Here’s my guide on the best places to eat in Fira, Santorini!
Looking for ideas on where to eat in Fira? Here’s where I went during my stay…
Fira is the main town in Santorini and it’s got a huge choice when it comes to places to eat… and drink. If you’re looking for nice food, good wine, and twinkly caldera views, you won’t struggle to find it in Fira.
However, it probably doesn’t come as a huge surprise that that kind of experience comes with a price tag. We did dinner on the caldera a few times but we also mixed it up and tried to scout out more affordable restaurants in Fira. Typically, you’re paying for the view so if you head into town you’re more likely to get something a little cheaper. And cosier, if you’re travelling in the shoulder season as we did. The caldera does get a bit chilly in October!
You might also just want to grab some street food and eat on the go. From gyros to gelato to some of the yummiest crepes I’ve had in while, I’ll also be sharing some ideas of where to eat in Fira on a budget.
Let’s dive into where to eat in Fira…
Fira restaurants with a view
Volkan on the Rocks
Best for: Great views and an open-air cinema
If you’re looking for where to eat in Fira, the first stop is probably going to be somewhere with a view.
Located in the town of Firostefani, Volkan on the Rocks was the first place we ate in Santorini after a day of wandering. Described as a sunset cocktail bar, it’s nestled right on the caldera and has the kind of views you want.
One interesting thing about Volkan on the Rocks is they have an open-air cinema here, which was cool. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the only film they were showing when we were there was Mamma Mia, which isn’t really my vibe. There’s an open-air cinema in Kamari, too, which I didn’t get to. It may have more choice when it comes to movies though.
The food was good though. I ordered a Greek salad which was packed with juicy tomatoes, feta, and pieces of pitta bread soaking up all the flavours. It was a little bit different to your regular slab-of-feta-and-slither-of-oil style Greek salad. At 15 euros, it was a little on the pricey side but, either way, it was yummy and I hoovered it all up.
You can’t bash the views here though and that’s what you’re paying for. It really was beautiful and as our official first meal with caldera views, it was hard not to be just be like, wow. Washed down with an Aperol Spritz, I was in heaven.
Character Restaurant
Best for: Romantic Italian restaurant vibes
The fanciest restaurant we probably went to in Fira was probably Character. We walked past it one day after traipsing around the town for hours or hiking to Oia, I can’t remember which. Either way, we were pretty tired and It just looked like it had a nice feel to it.
Unsurprisingly, it’s perched on the cliff face with lovely views of the caldera. But it’s a little bit of the main stretch of restaurants and so it doesn’t feel like it has quite the footfall of some of the others. It was certainly pretty quiet on the night we came for dinner.
As we were in an Italian restaurant I went for a typically Italian order. A glass of Aperol spritz to drink, which I admit was partially ordered because I didn’t want to nurse a tiny glass of wine for an hour and a half. To eat, I opted for a pasta dish. And not just any pasta: it was a rather decadent quadroni with spinach ricotta with white truffle and parmesan. Yum!
Of course, all of this loveliness comes with a hefty price tag in Santorini. This was the most expensive meal we had during our trip to Santorini. Despite only ordering one course and one drink here it was over 60 euros. Of course, this isn’t wildly pricey in this neck of the woods. It’s just Santorini. However, it did make me take a sharp intake of breath.
I really enjoyed the experience here but it did push us to look for slightly more modest dinner options. Hence why I’m sharing the best budget restaurants in Fira below!
Best cheap eats Fira
Lucky’s, Fira
Best for: Budget-friendly gyros
Looking for somewhere to eat in Fira that won’t cost you a fortune? Head to Lucky’s.
As much as it’s wonderful to eat dinner with a side stunning caldera views in Santorini, you will of course pay a premium for it. This really hit home after a couple of days when the perfectly pleasant dinner of one course and one drink that I mentioned above came to nearly 70 euros. It was lovely but I did start to wince every time I looked at the bill at the end of a meal.
