Where We Ate and Drank in Santorini, Greece

Santorini gave us expensive beers with weak service, white wine that cost only a couple of euros, a fantastic deconstructed gyro, a chicken souvlaki wrap, shellfish risotto beside the water, and one highly recommended lamb dinner that did not live up to the hype.

The views were excellent, but the food, prices, and service varied quite a bit.

Here is where we ate and drank in Santorini, what was worth ordering, and what I would skip next time.

Expensive Beers at Kastro Oia Restaurant

Kastro Oia Restaurant sits near Oia’s old castle and overlooks the Aegean Sea, putting it in one of the busiest sunset areas on the island.

We stopped for beers.

The view was good, but the beer was overpriced, and the service was weak.

Santorini is expensive, especially around the Oia sunset, so I expected to pay more than usual. The beer still felt overpriced, and the service was one of the weaker experiences of the trip.

There was nothing wrong with stopping here for the scenery, but the view did most of the work.

Dude Dining verdict: Good location, expensive beer, and service that did not justify the price.

Cheap Sunset Wine at Ammoudi Fish Tavern

Ammoudi Fish Tavern is located beside the water in Ammoudi Bay and offers local wine along with its seafood menu.

We stopped for white wine and the sunset rather than a full seafood dinner.

The wine cost only a couple of euros per glass, which felt almost impossible after spending time in Oia. We sat beside the water, drank cheap white wine, and watched the sun go down.

This was one of the simplest stops of the trip and one of the easiest to recommend. We did not need an elaborate meal or an expensive reservation. The location and a few glasses of wine handled it.

Dude Dining verdict: One of the best-value drinks we found in Santorini. Come for the sunset and inexpensive white wine.

A Deconstructed Gyro at Charisma Suites

Charisma Suites was our hotel, and it was the best hotel I have ever stayed at.

Its restaurant sits beside the main infinity pool and overlooks the caldera.

It also had a head chef who looked like Fabio, which felt completely appropriate for Santorini.

The deconstructed gyro was fantastic and easily one of the best meals of the trip.

Charisma was already an incredible place to stay. Being able to eat that well without leaving the hotel made it even better.

Dude Dining verdict: The best hotel I have stayed at and one of the strongest meals of the trip. Order the deconstructed gyro.

Chicken Souvlaki and Beer at Souvlaki n’ Wrap

Souvlaki n’ Wrap serves Greek street food near the bus station in Oia.

I ordered a chicken wrap and a beer, and I loved both.

After several expensive Santorini meals, sitting down with a straightforward chicken wrap and cold beer was exactly what I wanted. It did not need a sunset package, a tasting menu, or a speech about local ingredients.

This was the kind of casual food stop that helped balance out the rest of the trip.

Dude Dining verdict: A great quick meal in Oia. Get the chicken wrap and a beer.

Shellfish Risotto at Sunset by Paraskevas

Sunset by Paraskevas is a waterfront seafood restaurant in Ammoudi Bay. Its current menu focuses on seafood and local dishes.

We went at night and ordered the shellfish risotto.

Eating beside the water after dark made the dinner romantic, even for me.

After dark, the waterfront setting made the shellfish risotto feel like a proper date-night dinner.

Dude Dining verdict: A strong choice for a nighttime waterfront dinner. The shellfish risotto and setting made this one worth remembering.

Overrated Lamb at Metaxi Mas

Metaxi Mas serves Cretan- and Santorinian-inspired food in Exo Gonia and is frequently recommended as a destination restaurant away from Oia.

We ordered the lamb.

By this point, we had already eaten extremely well for several days. Metaxi Mas came with a big reputation, but the meal did not come close to the best food we had on the island.

The lamb did not justify the restaurant’s reputation. Metaxi Mas was the most overrated stop of the trip.

I would rather repeat the deconstructed gyro at Charisma, the chicken wrap at Souvlaki n’ Wrap, or the shellfish risotto beside the water.

Dude Dining verdict: The most overrated restaurant we visited in Santorini. I would spend the meal somewhere else next time.

The Santorini Food and Drink Rundown

Best hotel and hotel meal: Charisma Suites

Best casual meal: Chicken wrap and beer at Souvlaki n’ Wrap

Best waterfront dinner: Shellfish risotto at Sunset by Paraskevas

Best-value drink: White wine at Ammoudi Fish Tavern

Best sunset stop: Ammoudi Fish Tavern

Weakest service: Kastro Oia Restaurant

Worst value: Beers at Kastro Oia Restaurant

Most overrated restaurant: Metaxi Mas

Where I Would Eat Again in Santorini

Charisma Suites would be the first repeat. The hotel was already the best I have stayed at, and the deconstructed gyro gave me another reason to stay on the property.

I would also return to Souvlaki n’ Wrap for another chicken wrap and beer. It was easy, casual, and did not ask me to take out a loan before ordering lunch.

I would also return to Sunset by Paraskevas for the shellfish risotto and another nighttime dinner beside the water.

Kastro would not get another beer stop, and Metaxi Mas would not get another dinner.

Next time I’m in Santorini, I’m starting with the chicken wrap at Souvlaki n’ Wrap and saving a night for shellfish risotto beside the water.