Santorini claim to fame is more about its epic scenery than for its food. However, don’t count out the stunning Greek island’s food scene. The key is to know what to eat in Santorini during your visit.
Discover 10 tasty foods in Santorini not to miss when you travel to Greece’s island gem.
1. Cherry Tomatoes
Santorini’s tiny tomatoes are intensely packed with sweet flavor due to the island’s dry climate and mineral-rich soil. Local farmers have been growing the little red fruits (or are they vegetables?) since the early 19th century.
2. Tomato Fritters
Born in poverty ‘back in the day’ when tomatoes were more available than meat in Santorini, tomato fritters called tomatokeftedes are as rich in flavor as they are in history. Beyond tomatoes and olive oil, typical ingredients include mint, onion, parsley and assorted spices.
3. Cretan Dako Salad
Horiatiki may be an iconic Greek dish as well as one of the most popular global salads, but don’t say ‘no’ to Cretan dako salad when you see it on a Santorini menu. Typically, restaurants prepare the salad with local tomatoes, feta cheese, black olives, capers, olive oil and oregano.
Discover more great global salads.
4. Fava
Though fava beans are available all over Greece, Santorini’s variety is so special that the island’s green pods qualify for PDO status. Local restaurants typically purée fava beans into a creamy spread and top the lush concoction with octopus, tomatoes and other local products.
5. Seafood
As an island in the Aegean Sea, Santorini is literally swimming with seafood. Most restaurants take advantage of this fishy situation by offering seafood options like octopus (chtapódi), prawns (garídes), mussels (mýdia) and fresh Mediterranean fish like red mullet, tuna, seabass and John Dory.
6. Souvlaki
Since souvlaki is readily available at both sidewalk stalls and casual restaurants all over Greece, it’s easy to find the ultimate ‘meat-on-a-stick’ snack food in Santorini. Some menus list this crowd-pleaser as kalamaki or gyro, but it’s all souvlaki and it’s all good.
Discover the best souvlaki in Athens.
7. White Eggplant
Large in size and sparse in seeds, Santorini’s white eggplants (more commonly called aubergine in Europe) are filled with sweet flavor thanks to the island’s rich volcanic soil. In addition to frying and grilling aubergine, Santorini chefs transform the nightshade into a paste and add it to comforting, cheese-rich saganaki.
8. Brunch
Brunch is the best meals of the day whether in European citeis like Amsterdam, Hamburg and Lisbon. Santorini takes the brunch concept to the next level by serving American pancakes and Australian avocado toast with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea.
9. Baklava and Other Pastries
Although baklava was invented in Turkey, you can find excellent versions of it on Greek islands like Santorini. Although you can hypothetically eat the honey sweetened, triangular, layered phyllo pastry every day, you’d miss out on other sweet treats like kataifi and kopania with this single-minded approach.
Discover more great global desserts.
10. Wine
Benefitting from the island’s arid climate and volcanic soil, Santorini winemakers excel at growing flavorful grapes like Aidini, Athiri, Mandelaria and, most notably, Assyrtiko. After producing world-class wine with these grapes, they sell bottles around Greece and throughout the world. However, the very best Santorini wine stays on the island.
Discover the best vineyards to visit in Santorini.
Read Next: The Best Santorini Restaurnants
Now that you know what to eat and drink in Santorini, discover great Santorini restaurants ranging from cheap eats to fine dining.
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