Seaside by Notos

Seaside by Notos occupies a stretch of Perivolos black sand beach on Santorini's southern coast, near the village of Agios Georgios. The venue runs across multiple functions — an open-air beachfront restaurant, a sunset lounge bar, and a fashion boutique — all operating from the same volcanic shoreline address. With a 4.7-star rating across nearly 2,900 Google reviews, it consistently ranks as one of the most-visited beach establishments on the island.

The setting is straightforwardly Perivolos: dark volcanic sand, shallow water that turns deep blue farther out, and a flat coastline that catches the afternoon sun and the western light as evening approaches. What distinguishes Seaside by Notos from the many sunbed operations along this stretch is the combination of a full restaurant menu with a dedicated cocktail bar and the scale of the operation — this is not a kiosk with plastic chairs, but a structured beach hospitality venue with reservations available by email.

The kitchen describes its approach as cosmo-Mediterranean: Greek and broader Mediterranean ingredients treated with contemporary technique and some international reference points. You can eat lunch with your feet figuratively in the sand, then stay through sunset cocktail hour and into the evening without changing venue.

What to Expect

Perivolos beach is roughly 3 kilometres long and significantly wider and less crowded than Kamari to the north. The black sand absorbs heat quickly, so the water — which enters gradually from a gently shelving floor — provides a practical counterpoint on hot afternoons. Seaside by Notos has its own designated beach area with sun loungers, which guests typically access alongside the dining and bar facilities.

The restaurant faces the water directly, operating as an open beachfront space. The menu draws on local Santorinian produce alongside broader Mediterranean and international elements — expect fresh seafood, vegetables, and the kind of food that works as a long lunch or a proper dinner. The lounge bar operates alongside the restaurant and shifts into a more atmospheric mode as the afternoon fades, with cocktails and music curated for the sunset window.

Beyond food and drink, the venue includes a fashion boutique, which makes it an unusual hybrid for a beach bar — one oriented toward spending a longer portion of the day on-site rather than just a quick drink. Event booking for private celebrations and group occasions is also offered through the reservations contact.

Service is structured enough to warrant booking ahead, particularly for dinner and for weekend lunches in peak season. The venue's own reservations email is [email protected], and the phone line (+30 2286 082801) handles inquiries directly.

How to Get There

Perivolos is roughly 10 kilometres south of Fira by road. From Fira, follow the main road toward Akrotiri and branch south toward Perivolos and Agios Georgios — the drive takes around 20 minutes depending on traffic. The address is Agios Georgios 847 03, which sits at the southern end of the Perivolos–Perissa black sand coastline.

Parking is available in the area — Perivolos has roadside and informal lot parking along the beach road, though spaces fill quickly on summer afternoons. Arriving before noon or after 3pm makes parking easier.

Taxis from Fira or Oia to Perivolos are straightforward; expect fares in line with standard Santorini taxi pricing for those distances. The island's bus network (KTEL) connects Fira to Perissa and Perivolos with reasonable frequency during the main season, dropping passengers at stops within walking distance of the beach. From the bus stop, Seaside by Notos is reachable on foot in a few minutes along the beach road.

Accessibility along Perivolos beach road is manageable for most visitors, though the black sand itself presents the usual challenges for wheelchairs and mobility aids.

Best Time to Visit

Seaside by Notos opens daily at 10am and closes at 1am, covering the full arc from mid-morning beach setup through late-night bar. For lunch, arriving between 12:30pm and 2pm gives you the widest menu window with the sun still overhead. For the sunset lounge experience, the western-facing aspect of the southern coast means Perivolos catches good late light — arriving around 7pm positions you for cocktails as the sky shifts.

July and August are the peak months on Santorini, and Perivolos in particular draws a younger, beach-club-oriented crowd during this window. If you want a quieter experience with the same facilities, late May, June, or September offer similar weather with noticeably fewer visitors. September in particular extends warm sea temperatures from the summer while shedding the July–August volume.

Meltemi winds blow across the Aegean from roughly mid-June through August, and Perivolos — on the more exposed southern coast — can catch these gusts in the afternoon. Wind is not necessarily a problem at a beach bar with sheltered seating, but it's worth factoring in if you're planning a beach afternoon rather than just a meal.

Tips for Visiting

• Book ahead for dinner in peak season. July and August weekends fill quickly; use the reservations email or call the venue directly rather than arriving and hoping for a table.
• Arrive for lunch before 1pm. The beach area and restaurant both get busier through the afternoon as the beach crowd peaks.
• Come prepared for black sand heat. Perivolos sand absorbs heat intensely by midday — beach shoes or sandals you can slip off are more practical than bare feet for the walk from the road to your sunbed.
• Use the sunset bar window strategically. The transition from late afternoon to evening is the venue's most atmospheric period. If you're not interested in a full dinner, a drink during this window is a lower-commitment way to experience the location.
• Check the event calendar if you're visiting in a group. The venue handles private events, which means on some dates parts of the space may be reserved. Calling ahead clarifies this.
• Consider combining with the wider Perivolos–Perissa stretch. The contiguous black sand beach runs north toward Perissa, and a morning walk along the shoreline before settling in for lunch gives useful context for the geography.
• The fashion boutique is on-site. If you prefer not to carry purchases to the beach, they can typically be held until you leave.
• Parking is easier in the morning or later afternoon. Mid-afternoon beach arrivals in high season mean the road parking fills — build extra time into your plan if you're driving.

What to Order

The kitchen operates under a cosmo-Mediterranean framework, which in practice means Greek staples — fresh seafood, local vegetables, fava, and tomato-based preparations using Santorini's characteristic small tomatoes — combined with broader Mediterranean treatments and some international technique. The restaurant has been nominated for World Luxury Restaurant Awards, which gives a rough indication of price point and ambition: this is pitched above the average beach taverna.

For lunch, the seafood-forward dishes are the logical choice given the setting and the island's supply chains. Santorini's fishing boats and the wider Aegean provide the day's catch, and beachfront restaurants in this category typically time their kitchen around what's fresh.

The lounge bar focuses on cocktails rather than wine-led service, though Greek and international wines appear on the menu. If you're staying through sunset, the cocktail list is the primary draw — built around the kind of long, refreshing formats that work for extended outdoor drinking in warm weather. Non-alcoholic options and soft drinks are standard.

For visitors combining the restaurant with a longer beach day, the practical approach is a lighter lunch — something from the lighter Mediterranean end of the menu — followed by cocktails and small plates in the early evening rather than a full second meal.