The Cave of Nikolas is a family-run seaside taverna in Akrotiri, Santorini, known for its fresh seafood, traditional Greek dishes, and waterfront setting.
If you’re looking for a traditional Santorini restaurant away from the busier areas of Oia and Fira, this is a great option. And even if you don’t eat seafood (like me!), there are plenty of local specialties to try.
We stopped here for lunch during our self-drive boat day around Santorini, and it ended up being a great way to experience several traditional dishes in one meal.
Here’s my Cave of Nikolas Santorini review, including what we ordered, how much we paid, what the restaurant is actually like, and a few things to know before visiting.
I mean, eating at a restaurant in a cave sounded pretty cool to me before we even got there. But the history behind this little restaurant is actually pretty interesting.
The original cave was built by Uncle Nikolas when he was young and was initially used as a shelter for himself and his small boat.
His wife, Aunt Efstathia, was known for her cooking, and eventually archaeologist Spiros Marinatos, who led the excavations at nearby Akrotiri, suggested that they turn the shelter into a small taverna for the workers.
They started serving traditional Santorini dishes like tomatoballs, fava, chloro cheese, spaghetti, and fresh fish. As more visitors came to see the Akrotiri archaeological site, they also started making their way down to the beach to eat at the little taverna.
In 1981, the restaurant passed to their daughter, Margarita. Today, The Cave of Nikolas remains a multigenerational family business focused on traditional Santorini cooking and local ingredients.
What I found especially interesting is that the family produces many of the ingredients used in the restaurant themselves, including vegetables, meat, cheese, and wine, using traditional methods.
Not exactly! The original cave is still an important part of the restaurant’s history, but you aren’t sitting deep inside a dark cave eating lunch.
Instead, the dining area extends out from the cave, right along the water. And honestly, I think the setting is even better than I expected. It feels like a tiny traditional Greek seaside taverna tucked away from Santorini’s busier tourist areas.
The tables sit just steps from the water, with little boats nearby and the Aegean Sea stretching out in front of you. There aren’t rows of whitewashed luxury hotels or huge crowds walking past your table.
This part of Akrotiri is noticeably quieter than Oia and Fira, and I loved being able to enjoy lunch right beside the water. The setting was actually one of my favorite things about the restaurant, even though the cave itself was what originally caught my attention.
The Cave of Nikolas is located along the waterfront in the Akrotiri area of southern Santorini, near the archaeological site and Red Beach.
I wouldn’t say it’s particularly difficult to find if you’re arriving by land. But arriving by boat? That was a little different. Ha!
We had rented our own boat for the day (read my How to Rent a Boat in Santorini: Everything You Need to Know), and we decided to make The Cave of Nikolas our lunch stop.
If you’d rather explore Santorini’s coastline with someone else handling the boat, a guided boat excursion is another option.
The problem was that we had never been there before, and you can’t see the restaurant sign from the water. So we had a little more trouble figuring out exactly where we were supposed to go. Thankfully, it’s a pretty small area, so that helped!
If you’re arriving by car, I would say it might be a little easier to spot.
The Cave of Nikolas is technically a fish taverna, so seafood is a major part of the menu. You’ll find dishes like fresh fish, grilled calamari, octopus, shrimp, seafood soup, mussels, and seafood risotto.
But don’t automatically skip this restaurant if you don’t eat seafood! I don’t eat seafood at all, and this was still an easy restaurants for me to try several traditional Santorini foods that weren’t seafood.
The menu also includes plenty of non-seafood options, including:
What I especially liked was that the menu included several ingredients Santorini is specifically known for, rather than just the typical Greek dishes you see everywhere.
If you’re interested in trying more local specialties during your trip, I’ve also put together What to Eat in Greece: 25 Greek Foods You Have to Try.
We ordered garlic bread, a large variety of traditional Santorini appetizers, and the fish fillet of the day for Brad.
I would order everything again.
This was the main thing I wanted to order!
The Variety of Appetizers is basically a giant sampler of traditional Santorini dishes, and it was exactly what I was hoping for.
If you’re visiting Santorini for the first time and want to try several local specialties, I think this is one of the best things you can order here.
The platter included six traditional Santorini dishes:
If you’re ordering the appetizer platter, I would absolutely get the bread to go with it.
There are several dips, cheeses, and vegetables on the platter, and the bread is perfect for scooping everything up.
I thought it was a good addition to our meal.
Absolutely! I loved being able to try six traditional dishes in one order, especially since I don’t eat seafood.
It gave me a chance to try foods I might not have ordered individually, including a few things I wasn’t sure I would like.
And while I didn’t love every single dish (looking at you, dolmadakia), I would absolutely order the platter again.
Just make sure you add that garlic bread!
Brad ordered the Fish Fillet of the Day, which happened to be lionfish when we visited. Neither of us really knew what to expect because it was his first time trying lionfish.
The fish was sautéed with Santorini tomatoes, capers, garlic, rosemary, and a touch of Santorini Assyrtiko wine, then served with grilled vegetables.
Brad said the lionfish was different from any fish he had tried before, but it was very mild and perfectly seasoned. I even tried a bite, and to my surprise, it wasn’t fishy at all!
Since The Cave of Nikolas focuses so heavily on fresh fish, you might get the opportunity to try something you wouldn’t normally order at home. And Brad would absolutely order the fish of the day again.
Santorini has some narrow roads and tight village streets. If you’re deciding whether to drive, read my Driving in Santorini Greece: Everything You Need to Know About Renting a Car before booking.
The service was great! Just keep in mind where you are. This is a small, traditional taverna in a quiet area of a Greek island. Things move on island time.
