Value7.0/10
Botrini's. #3 in Santorini to Oia, Katikies Santorini to Michelin-Starred
Botrini's is Santorini's #3 restaurant on our 2026 ranking. A celebratory register that scales for a table of four to twelve. Chef Ettore Botrini's consecutive Michelin stars meet an Oia sunset. The island's most technically accomplished kitchen. The kitchen's discipline and the room's composure are the reasons it earns this position; the food is the proof, but the table is the argument.
The dish to know: the chef's tasting menu. Eight courses that argue for a defined geography. The wine programme matches the kitchen. Neither showy nor undercooked. And the service team operates at the calibration the room demands. , Santorini places it in the part of Santorini where the dining year actually happens; the address is part of why the reservation is the right one.
For our editors, this is the Santorini table for birthday Also strong for close a deal, first date. Read the full review on the Botrini's page; book the table when you know the conversation matters.
Address: , Santorini
Cuisine: Contemporary Mediterranean
Price: $$$$
Dress code: Business casual to formal; jackets recommended for men in the dining room
Reservations: Two to four weeks ahead for weekend service; mid-week reservations sometimes available within seven days
#4 in Santorini to Imerovigli. World's 50 Best Discovery · Modern Greek · $$$$
BirthdayClose a DealFirst Date
The caldera cliff's most theatrical table. 50 Best Discovery status, Skaros Rock at your shoulder, every detail deliberate.
Food9.0/10
Ambience9.5/10
Value7.0/10
The Athenian House. #4 in Santorini to Imerovigli. World's 50 Best Discovery
The Athenian House is Santorini's #4 restaurant on our 2026 ranking. A celebratory register that scales for a table of four to twelve. The caldera cliff's most theatrical table. 50 Best Discovery status, Skaros Rock at your shoulder, every detail deliberate. The kitchen's discipline and the room's composure are the reasons it earns this position; the food is the proof, but the table is the argument.
What gets ordered: the chef's tasting menu. Eight courses that argue for a defined geography. The wine programme matches the kitchen. Neither showy nor undercooked. And the service team operates at the calibration the room demands. , Santorini places it in the part of Santorini where the dining year actually happens; the address is part of why the reservation is the right one.
For our editors, this is the Santorini table for birthday Also strong for close a deal, first date. Read the full review on the The Athenian House page; book the table when you know the conversation matters.
Address: , Santorini
Cuisine: Modern Greek
Price: $$$$
Dress code: Business casual to formal; jackets recommended for men in the dining room
Reservations: Two to four weeks ahead for weekend service; mid-week reservations sometimes available within seven days
#5 in Santorini to Grace Hotel Auberge, Imerovigli to Michelin-Starred Chef · Modern Greek Seafood · $$$$
BirthdayClose a DealFirst Date
Chef Lazarou's Michelin-starred seafood vision transfers perfectly to the Aegean. Every plate tastes of the volcano's shadow on the water.
Food9.0/10
Ambience9.0/10
Value7.5/10
Varoulko Santorini. #5 in Santorini to Grace Hotel Auberge, Imerovigli to Michelin-Starred Chef
Varoulko Santorini is Santorini's #5 restaurant on our 2026 ranking. A celebratory register that scales for a table of four to twelve. Chef Lazarou's Michelin-starred seafood vision transfers perfectly to the Aegean. Every plate tastes of the volcano's shadow on the water. The kitchen's discipline and the room's composure are the reasons it earns this position; the food is the proof, but the table is the argument.
The dish to know: the day's catch, raw bar selection, and a sommelier who knows white Burgundy. The wine programme matches the kitchen. Neither showy nor undercooked. And the service team operates at the calibration the room demands. , Santorini places it in the part of Santorini where the dining year actually happens; the address is part of why the reservation is the right one.
For our editors, this is the Santorini table for birthday Also strong for close a deal, first date. Read the full review on the Varoulko Santorini page; book the table when you know the conversation matters.
Address: , Santorini
Cuisine: Modern Greek Seafood
Price: $$$$
Dress code: Business casual to formal; jackets recommended for men in the dining room
Reservations: Two to four weeks ahead for weekend service; mid-week reservations sometimes available within seven days
#6 in Santorini to Exo Gonia, Greece · Cretan & Greek · $$$
BirthdayFirst DateImpress Clients
Hidden in a village church square, this is the table the locals keep to themselves. Cretan soul food at its most persuasive.
Food9.0/10
Ambience8.0/10
Value9.0/10
Metaxi Mas. #6 in Santorini to Exo Gonia, Greece
Metaxi Mas is Santorini's #6 restaurant on our 2026 ranking. A celebratory register that scales for a table of four to twelve. Hidden in a village church square, this is the table the locals keep to themselves. Cretan soul food at its most persuasive. The kitchen's discipline and the room's composure are the reasons it earns this position; the food is the proof, but the table is the argument.
