Elia Tavern

Elia Tavern sits in Fira, the island capital of Santorini, and operates as a straightforward Greek tavern with a menu spanning fresh seafood, grilled meats, and classic meze. With a rating of 3.8 across more than 500 Google reviews, it draws a consistent crowd of visitors looking for familiar Greek cooking without the premium markup that tends to follow caldera-view dining.

The address places it within Fira's 847 00 postal district, putting it close to the town's main commercial corridor and within reasonable walking distance of the cable car, the bus terminal on the southern edge of town, and several of the local hotels. For travelers who want a sit-down Greek meal without committing to a cliffside restaurant reservation, it functions as a reliable, accessible option.

Elias is open every day of the week from 11:00 AM through midnight, which makes it workable for both a long midday lunch and a late dinner after an evening of exploring the caldera path.

What to Expect

Elia Tavern presents itself as a relaxed setting for traditional Greek cooking. The place types on record list it as a Greek restaurant, a barbecue restaurant, a diner, and a seafood restaurant — which maps closely to the core of a Cycladic tavern menu: whole fish sold by weight, grilled lamb chops, souvlaki, octopus, and the cold meze plates that open a Greek meal. Expect a laminated or printed paper menu with photos, straightforward plating, and quantities sized for sharing.

The tone is casual. A Fira tavern at this price point is not a fine-dining room — no tableside service, no tasting menus, and no advance booking typically required outside of peak August weeks. The kitchen turns out the kind of dishes that work well in the midday heat: tzatziki, taramosalata, fried calamari, horiatiki salad, and grilled fish. The meatier side of the menu — pork souvlaki, lamb chops, beef patties — suits evening diners who have spent the afternoon at one of the island's beaches and want something substantial.

The social media presence under the handle @eliasantorinirestaurant suggests the restaurant also runs periodic Sunday brunch service in a buffet format, reportedly at an external venue associated with the arts space Bishop Arts. That format is distinct from the standard tavern service and worth confirming directly if that specific experience is what you are looking for.

The 3.8 rating reflects a mixed but broadly positive reception. It is honest for what the restaurant is: a mid-range Greek tavern in a tourist-heavy town, not a destination restaurant.

How to Get There

Elia Tavern is located in Fira at coordinates 36.4183, 25.4320 — in the main town of Santorini, which is where most visitors already base themselves or pass through. If you are arriving from the port of Athinios by bus, the KTEL bus drops passengers at the Fira bus terminal near the main square. From there, the walk into Fira's restaurant streets is under ten minutes.

If you are staying in Oia, Imerovigli, or Firostefani, local buses run frequently along the caldera road to Fira, and the journey takes between 15 and 30 minutes depending on your start point. Taxis from Oia to Fira run around €15–20 though fares can spike during peak season — always confirm the fare before getting in.

Parking in central Fira is limited. Drivers are better off using the public parking area on the eastern edge of town and walking in. The caldera-facing side of Fira is largely pedestrianized.

Best Time to Visit

Santorini's peak season runs from late June through August, when Fira is at its most congested and prices across all restaurants trend higher. Elia Tavern's open-all-day format (11am to midnight, seven days) means it absorbs walk-in traffic throughout the afternoon, which in midsummer can make lunchtime between 1pm and 3pm particularly busy.

For a more comfortable experience, aim for lunch before noon or a dinner sitting after 9pm when the sunset-chasing crowds at caldera restaurants have settled. Shoulder season — May, June, and September through early October — brings more moderate temperatures, shorter waits, and often more attentive service across Fira's restaurants generally.

Note that Santorini in July and August sees the meltemi wind, which can make outdoor terrace dining less comfortable in the afternoons. If Elia Tavern has outdoor seating, the orientation relative to Fira's streets will determine how much that wind affects the experience.

Tips for Visiting

• Call ahead for large groups. The phone number is +30 2286 023165. Taverns in Fira don't always take advance reservations for small tables, but a group of six or more is worth a quick call, especially in July and August.
• Order the meze to start. A shared spread of tzatziki, taramosalata, and grilled bread is a good calibration of the kitchen's standard before committing to mains.
• Fresh fish is typically sold by weight. Ask the server to show you the fish and confirm the price per kilo before ordering. A 400g portion of sea bream is usually enough for one person as a main.
• The Sunday brunch offer appears to be an occasional event, not a standing weekly fixture. Check the Instagram account @eliasantorinirestaurant before visiting if that is your specific interest.
• Bring cash as a backup. Card machines are common across Santorini now, but smaller taverns occasionally have connectivity issues, and ATMs are readily available in central Fira.
• Avoid peak sunset hour (around 7:30–8:30pm in summer) if you want a quieter meal. Fira fills with foot traffic during this window as people move between caldera viewpoints and restaurants.
• The restaurant is open until midnight, which makes it a reasonable option for a late meal after a day trip to Akrotiri or the Red Beach on the southern part of the island.
• Check the Facebook page (facebook.com/EliaSantoriniRestaurant) for any seasonal closures or changed hours in the off-season, typically November through March.

What to Order

Elia Tavern's place type listing points toward four distinct cooking styles: Greek, barbecue, diner food, and seafood. In practice, a traditional Greek tavern menu covers all of these under one roof.

Cold starters: Tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber, garlic), taramosalata (fish roe dip), melitzanosalata (roasted eggplant), and a horiatiki — a Greek salad with tomato, cucumber, onion, olives, and a thick slab of feta.

Hot starters: Fried calamari is a dependable order at any Cycladic tavern. Grilled saganaki (pan-fried cheese, often kefalograviera) is worth ordering if available.

Mains — seafood: Whole grilled fish (sea bream, sea bass, or whatever the catch allows), grilled octopus, and shrimp in tomato sauce (garides saganaki) are the options to look for.

Mains — grilled meats: Lamb chops (paidakia), pork souvlaki on a skewer, and bifteki (a seasoned Greek-style beef patty) are core tavern staples. The listing under barbecue restaurant suggests the kitchen uses a charcoal or gas grill for these.

Sides: Greek fries (often fried in olive oil), rice, and grilled vegetables round out most mains.

Drinks: House wine by the carafe is the standard tavern order. Santorini produces its own Assyrtiko white wine, which is widely available across the island even at casual restaurants. Local beer and soft drinks are the other defaults.