I personally think that’s part of the experience, but if you’re trying to squeeze lunch into a 45-minute opening in your itinerary, this probably isn’t how I would plan the day.
Give yourself enough time to sit by the water and enjoy your meal especially if you’re ordering several appetizers or fresh fish.
I thought the prices were really reasonable, especially for Santorini.
Here’s what some of the food cost when we visited:
| Menu Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Garlic Bread | €6 |
| Variety of Appetizers | €36 |
| Many Individual Appetizers | Under €15 |
| Several Main Dishes | Approximately €14–€28 |
These are prices from our visit, so check the current menu before going.
The €36 appetizer platter might sound a little expensive at first, but considering how much food came on it and how many different specialties we got to try, I thought it was a good value.
And with the restaurant sitting right along the waterfront, I was pleasantly surprised by the pricing. You can certainly spend a lot more money eating in Santorini, particularly at restaurants with caldera views in Oia or Fira. Here, I felt like we were paying for good traditional food rather than a famous view.
For more restaurants we visited during our trip, read Where to Eat in Santorini Greece: Restaurants We Actually Tried.
I would recommend including The Cave of Nikolas as part of a larger day exploring Akrotiri rather than driving all the way across Santorini just for lunch.
There are several interesting stops nearby, and they work well together geographically.
This is probably the most natural attraction to pair with lunch at The Cave of Nikolas.
The prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri is one of Santorini’s most important archaeological sites, and the restaurant’s history is directly connected to its excavation.
I’d visit the archaeological site first, then head toward the coast for lunch.
It’s a good combination if you want to experience both the island’s history and its traditional food.
If you have more time, you can continue along the coast toward White Beach. This beach is typically reached by boat and is known for the pale cliffs surrounding the shoreline.
We also visited White Beach during our boat rental, along with several other beaches along Santorini’s southern coast. If you’re planning a beach afternoon, this is an interesting addition, especially if you want to see a part of the island that’s less accessible by road.
Red Beach is nearby and is one of Santorini’s most recognizable volcanic landscapes. The contrast between the red cliffs and the blue Aegean water is pretty dramatic. Even if you don’t plan to spend hours at the beach, I think it’s worth seeing.
We actually visited Red Beach during our self-drive boat day, which gave us a completely different perspective of the coastline. Just be aware that the cliffs around Red Beach can be unstable, so I would be cautious about walking directly beneath them.
For more beach options around the island, see my Best Beaches in Santorini Greece: Red Beach White Beach Kamari and More.
Another stop I would include is Akrotiri Lighthouse. It’s located near the southwestern tip of Santorini and has wide-open views over the Aegean Sea. We passed the lighthouse during our boat day, but you can also reach the area by car.
If you’re exploring Akrotiri on land, it makes sense to save the lighthouse for later in the afternoon since it’s farther out toward the tip of the island. That way, you can work your way through the area without constantly backtracking.
If you’re planning to combine the restaurant with the archaeological site, Red Beach, and the lighthouse, having a rental car makes it easier to explore at your own pace.
We rented a car during our Santorini trip in addition to our separate boat rental day.
For me, absolutely! I originally wanted to eat here because having lunch at a restaurant built around an old cave sounded pretty cool, but I ended up enjoying it for completely different reasons.
I love finding restaurants that serve food connected to the destination, especially dishes I can’t easily find at home. And The Cave of Nikolas delivered on that without feeling like a restaurant built specifically for tourists.
I’d work it into a day exploring Akrotiri or, like we did, a boat trip along Santorini’s southern coast rather than making a separate trip just for lunch.
Between the traditional food, reasonable prices, and waterfront setting, I thought it was a great experience.
And yes, I would absolutely go back!
If you end up booking anything for your trip, using my affiliate links helps support my blog at no extra cost to you. I spend a lot of time researching and writing these guides, so I really appreciate the support.
If you’re still deciding where to base yourself on the island, start with my Where to Stay in Santorini: Best Areas for First-Time Visitors. You can also compare Santorini hotels on Booking.com.
For help planning your sightseeing days, check out The Perfect 5 Days in Santorini Greece: A Complete Itinerary and The Best Things to Do in Santorini Greece.
If you’re planning a boat day or visiting Santorini’s beaches, three useful items to bring are water shoes, a dry bag, and a quick-dry towel.
For more ideas beyond Santorini’s busiest towns, read Santorini Hidden Gems: Places to Visit Beyond Oia and Fira.
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Masons in Kaiserslautern: Korean BBQ, Jamaican jerk chicken, raclette potatoes, crispy baked ricotta from Monaco, and the Belgian cookie cheesecake you’ll still be talking about the next day. €39-45 per person. Bring a group and pace yourself, because they charge for leftovers.
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My Substack has everything I’d tell a first-time visitor: the lodge I’ve now stayed at twice, the experiences I’d do first, and the restaurants I’d plan my days around.
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YES is always the answer... ✈️
I’m Wendy, and yes, I travel for a living (still pinching myself). After 15 years teaching middle school math, I traded the whiteboard for a passport and never looked back. Knoxville is home base, but Arizona sunsets are on another level, and if it’s been sitting on your list, this is your sign to finally say yes and book it. City guides, hotel reviews, and foodie spots are all on the blog. So glad you’re here 🌵☀️
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Save this for your Phoenix trip ☀️
“Outside Terminal 3” is not a pickup location at PHX.
Before your driver pulls in, text them four things: your terminal, north or south side, door number, and inner or outer curb. Grab your bags first, then call them in. Drivers can wait free in the cell phone lot instead of circling. Getting through security is easy; getting picked up is the hard part.
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