Rare

Rare Restaurant sits on Gali Square in Imerovigli, the quieter caldera-edge village between Fira and Oia, and it operates with a clear focus: premium meat cooked in a hand-built wood oven, alongside a concise menu of modern Greek dishes built around Santorinian produce. With a 4.7-star rating across more than 860 reviews, it has earned consistent loyalty from both first-time visitors and repeat guests looking for something more substantial than the island's abundance of mezze tavernas.

The concept is straightforward. This is a steakhouse that also takes Greek cuisine seriously. Cuts from Greece and imported beef — including American Black Angus from Greater Omaha — are treated with the same care as a slow-cooked lamb fricassee or a Santorinian fava topped with pork belly. That combination, which might seem incongruous elsewhere, works here because the kitchen applies the same wood-oven technique and ingredient discipline across both sides of the menu.

Imerovigli itself is worth noting as a setting. Smaller and less trafficked than Fira, it sits at the highest point of the caldera rim, which means caldera views from many of the village's terraces and squares are unobstructed by the density of cruise-day crowds. Rare's position on Gali Square places it in the walkable core of the village.

What to Expect

The menu at Rare divides broadly into starters, salads, and mains. On the starter side, the sautéed mushrooms with garlic, parsley, and Parmesan are a reliable opening. The Santorinian fava served with slow-cooked pork belly and glazed onions is a good example of how the kitchen bridges Greek tradition with steakhouse thinking — the fava is the island's signature yellow split-pea purée, given more body and richness by the addition of meat.

For mains, the beef selection anchors the menu. The Rib Eye from Greater Omaha runs to 300 grams of Black Angus at €42. The Tagliata — a flap steak from the same Omaha range — comes in at 300 grams and €36. The T-bone is priced per 100 grams at €13, making it the most variable in cost depending on portion. The Black Angus burger, built with bacon, cheese, fried egg, and glazed onions, is €22 for a 200-gram patty. On the Greek side, moussaka (€16), lamb fricassee with lemon, herbs, and crunchy potatoes (€24), and a Santorini salad with feta, cherry tomatoes, capers, and carob crackers (€13.50) round out the menu. Sweet potato fries with chorizo sauce (€12.50) serve as a crossover side.

The wood oven is central to the cooking method. This is not a grill restaurant; the oven imparts a different kind of heat — slower, more enveloping — that affects both texture and crust on the steaks. Service is in a restaurant rather than a casual taverna format, which the crowd-pattern data and the pricing reflect.

How to Get There

Imerovigli is approximately 3 kilometers north of Fira along the main caldera-rim road. By car or scooter, the drive takes under ten minutes, with parking available near the village center — though spots fill early in peak season. On foot, the caldera footpath from Fira to Imerovigli takes around 40–50 minutes and is one of the island's most walked routes. Santorini's public bus network connects Fira to Imerovigli several times daily; check the KTEL Santorini timetable for the current schedule. Taxis from Fira or the main taxi rank at Fira Square to Imerovigli are short and inexpensive. From Oia, the caldera path southward reaches Imerovigli in roughly an hour of walking, or a ten-minute drive.

Once in Imerovigli, Gali Square is easy to find on foot. The village is compact enough that most points within it are within a few minutes' walk of each other.

Best Time to Visit

Rare opens daily from 3:00 PM to 10:30 PM, with no day-off closure based on the listed hours. The 3:00 PM opening makes it viable for a late lunch that extends into early evening, or for a straightforward dinner service. Peak dining hours on Santorini typically run between 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM, so arriving at opening or between 5:30 and 6:30 PM gives you the best chance of immediate seating without a wait.

Imerovigli is cooler and less crowded on cruise days than Fira or Oia, but high summer — July and August — brings the island's full volume of visitors to all caldera villages. September and October offer more comfortable evening temperatures and shorter waits. Spring (April through June) is the local preference for caldera dining; the weather is warm enough for outdoor seating, and the tourist-to-table ratio is more comfortable. The restaurant operates through the standard Santorini season; confirm availability for early spring or late autumn visits directly.

Tips for Visiting

• Book ahead in July and August. Tables on Gali Square fill quickly during peak season, and Rare's consistent rating makes it a popular choice. Call +30 2286 022667 or check the website at raresantorini.com to reserve.
• If you want steak, commit to it early. The wood-oven cooking method means your meat may need more time than a conventional grill. Don't arrive at 10:00 PM expecting a relaxed steak dinner.
• The T-bone is priced per 100 grams. Ask the kitchen what the typical weight of the cut is before ordering, so the final price is not a surprise.
• The fava with pork belly is one of the more distinctive starters on the island. Santorinian fava is a PDO product unique to the island — if you haven't tried it elsewhere yet, this version with slow-cooked pork belly is a good introduction.
• Imerovigli's caldera views do not require a sunset-table premium. Unlike Oia's most photographed spots, arriving for dinner in Imerovigli without a sunset terrace booking is still a visually rewarding experience from the square and the surrounding lanes.
• Bring a layer for evening outdoor seating. Even in July, the elevation of the caldera rim means evenings can be noticeably cooler than Fira's lower streets, and the meltemi wind picks up after dark.
• The restaurant's Instagram is raremeatrestaurant. Checking recent posts gives a current view of the menu, specials, and the outdoor setting before you arrive.
• Parking in Imerovigli fills from around 6:00 PM onward in high season. If driving, arrive early or park along the main road approaching the village and walk in.

What to Order

For steak, the Rib Eye and Tagliata from the Greater Omaha Black Angus range are the kitchen's flagship cuts. Both are 300-gram portions — the Rib Eye at €42 is the richer, more marbled option; the Tagliata (flap steak) at €36 is leaner and typically served sliced, making it easier to share. The T-bone, priced at €13 per 100 grams, suits two people splitting a single large cut.

On the Greek side, the lamb fricassee — slow-cooked with lemon and herbs, served with crunchy potatoes — is the most traditional main on offer and a useful counterpoint if your table wants one meat dish that isn't steak. Moussaka at €16 is straightforward and well within the kitchen's range. For starters, the Santorinian fava with pork belly is specific to the island's own ingredient heritage and is worth ordering. The Oriental salad (spinach, rocket, avocado, goji berries, cashew nuts, coconut vinaigrette) is an outlier stylistically but functions well as a lighter course alongside a heavy meat main.

For a two-person dinner, a shared starter, one Greek main and one steak, plus a side of sweet potato fries with chorizo sauce, covers the menu's range without overeating.