BEST RESTAURANTS SANTORINI
"Searching for the best restaurants in Santorini? Jonathan and his family share some of their Santorini restaurant reviews and unique dining experiences in Greece..."
The first time we came to Greece and to the luxury accommodation at Perivolas, Sheira didn’t care much for Greek food. She was constantly comparing it to Italian food (which she loves) and thinking that Greek food was all about garlic and marinating in oil. It wasn’t until our second trip that the light bulb came on and we both learned that there’s no need to over-order all of the rich dishes on the menu.
We got to know how Greek food can also be simple, light and healthy, from delicious traditional tangy yoghurt drizzled with local honey to grilled lamb skewers or fish and rice… Eating authentic Greek food has now become a highlight of our trips, and something we both really look forward to.
I’ve mentioned before that Sheira and I rarely eat breakfast together because I tend to be up and out early for my morning run, so I’ll let her handle the Perivolas breakfast review.
Sheira said…
The breakfast serving at Perivolas is poolside, by the world famous infinity pool. The setting is magical. The tables are just right: they’re not overdone, not underdone. It’s a buffet breakfast but not a massive spread because it’s an intimate hotel. The buffet consists of cereals, prunes, nuts, raisins, various yoghurts, honeys, cheeses. And of course, they’ll gladly do the whole Continental “eggs and bacon” thing for you if that’s what you’d prefer.
I normally have a simple breakfast with bread, white cheeses, jam and maybe peanut butter. I don’t do the traditional thing because I know my Greek meals are coming later in the day. There’s one thing about breakfast at Perivolas that always amazes me, and that’s the lack of talking. Seriously, as you sit there and eat, hardly anyone wants to the spoil the silence, so just about no-one talks. Here, it’s the sounds of silence that is incredible.
At most places on our travels, we’d be out and about looking for the best restaurant for an al fresco lunch experience, but our large balcony at Perivolas was just so perfect for entertaining that we decided to have a picnic right there !
We invited our friends Tania and Ronnie, plus an American couple from New York whom we’d met on the ferry from Mykonos. Chris was a property developer and his wife Ashleigh was a high-ranking fashionista at Cosmopolitan magazine. She and Sheira really hit it off. Gee, I wonder why? Anyway, the six of us agreed to meet for lunch on our balcony.
I absolutely love the task of shopping for the picnic when I travel.
I bought the food from a small deli that’s just a couple of hundred metres outside the Perivolas gates, along a cobbled cliff-side walkway as you head toward Oia. I’d first met the owners when I bought groceries on our original trip to Santorini 12 years ago, and I made a point of going in to see them on every trip since. It had only been 12 months since our last visit, so it was hugs and kisses all around when I walked through the door. It’s just another reason this place feels like home.
After careful consideration I cherry picked my selection of cold meats, pressed ham, salami, olives, lettuce leaves, avocado, lemon, bottles of olive oil and vinegar, various breads and breadsticks (some crunchy, some doughy, some sesame seeds), and biscuits. I also bought a fabulous array of fruits that Ronnie and I turned into a gorgeous fruit salad.
The six of us had a ball. Good food…good wine…great company…and the sun kissed Caldera as a backdrop. What could be better for a unique dining experience in Santorini?
The poolside terrace at Perivolas is just about the most idyllic setting you could image for the best hotel restaurant lunch.
The Perivolas Restaurant is great for lunch. It specializes in simple dishes like pastas, salads, figs & ham, and melon & ham. I wouldn’t class it as Greek tavern food; it’s much more international.
We settled on a Greek salad, seafood and pasta, some fresh fruit, and a bottle of chilled Rose. Perfect. Sheira and I usually never dine in hotels; feeling too disconnected from the world outside, and possibly tied down by the fussy, formality of hotel menus. But we are always in our element here with the beauty and ambience of the island spread out before us - and with more than happy with fresh, simple food like this.
It is a pretty magical spot at night, too…
The light from dozens of candles reflects off the white, hand–sculpted walls of the Perivolas Bar, adding to the balmy, soothing feel of Santorini post-sunset.
