If you’re looking for a special-occasion dinner in Santorini, Lycabettus Restaurant in Oia is probably already on your radar. Known for its dramatic cliffside terrace, sunset views, and creative fine dining, it’s easily one of the island’s most recognizable restaurants.
But Lycabettus is also expensive, and choosing the right seating area, reservation time, and tasting menu can make a big difference in your experience.
Here’s my honest Lycabettus Restaurant Santorini review, including what we ate, how much it cost, which tables I’d recommend, and a few things I wish I’d known before booking.
Lycabettus Restaurant is located at Andronis Luxury Suites in Oia, perched on a small terrace overlooking Santorini’s famous caldera.
The restaurant has even been featured on the cover of National Geographic, and once you see its location, it’s not hard to understand why.
Basically, the location is ridiculous.
But Lycabettus isn’t simply a restaurant with a beautiful view. The kitchen focuses on seasonal ingredients, creative presentation, modern cooking techniques, and French influences.
The experience is built around a multi-course tasting menu rather than traditional Greek dishes. If you’re expecting a casual taverna serving gyros, moussaka, and enormous portions of Greek salad, this is a completely different experience.
Lycabettus is particularly appealing for couples celebrating an anniversary, honeymooners, and travelers who genuinely enjoy creative food and want to make dinner a major part of their Santorini itinerary.
If you’re still deciding where to stay on the island, my Where to Stay in Santorini: Best Areas for First-Time Visitors explains the differences between Oia, Fira, Kamari, and the other popular areas.
The reservation process was actually a little strange when I booked. After submitting my request, I received an email acknowledging it, but that didn’t mean my reservation was confirmed.
After waiting about a week without hearing anything else, I emailed the restaurant directly to follow up. Thankfully, I was finally able to secure our table.
Book as far in advance as possible, especially if you want a Cliff Area table around sunset. These are the seats I would prioritize when making your reservation.You can make reservations through the official Lycabettus Restaurant website.
When we booked, Lycabettus offered four different seating areas:
The seating area you choose is important because the views and overall experience aren’t exactly the same.
The Sommelier’s Table is the most exclusive seating option, positioned right along the cliff.
It’s designed around a private wine experience with food pairings and comes with a significantly higher price tag.
If you’re particularly interested in wine and want a more exclusive dining experience, this may be appealing.
This is where we sat, and it’s absolutely the seating area I would book again.
The Cliff Area tables sit above the other restaurant areas, giving you a panoramic view across Oia, the surrounding cliffs, and the Aegean Sea.
You can see the whitewashed buildings cascading down the hillside while looking directly out toward the water.
It honestly feels like you’re sitting on a tiny balcony hanging over the caldera.
And unlike some sunset restaurants where you’re primarily looking at the water, here you get the village and the surrounding landscape in the same view.
The Lounge and Monastery Table Areas still have beautiful surroundings and views, but from what I saw, they don’t offer quite the same open panorama over Oia as the Cliff Area.
If the view is a major reason you’re booking Lycabettus, I would try to reserve the Cliff Area first.
The most memorable part of the setting wasn’t just the sunset itself. It was watching Oia change throughout dinner.
When we first sat down, everything was still bright enough to see the details of the buildings and cliffs. As the sun began setting, the village took on a warmer golden color before eventually transitioning into the twinkling lights of Oia at night.
And trust me, it’s saying something when a view can distract me from my food because I plan entire trips around what I’m going to eat.
If you’re comparing places to watch the sunset around the island, my Best Sunset Spots in Santorini: Where to Watch the Sunset covers other options to consider during your trip.
We chose the Degustation Menu, which is a multi-course tasting experience featuring a series of carefully prepared dishes.
Unlike a traditional restaurant where you order an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, most of the courses are already selected for you.
There are a few optional upgrades, but otherwise you’re trusting the chefs to guide the meal.
When we visited, the tasting menu cost €200 per person.
Here were the pairing options and additional prices at the time of our visit:
| Menu or pairing | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Degustation Menu | €200 |
| Wine Pairing | €145 |
| Premium Wine Pairing | €252 |
| Cocktail Pairing | €145 |
| Non-Alcoholic Pairing | €95 |
| Lobster Upgrade | +€60 |
| Wagyu Striploin Upgrade | +€70 |
Our two degustation menus started at €400 total.