What gets ordered: the chef's seasonal menu. A structured progression of plates that argues for the kitchen's defined point of view. The wine programme matches the kitchen. Neither showy nor undercooked. And the service team operates at the calibration the room demands. Exo Gonia places it in the part of Santorini where the dining year actually happens; the address is part of why the reservation is the right one.
For our editors, this is the Santorini table for birthday Also strong for first date, impress clients. Read the full review on the Metaxi Mas page; book the table when you know the conversation matters.
Address: Exo Gonia
Cuisine: Cretan & Greek
Price: $$$
Dress code: Smart casual; jackets optional
Reservations: One to two weeks ahead for prime-time service; quieter weeknights sometimes bookable closer to the date
#7 in Santorini to Imerovigli, Greece · Creative Mediterranean · $$$$ · Est. 2023
BirthdayClose a DealFirst Date
Fira's most creative kitchen. Where the caldera view competes with the plate for your full attention, and both win.
Food9.0/10
Ambience8.5/10
Value7.5/10
Koukoumavlos. #7 in Santorini to Imerovigli, Greece
Koukoumavlos is Santorini's #7 restaurant on our 2026 ranking. A celebratory register that scales for a table of four to twelve. Fira's most creative kitchen. Where the caldera view competes with the plate for your full attention, and both win. The kitchen's discipline and the room's composure are the reasons it earns this position; the food is the proof, but the table is the argument.
The dish to know: the mezze progression and the wood-fire mains. Generous, seasonal, structured for sharing. The wine programme matches the kitchen. Neither showy nor undercooked. And the service team operates at the calibration the room demands. Katikies Chromata, Imerovigli places it in the part of Santorini where the dining year actually happens; the address is part of why the reservation is the right one.
For our editors, this is the Santorini table for birthday Also strong for close a deal, first date. Read the full review on the Koukoumavlos page; book the table when you know the conversation matters.
Address: Katikies Chromata, Imerovigli
Cuisine: Creative Mediterranean
Price: $$$$
Dress code: Business casual to formal; jackets recommended for men in the dining room
Reservations: Two to four weeks ahead for weekend service; mid-week reservations sometimes available within seven days
#8 in Santorini to Oia, Greece · Greek Mediterranean · $$$$
BirthdayClose a DealFirst Date
Perched on the church square of Oia, with the caldera burning gold at dusk. The island's most cinematic sunset table.
Food8.5/10
Ambience9.5/10
Value7.5/10
Ambrosia. #8 in Santorini to Oia, Greece
Ambrosia is Santorini's #8 restaurant on our 2026 ranking. A celebratory register that scales for a table of four to twelve. Perched on the church square of Oia, with the caldera burning gold at dusk. The island's most cinematic sunset table. The kitchen's discipline and the room's composure are the reasons it earns this position; the food is the proof, but the table is the argument.
What gets ordered: the mezze progression and the wood-fire mains. Generous, seasonal, structured for sharing. The wine programme matches the kitchen. Neither showy nor undercooked. And the service team operates at the calibration the room demands. Oia places it in the part of Santorini where the dining year actually happens; the address is part of why the reservation is the right one.
For our editors, this is the Santorini table for birthday Also strong for close a deal, first date. Read the full review on the Ambrosia page; book the table when you know the conversation matters.
Address: Oia
Cuisine: Greek Mediterranean
Price: $$$$
Dress code: Business casual to formal; jackets recommended for men in the dining room
Reservations: Two to four weeks ahead for weekend service; mid-week reservations sometimes available within seven days
#9 in Santorini to Oia, Greece · Mediterranean · $$$
BirthdayFirst DateImpress Clients
A 19th-century sea captain's mansion converted into Oia's most storied dining room. History, candlelight, and serious wine.
Food8.5/10
Ambience9.0/10
Value8.0/10
1800. #9 in Santorini to Oia, Greece
1800 is Santorini's #9 restaurant on our 2026 ranking. A celebratory register that scales for a table of four to twelve. A 19th-century sea captain's mansion converted into Oia's most storied dining room. History, candlelight, and serious wine. The kitchen's discipline and the room's composure are the reasons it earns this position; the food is the proof, but the table is the argument.
The dish to know: the mezze progression and the wood-fire mains. Generous, seasonal, structured for sharing. The wine programme matches the kitchen. Neither showy nor undercooked. And the service team operates at the calibration the room demands. Main Street, Oia places it in the part of Santorini where the dining year actually happens; the address is part of why the reservation is the right one.
For our editors, this is the Santorini table for birthday Also strong for first date, impress clients. Read the full review on the 1800 page; book the table when you know the conversation matters.