There are two small, intimate restaurants in Oia run by the same people, “Ambrosia & Nectar” and “Ambrosia” - with very different menus and settings, even though they’re not far apart. “Ambrosia & Nectar” is on The Sunset Path, Oia’s main route to the scenic sunsets at day’s end, while “Ambrosia” is right on the edge of the cliff. On this trip, we decided to enjoy the delights of both.
We had been to this unique restaurant on a previous trip, and we loved it. I guess you could call it a taverna, but it’s a bit more stylish that a traditional “mama and papa” place.
It’s on the path set back from the cliff, but it still has some nice views out to the distant horizon. There is a tiny little dining room with 12 tables, draped with star covered cream linens. However, I prefer the outdoor area with eight tables with their cheery, traditional striped table cloths in the colours of the fishing fleet.
The owner is a charming guy named Tony, who remembered us from our last visit, and he couldn’t have been more gracious or welcoming.
The chef makes this incredible appetizer which was a light pastry, filled with melted goat’s cheese and caramelized onion, and then drizzled with an unbelievable sweet tangy sauce. We have ordered this dish each time we have gone back.
My mouth is watering just thinking back over this meal! They also feature a beautiful chicken fillet cooked with fresh local figs, or the tastiest fillet steaks in a red wine reduction. Desserts if you have room are a work or art, and the wine list although extensive may need help in recognizing a label or choosing a wine if you live outside of Europe.
This is well worth trying when you visit the island. Say ‘Kalespera’ to Tony for us!
Just across the path, perched right on the edge of the cliff is the even smaller Ambrosia restaurant. This is where we decided to dine on our final night in Oia. In 2008, “Ambrosia” was voted one of the World’s 12 Most Romantic Restaurants by concierge.com. It’s not hard to see why.
There is a small dining room, plus two tiny, intimate cliff-top terraces looking straight down at the Caldera. It’s breathtaking. There are only 11 terrace tables, and I just fell in love with this setting.
The tables and chairs are all white, the umbrellas are soft white linen, and of course it’s all set against the traditional white curved arches of Greek architecture.
The food is as good as the setting. The house signature dish is Ambrosia Salad, which is a mixture of seafood, exotic fruits, and shellfish oil vinaigrette. Trust me, it’s phenomenal.
The menu features lots of inventive vegetarian dishes, including a wonderfully refreshing chilled melon soup. As you can imagine, it’s a seafood lover’s paradise with local fish, octopus, eels, mussels, salmon, and calamari. I was in heaven. There’s also a plentiful selection of pasta, lamb and duck dishes.
While we were there we bumped into some other couples we had recommended to go there, and we all walked back into Oia together. It was a pleasant end to a wonderful evening.
Amoudi Bay is a rustic old fishing village at the foot of the cliffs below Oia.
We walked to the taxi stand a few hundred metres from the pedestrian centre of Oia, and drove down to the bay.
It’s gorgeous. It’s actually quite remote, which I really like, and there are only five or six taverns dotted around this romantic little bay. As usual, I’d done a bit of research, and it seemed like the place to try was the Katina Taverna. From what I could gather, its owner Kostas was also the fisherman. That’s my kind of restaurant!
The way it works is that you pick your particular fish out of several buckets that Kostas sets out on the wharf, then you ask the staff to weigh it for you because you actually get charged by the kilogram. They’ll then cook your fish however you’d like; fried, grilled, battered etc. some chips, rice, salad and a bottle of wine or two and you’re all set.
Just be warned, Katina is so close to the water that when the wind whips up, the waves are literally splashing over your feet! But that’s how close I like to get to the ocean when staying on the islands. We have had some of our best meals as a family with the salt still on our skin and our chairs stuck right in the sand! At the end of the night, we caught a taxi back up to Oia.
This unique dining experience was a wonderful simple evening, just the way I like it…
Join Jonathan Said and his family on their luxury travel journeys as they share their best restaurants experiences and luxury hotels and resorts holidays around the world. The comprehensive travel tips and ideas include some of the most popular things to see and do at each destination including a local shopping guide, photos, video, music and much more.
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