I also upgraded my main course to the Wagyu striploin for an additional €70, bringing our known food total to €470 for two people, before drinks, pairings, or any additional charges.
If you’re considering a pairing, those can add quite a bit to the total. For example, two non-alcoholic pairings would have added another €190.
The exact menus and prices can change, so I recommend checking the current offerings before your visit.
Want to explore more of Santorini before or after your dinner in Oia? Consider a guided island sightseeing tour that includes some of Santorini’s famous villages and viewpoints.
Yes! And obviously, this was especially important for me. I’m not a vegetarian, but I don’t eat seafood, which can make fine-dining tasting menus a little complicated.
The regular degustation menu included several seafood courses, so I contacted the restaurant about substitutions. Thankfully, Lycabettus was able to accommodate me by replacing the seafood dishes with courses from its vegetarian degustation menu.
Brad ordered the regular tasting menu, while I enjoyed the vegetarian alternatives for the seafood courses and upgraded my main course to the Wagyu steak.
What I appreciated most was that the kitchen didn’t simply remove the seafood ingredients and serve me a less interesting version of the original dish.
Instead, I received completely different, thoughtfully prepared courses.
If you have dietary restrictions or foods you don’t eat, I would contact the restaurant before your reservation rather than waiting until you arrive.
If you’re looking for more restaurant recommendations, my Where to Eat in Santorini Greece: Restaurants We Actually Tried covers the different places we ate during our trip, including both casual restaurants and fine dining.
The degustation menu sounds much more intimidating when you read all the fine-dining descriptions than it actually is.
There are plenty of French culinary terms, unusual ingredients, and preparations you probably wouldn’t see on an everyday restaurant menu.
So here’s a more straightforward explanation of what Brad and I were served, including which dishes I personally ate and which were part of his regular seafood menu.
We started with bread served alongside butter and several different condiments. And there was A LOT of bread. Ha! Everything was really good, and I appreciated how much attention went into something as simple as the bread service.
But knowing how many courses were coming, there was absolutely no way I was finishing it all. My advice? Enjoy the bread, but save room.
The canapés were one of my favorite parts of the entire dinner. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, canapés are small, bite-sized appetizers served at the beginning of a fine-dining meal.
These were essentially a series of tiny opening bites, each creatively prepared and beautifully presented. Several looked like little pieces of art. I love when a tasting menu starts with something unexpected, and these immediately made me excited about the courses ahead.
This was another favorite, and definitely not your typical bowl of tomato soup.
Instead of serving tomato in one preparation, the kitchen incorporated several different textures, temperatures, and flavors. The soup was cold, fresh, slightly sweet, and savory, with a really concentrated tomato flavor. I particularly enjoyed how something as familiar as a tomato could taste so different depending on how it was prepared.
This was easily one of the standout dishes of the entire meal for me.
Brad enjoyed the regular tasting menu, which included red shrimp tartare, squid, and miso-glazed cod.
Since I don’t eat seafood, my courses were replaced with dishes from the vegetarian menu, including beetroot tartare, wild mushroom chawanmushi, and artichoke.
I really appreciated that the kitchen created completely different dishes for me rather than simply removing the seafood. I still got the full fine-dining experience without feeling like I was missing out.
The standard menu included guinea fowl with black truffle, roasted garlic purée, and morel mushrooms, but I decided to upgrade to the Wagyu striploin. The Wagyu came with baba ganoush, smoked vinegar, beef jus, Wagyu tartare, crispy potato rösti, and caviar.
After several vegetarian courses, I was definitely ready for some steak!
And just when you think you’ve made it through all the courses, the desserts begin.
First came a pre-dessert, which is essentially a small palate cleanser before the main dessert. I love that fine dining basically says, “Before your dessert, please have this other dessert.”
No complaints from me.
The main dessert featured vanilla with caramel, vanilla parfait, and hazelnut.
And just when you think dinner is over…
More food.
Mignardises is the French term for the tiny, bite-sized sweets served at the end of a fine-dining meal.
Basically, dessert after dessert.
Again, no complaints. My kind of dining.
Although I enjoyed the entire tasting menu, the beginning of the meal was particularly impressive.
The canapés and tomato soup were my two favorites.