This was when we started looking at other budget-friendly options. I’d read a little about the street food in Fira and I wanted to try it out – and I also felt like something a little more casual. Reviews told me that Lucky’s in Fira does the best gyros on the island. Luckily for us, it was only a short walk away from the hotel just before the main square in Fira.
We headed here one night and ordered pork gyros – shaved pork, lettuce, tomato, tzatziki, and a handful of fries stuffed in a warm pitta bread. Not only was it delicious, it was also the cheapest meal we’d had in Fira by a mile. It cost less than ten euros with drinks included.
A note – head to the back to order and pay for your food. Your ticket will then be passed to the people at the front who’ll make your pitta up for you. I read these notes on Tripadvisor and it was super useful. Otherwise, it’s a bit confusing and you just end up standing there awkwardly not really knowing if the people near the door are in the queue or not.
Nick The Grill
Best for: Santorini street food – with veggie options!
After our great experience at Lucky’s we were on a roll. I enjoyed not having to splurge a fortune. I also enjoyed more of a casual dining vibe. So the next night we decided to go to another street food place in Fira. This time we went to Nick The Grill.
We’d walked past this place a million times on the way into the centre of Fira and it was always packed. There are stools for you to sit and eat once you’ve ordered at the bar, or you can simply take your food away and eat on the go. We chose to sit.
This time around I opted to have a chicken gyros. This one was just as good as the one from Luckys. It came stuffed with chips and sauce and all the good things that you want from a gyros. I don’t even think it could’ve been that unhealthy really!
As well as gyros you can also get souvlaki, burgers, mixed grill, and more. They also have vegetarian options, such as a falafel gyros and a tomato fritter, all that good stuff.
For a no-frills dinner in Fira I thought Nick The Grill was pretty good!
Sweet treats in Fira
Zotos Gelateria Fira
Best for: A huge selection of gelato
I love grabbing an ice cream after dinner and wandering around the streets while I eat.
The first place we went to was Zotos Gelateria which has over 50 flavours of gelato to choose from, which for someone who struggles to make decisions at the best of times was quite overwhelming, ha. I ended up going for the dark lava flavour ice cream, which is pure black and is inspired by the volcanic rock of Santorini.
It reminded me of when Lord of the Rings was first out and you could get Mordor-inspired soap from Lush. It was greyish black and unlike any other soap you’d used before. The dark lava flavour was actually coconut flavour and it dyed your lips black. I had a bit of a goth moment when I realised it looked like I was walking around with black lipstick.
They also come with handcrafted sprinkle cones which are worth commenting on – they were extra chunky and thick and had a layer of chocolate on the inside. So good! Finally, they also have vegan ice cream as well as gluten-free options at Zotos.
Solo Gelato Santorini
Best for: The best gelato in Santorini
I know. Big statement, right? Is Solo the best ice cream in Fira, Santorini? Well, we tried three places in Fira and this one was unexpectedly my favourite. I say unexpectedly. I mean it gets great reviews, I just didn’t expect to like it quite as much as I did.
Solo is located in the main square of Fira. It’s been in operation since 2015 and is run by three self-proclaimed ice cream lovers. They produce 40 flavours of ice cream according to an original Italian recipe, and there are a couple of award-winning flavours. Pistachio and mango sorbet. So that’s the history of Solo. So, what did I order there?
Well, I’m usually a big fan of pistachio ice cream but I wasn’t feeling it that particular night. If I’d known it was award-winning I may have decided differently, but there you go. I chose the strawberry cheesecake flavour, in a tub, rather than an ice cream cone.
What can I say? It was excellent. Creamy, delicious, and moreish.
Crème de la Crepe, Fira
Best for: Yummy sweet and savoury crepes
This place definitely makes my list of where to eat in Fira. It’s affordable, yummy, and the staff were lovely.
I mentioned that we went to Luckys in Fira for more of a laid-back vibe. Well, after saving so much money on our dinner I was craving something extra. Every night I’d been reluctant to order a starter or main course because it was so expensive, so I was going to make the most of it. I googled street food in Fira and this led to the amazingly named Creme de la Crepe in Fira.
