China Restaurant

China Restaurant sits on Dekigala street in Thira, the main town of Santorini, and offers something genuinely uncommon on a Greek island: a full menu of traditional Chinese dishes. With a 4.4-star rating drawn from nearly 1,000 Google reviews, it has built a steady following among both visitors wanting a break from Greek cuisine and residents who return regularly.

For travelers spending more than a few days on Santorini, the desire for something outside grilled fish and moussaka tends to arrive sooner than expected. China Restaurant fills that gap with a broad, recognizable Chinese menu in a location that is easy to reach from most parts of Thira and the caldera-side hotels nearby.

The restaurant is open every day of the week from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, which means it covers lunch, early dinner, and late sittings — a practical advantage on an island where many traditional tavernas keep shorter or seasonal hours.

What to Expect

China Restaurant operates as a sit-down Chinese restaurant serving the kind of menu that spans stir-fries, soups, rice and noodle dishes, and classic preparations familiar to anyone who has eaten at a Chinese restaurant in Europe. The style is consistent with the broadly adapted Chinese cooking found across Mediterranean resort towns — approachable, filling, and a reliable alternative when the local food scene starts to feel repetitive.

The address on Dekigala 303 places it in the Thira town area, away from the most heavily touristed caldera-edge lanes but still within the central hub of the island's main settlement. The setting is practical rather than scenic — you are not coming here for a view of the caldera — but the trade-off is straightforward: solid food at a location that works for a midday meal or an early evening dinner before heading elsewhere.

The volume of reviews — 951 at the time of writing — is notable for a non-Greek restaurant on a relatively small island. That kind of sustained feedback over time generally reflects consistent quality and service rather than a single spike in attention. A 4.4 average across that volume suggests most diners leave satisfied.

Dishes are likely to include familiar categories: spring rolls, wonton soup, various meat and vegetable stir-fries, fried rice, chow mein-style noodles, and sweet-and-sour preparations. Since no current menu is available in the research for this article, specific dish names and prices are not confirmed here — check directly with the restaurant or ask at the door.

How to Get There

The restaurant is located at Dekigala 303, Thira 847 00. Thira is the island's capital and the main transport hub, so reaching it is straightforward from most points on Santorini.

If you are staying in Fira (the tourist-facing name for the same town), the restaurant is accessible on foot depending on where your accommodation sits. From the central bus terminal in Fira, Dekigala is reachable within a short walk heading toward the quieter residential streets east of the main pedestrian strip.

By car or scooter, parking in central Thira can be tight during peak season (July–August), so arriving slightly before or after the main meal rush makes finding a spot easier. Taxis from Kamari, Perissa, Oia, or the port of Athinios are all feasible options for a dinner trip.

There is no water access or boat route relevant to reaching this restaurant — it is an inland town location.

Best Time to Visit

China Restaurant is open year-round on consistent daily hours (11:00 AM – 11:00 PM), which makes it one of the more reliably available dining options outside the standard tourist season. Many restaurants in Santorini close between November and March, so this can be a useful option for off-season visitors.

During the peak summer months of July and August, Thira fills with visitors and table availability at popular restaurants can tighten in the early evening. Arriving for lunch or coming just before or after the typical 7:30–9:00 PM dinner window will usually mean a smoother experience.

For travelers staying in Fira who want a midday meal without committing to a full Greek lunch service, the 11:00 AM opening is convenient. Santorini's heat peaks in the early afternoon in summer, so a sit-down indoor meal during the hottest hours of the day has practical as well as culinary appeal.

Tips for Visiting

• Call ahead during peak season. The phone number is +30 2286 021352. A quick call to check wait times or reserve a table can save you a wasted trip during July and August.
• The hours are consistent all week. Unlike many island restaurants that close one day or adjust weekend hours, China Restaurant runs 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM Monday through Sunday.
• Useful for dietary variety. Chinese menus typically offer more vegetable-forward dishes and tofu-based options than standard Greek tavernas, which can be useful for vegetarians or travelers watching red meat intake.
• No website is currently available. There is no official online menu to check in advance. For current dishes and prices, call the restaurant directly or check recent Google Maps reviews, where diners often post photos of menus.
• Combine with a Fira evening. If you are planning a sunset walk along the caldera path in Fira, China Restaurant makes a practical early dinner stop before or after, given its central Thira location.
• Payment preferences not confirmed. Bring cash as a backup, particularly for a restaurant of this type in a smaller island town, as card acceptance cannot be confirmed from available information.
• Expect a casual dining atmosphere. This is not a fine-dining setting. The draw is the food and the consistency of the experience, not the décor or a view.

What to Order

No verified menu is available for China Restaurant at the time of writing, so specific dish recommendations cannot be made with confidence. Based on the restaurant's description as serving traditional Chinese cuisine and the nature of Chinese restaurants operating in Greek island resort contexts, the menu likely covers the standard range of starters, soups, rice dishes, noodle dishes, and mains organized by protein.

For the most accurate picture of what is currently being served, the most useful approach is to check recent Google Maps reviews for the restaurant — reviewers frequently photograph menus and individual dishes, which gives a more current view than any fixed description. You can also call the restaurant directly at +30 2286 021352 to ask about daily specials or to confirm specific dietary options.

If you are visiting with children or a mixed group where some diners are less adventurous, Chinese menus of this type generally include mild, approachable options alongside spicier preparations.