The presentation throughout dinner was also impressive. Several courses genuinely looked like miniature works of art, and I appreciated that the kitchen put as much effort into the smaller dishes as the main courses.
Overall, the service was good, but I do have a few observations.
First, I want to make an important distinction: Every single staff member we interacted with was genuinely friendly, helpful, and welcoming. Nobody made us feel uncomfortable, rushed, or unwelcome.
However, considering the price and level of fine dining, I expected the overall service to be slightly more polished.
There were a few occasions when our dishes didn’t arrive at exactly the same time. Occasionally, another course would be brought to the table while we were still finishing the previous one.
These weren’t major problems, and nothing ruined our dinner. But when you’re spending this much money on a tasting menu, the coordination and pacing between courses are part of what you’re paying for.
I thought the staff themselves were wonderful. The flow of service just could have been a little smoother.
I would describe the dress code as dressy resort casual. Lycabettus is definitely an upscale restaurant, but you don’t need to arrive in a ball gown or suit.
I wore a maxi dress with heels, while Brad wore a button-up shirt, nice shorts, and sneakers.
We both felt completely comfortable.
For women, I would recommend a nice sundress, maxi dress, or dressy separates. For men, a collared shirt with tailored shorts or trousers would work well.
I would avoid beachwear or anything extremely casual.
I also like having my Nano Bag with me when I’m exploring because it folds up small and gives me somewhere to keep a few extra things. It’s useful when you want to bring a change of shoes without carrying a large bag all day.
Our dinner lasted approximately 2½ hours.
With so many courses, this isn’t a restaurant where you’ll sit down, order dinner, and leave an hour later.
I would allow at least two to three hours for the experience and avoid scheduling another activity immediately afterward.
We planned our evening around dinner, which gave us time to enjoy the entire tasting menu without worrying about getting somewhere else.
If you’re planning what to do in Oia before dinner, my One Day in Oia Santorini: The Perfect Itinerary covers how to explore the village, including its famous viewpoints, shops, and restaurants.
A few additional details are worth knowing before you book.
At the time of our visit, Lycabettus listed dinner hours of 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM.
The restaurant also had several policies guests should be aware of:
Because restaurant hours, policies, and menu offerings can change, I recommend confirming the current details when making your reservation.
If you’re planning to spend more time exploring Santorini, guided experiences can also be a good option, particularly if you want to visit several villages and scenic viewpoints without arranging every stop yourself.
Yes. Very.
At €200 per person for the degustation menu alone, Lycabettus is unquestionably a splurge, especially once you add drinks, optional pairings, or menu upgrades.
I wouldn’t recommend it to someone simply searching for the best-value meal in Santorini.
But I also think it’s important to consider what you’re paying for.
You’re not just ordering dinner. You’re spending several hours enjoying a creative tasting menu in a pretty extraordinary setting, with a series of courses designed to be experienced individually.
I almost think of meals like this as entertainment, similar to going to a concert. People are paying upwards of $500 per ticket for some shows, so when you look at it that way, this is actually a steal. Ha!
Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone will think the price is justified. If you’re happiest ordering a few traditional Greek dishes and enjoying a casual dinner, I would save the money for something else.
But if food is a major part of why you travel, a restaurant like Lycabettus can be an experience in itself.
For me, a true foodie, absolutely.
What made Lycabettus memorable wasn’t simply that we had an expensive dinner overlooking the caldera. It was getting to experience a tasting menu where the chefs approached familiar ingredients in completely unexpected ways.
If you don’t enjoy creative and unusual food, beautiful views, or a dreamy night out, then Lycabettus might not be for you.
However, if you’re planning a honeymoon, celebrating something special, or simply want to splurge on an exceptional dinner in Oia, I would absolutely consider it.
And if I were booking again, I already know exactly what I’d do: reserve the Cliff Area around sunset and show up ready to eat a ridiculous amount of food.
Preferably with plenty of room left for dessert after dessert.
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 planning a stay in Santorini, you can compare hotel prices and availability through Booking.com or Hotels.com.
For guided sightseeing tours, boat excursions, and other Santorini experiences, explore options on Viator or GetYourGuide.
If you’re planning to explore several parts of the island, compare rental car prices through Discover Cars.
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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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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.
Save this for your Phoenix trip ✈️
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