It was only a five-minute walk away so we headed back into the maze of streets in Fira. Creme de la Crepe does two kinds of crepes – savoury and sweet. I’m not sure how I feel about savoury crepes generally so it was all about the sweet crepes for me.
You can build your own crepe or simply choose from the menu. I opted for number 4 on the menu, which was chocolate, chopped banana, and biscuit. I love the combination of chocolate and banana and with the crumbled biscuit for a little bit of crunch this was the perfect choice for me! It only took five minutes to make and it was super yummy!
Cocktails in Fira
PK Cocktail Bar
Best for: Delicious cocktails with cosy blankets
After you’ve sampled where to eat in Fira it’s time for something even better – cocktails!
According to their website, PK is Santorini’s longest-running cocktail bar and has been running for an impressive 46 years. I loved lots of things about it. It has amazing views of the caldera, which goes without saying. The large double doors open out onto the bar below, framed by a large ornate carving above the door. It feels like you’re stepping into somewhere special. A gateway to heaven if you like. If you’re in any doubt, they even have a Venus de Milo statue.
The menu looks like it has been handwritten in artistic, scrawling text which gives it a personal touch. And finally, I have to mention blankets! I was instantly delighted by the fact that they have blankets draped over the chairs to keep guests warm in the evenings. With a heater in the centre and a couple of strong cocktails later I was definitely warmed up.
I ordered a passionfruit daiquiri at PK and it was really delicious. Sipping on a delicious cocktail while the whole of Fira is lit up in lights around you? What more could you want?
Iriana’s Café Lounge Bar, Fira
Best for: Sunset views and a bit of sass
One thing I definitely wanted to do on our trip to Santorini was to sit in one of the bars and have cocktails and watch the sun go down. It took us until our second last night to do it but we did it in style. We headed to Iriana’s Café in Fira which is located just as you come into Fira on the main strip.
I’d clocked Iriana’s a few days before and luckily we arrived when we could have the pick of the tables in the upstairs area. This is where you get the best views of the sunset. There’s plenty more seating below if you’re going at another time, for lunch or even breakfast.
Naturally, I pored over the cocktail menu. In the end I opted for one of their signature cocktails which was called something along the lines of red sunset, made with strawberries. Sorree, that’s all I can remember in terms of detail.
This was met with a nod of approval by the waitress but when my partner ordered a mojito she didn’t miss a beat before nodding and saying, ‘Basic’. Which I thought was hilarious.
We ended up staying for another round and this time I ordered a pornstar martini, which came topped with a wedge of passionfruit, which was excellent. This time Chris ordered a Diplomatico and rum, which seemed to pass the test with the waitress. Phew! It wasn’t cheap – I paid and it cost around 60 euros for the four drinks – but as a one-off I reckon it was worth it.
Idol Restaurant & Bar
Best for: A little piece of tranquillity (at a price)
We stopped in at Idol Restaurant & Bar after we’d done the hike between Fira and Oia. We were tired and ready for some alcohol to ease those sore feet. Actually, my feet weren’t sore at all – I just wanted a seat and some booze after a day of Type A fun.
Idol is located alongside a series of restaurants that look and feel expensive. However, they also are pretty alluring. With the egg chair and comfy seats – as well as the spa-type music that was tinkling out of the sound system – it had a relaxing and tranquil vibe.
Again, I can’t tell you what kind of cocktail I ordered. I remember it had elderflower liquor in it and it cost 18 euros. However, on that one occasion it was worth it as it was so good. I also loved the scattering of petals in it which just added to the boujie vibes.
We never ate here so I couldn’t tell you anything about the quality of food – apart from the yummy bowl of salted nuts that the cocktail came with. However, I have an inkling it would be pricey. On their website they say they’re ready to fulfil any pretentious palate, which is fighting talk if I ever heard it. This would make a great spot for a blowout meal in Fira.
That was my guide to the best places to eat in Fira!
Planning a trip to Santorini? You might also like these posts…
Leave a Reply