Address: Main Street, Oia
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Price: $$$
Dress code: Smart casual; jackets optional
Reservations: One to two weeks ahead for prime-time service; quieter weeknights sometimes bookable closer to the date
#14 in Santorini to Megalochori, Greece to Est. 1947 · International · $$$
BirthdayFirst DateImpress Clients
Vertical Assyrtiko flights and caldera panoramas inside a 1947 art-deco winery. Where business conversations become memorable ones.
Food8/10
Ambience8/10
Value8/10
Venetsanos Winery. #14 in Santorini to Megalochori, Greece to Est. 1947
Venetsanos Winery is Santorini's #10 restaurant on our 2026 ranking. A celebratory register that scales for a table of four to twelve. Vertical Assyrtiko flights and caldera panoramas inside a 1947 art-deco winery. Where business conversations become memorable ones. The kitchen's discipline and the room's composure are the reasons it earns this position; the food is the proof, but the table is the argument.
What gets ordered: the chef's seasonal menu. A structured progression of plates that argues for the kitchen's defined point of view. The wine programme matches the kitchen. Neither showy nor undercooked. And the service team operates at the calibration the room demands. , Santorini places it in the part of Santorini where the dining year actually happens; the address is part of why the reservation is the right one.
For our editors, this is the Santorini table for birthday Also strong for first date, impress clients. Read the full review on the Venetsanos Winery page; book the table when you know the conversation matters.
Address: , Santorini
Cuisine: International
Price: $$$
Dress code: Smart casual; jackets optional
Reservations: One to two weeks ahead for prime-time service; quieter weeknights sometimes bookable closer to the date
The Santorini dining year has structural rhythms that reward planning. Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the top tier are the city's most coveted reservations. The kitchens are fresh from the weekend, the rooms are populated by serious diners rather than tourists, and the wine programs run their best service. Thursday is when the financial-services and professional-class power dinners concentrate. Friday and Saturday at the top tier require advance planning by two to three weeks; the lunch services at the institutional restaurants are often bookable closer to the date.
Reservations should be made directly with the restaurant where possible. The major platforms. OpenTable, Resy, and Tock. Handle most of the city's better restaurants, but a phone call to the maître d' for a specific table preference is rarely refused at the institutional addresses. A booking made by the principal rather than an assistant is the right register for a deal dinner; for a romantic or proposal dinner, the maître d' will respond to a written note explaining the occasion.
Tipping in the United States runs 18-22% on the pre-tax bill at the four-dollar-sign tier; the lower tier follows the same percentages. Service charges added automatically to large groups (typically eight-plus) are standard; check the bill before adding additional gratuity. The wine programs at the top-tier restaurants reward the diner who orders by the bottle; the by-the-glass selections are reliable but the markup is steeper.
What makes Santorini different
Santorini's dining-out culture is shaped by the island's particular tourist economy and the institutional Caldera-view sunset-dining tradition. The dinner hour runs late. 9pm reservations are standard for the sunset corridor, 10:30pm is acceptable at the institutional restaurants. And the late-night dining tradition through the Imerovigli and Oia waterfront restaurants extends through midnight in the peak season. The Tuesday-Wednesday nights at the chef-counter tier through Selene, Botargo, and the chef-owner generation are the most coveted reservations; Friday-Saturday at the institutional Caldera-view fine-dining circuit requires planning by six to eight weeks ahead during the peak season. The institutional sunset corridor between 7:30pm and 9pm at Oia is the absolute hardest table on the island. The wine programmes at the top tier are unusually committed to Santorini producers. The institutional Assyrtiko, the dessert Vinsanto, and the broader volcanic-soil Cycladic wine geography. And the by-the-bottle ordering culture is the structural form. The May-through-October peak season is the absolute demand corridor; the November-through-April off-season produces the locals' working dining year and the institutional restaurants reduce hours.
Frequently asked questions
Which restaurant in Santorini is best for closing a business deal?
For 2026, our editors point to the city's most reliably calibrated power-dining rooms. The addresses where the table itself is part of the conversation. Look for the restaurants we've badged Close a Deal in our ranking above; book directly, arrive first, order the better wine.
How far in advance should I book Santorini's top restaurants?
For the top tier. Our top three above. Book two to four weeks ahead for weekend service. Mid-week reservations are often available within seven days. The chef's-counter and tasting-menu rooms typically need longer planning.
What's the dress code at Santorini's fine-dining restaurants?
Business casual is the floor at the four-dollar-sign tier; smart casual is acceptable at the three-dollar-sign tier. Jackets are recommended for men at the formal dining rooms; trainers are accepted at the chef-owner generation but not at the institutional power-dining circuit.
Are these restaurants open for lunch?
The institutional fine-dining rooms. Spago, Le Bernardin, the steakhouse circuit. Run lunch services. Many tasting-menu addresses are dinner-only. Check each restaurant's listing on its detail page (linked above) for the current schedule.
