Selene

There are restaurants that serve good food in beautiful settings, and there is Selene. Founded in 1986 by Giorgos and Evelyn Hatzigiannakis within the ancient walls of an 18th-century Catholic monastery in Fira, Selene has spent four decades making the singular argument that Santorini's volcanic soil produces some of the most extraordinary ingredients on earth — and that those ingredients deserve a kitchen equal to their ambition. That kitchen is now led by Michelin-starred chef Ettore Botrini, who arrived in 2021 to continue and evolve the Selene legacy.

The setting is housed within Katikies Garden, the historic monastery compound in the heart of Fira. Stone arches, candlelit courtyards, and the hush that comes from removing oneself from the caldera crowd define the atmosphere. This is not a sunset-spectacle restaurant — it is something more considered. The dining room rewards guests who come for the food first and understand that the location is the context, not the destination.

The tasting menus — Full Moon, Harvest Moon, and the seasonal Mnemes experience — are built entirely around Santorinian produce. White aubergines from Santorini's volcanic fields, cherry tomatoes of such concentrated sweetness they seem engineered, fava from the ancient Akrotiri cultivation, capers from the island's cliffside bushes, and the volcanic mineral character of local Assyrtiko woven through the wine pairings. Chef Botrini's technique is precise and unfussy — it amplifies the ingredient rather than narrating it.

The wine programme is exceptional. The island's own Assyrtiko and Vinsanto take centre stage, with Botrini's extensive knowledge of Greek viticulture producing pairings that make the case for Greek wine as definitively as any sommelier in Europe. The Full Moon tasting menu with wine pairing runs to approximately €175 per person; à la carte options offer flexibility without sacrificing the kitchen's standard.

Selene holds World's 50 Best Discovery status and has been Greece's reference point for island-driven fine dining for a generation. For visitors to Santorini who take food seriously, this is not optional. Book four to six weeks ahead for peak summer months. Early dinner is available, though sunset slots are the most contested.

When the objective is to demonstrate that you understand the difference between dining and eating, Selene provides the most persuasive argument in Santorini. The restaurant's 40-year reputation precedes it — any client who knows Greece will recognise the name immediately. The tasting menu format removes decision pressure and signals that this meal has been curated with intention. The historic monastery setting — stone courtyards, candlelight, the absence of the tourist spectacle that dominates elsewhere on the caldera — creates the kind of focused environment where business and pleasure merge without conflict. Selene says: I chose this table deliberately, and I chose it because we both deserve it.