Top Rated Pizza Joints in Santorini That Locals Swear By
Words by
Elena Papadopoulos
If you only hit one thing on this island, make it the top rated pizza joints in Santorini, because the year-round residents here do not just eat pizza occasionally, they defend their favorite slice with genuine local pride. I have lived in Fira and eaten my way through Oia, Pyrgos, Messaria, and Kamari, and the best casual pizza Santorini offers often comes out of small family run spots you would walk right past if you did not already know. These are the local pizza spots Santorini regulars keep going back to, year after season.
1. Naoussa Restaurant, Fira
Most tourists know Naoussa for its seafront tables overlooking the caldera, but the year-round regulars in Fira quietly come here for the thin-crust pizza, best ordered when you sit slightly inside rather than fighting for the terrace seats. Ask for the pizza with local cherry tomatoes, capers, and mizithra cheese. That combination is distinctly Santorini, using the island's volcanic soil produce.
Best to drop in around 13:00 on a weekday before the cruise ship crowd swells at 14:00, and you will get a slower pace and much better attention from the staff. One thing visitors do not realize is that the kitchen sometimes sets aside a portion of fava puree to finish the pizzas with a hidden swipe of garlic oil on the crust. It is not on the menu, but asking politely if they still make that variation sometimes works. The dining room does get quite loud when both floors fill up after 20:00, so if you want a calmer visit, come early or dodge Friday and Saturday nights completely.
What to Order: Pizza with local Santorini cherry tomatoes, capers, and mizithra, eaten inside the main dining room rather than on the terrace.
Best Time: Weekday lunch around 13:00, before cruise ship groups arrive.
Local Secret: Ask if the kitchen still brushes the crust with their garlic-infused fava oil. It is not on the menu, but old timers know about it.
2. Parea Tavern & Pizza, Fira (Episkopi Gonias side of the main road)
Parea sits in that stretch along the Fira to Firostefani road where the caldera falls away below and the pace of life pulls back slightly from the center of town. Locals come here as much for the views as for the wood-fired pizzas that are consistently well priced, making this one of the better cheap pizza Santorini options if you do not want to sacrifice quality. Try the margherita made with island-grown cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
If you come just before sunset, you get the changing light across the caldera without the post-sunset rush when the restaurant fills with caldera-view diners. I like to walk here from Firostefini along the rim path, because the path gives you about 10 extra minutes to choose exactly the right table. The restrooms here are down a steep staircase and not well lit, which can be inconvenient late at night, so bear that in mind if you are heading here after a full day of walking.
What to Order: Margherita pizza made with Santorini cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
Best Time: Just before sunset, around 18:30 in summer, securing a table before the caldera-view rush.
Local Secret: Walking from Firostefini on the path takes about ten minutes and lets you arrive unhurried, so you can actually choose where you want to sit.
3. Saltsa, Kamari
Kamari has a livelier seafront strip than most parts of Santorini, and Saltsa sits right on the waterfront as one of the more reliable local pizza spots Santorini visitors end up discovering by accident. Their pizza list is broad and not pretentious, and the thin crusts are cooked fast in a stone oven. The seafood pizza here works well because Santori's kitchen keeps its fish supply very fresh and local, but the real sleeper is their four-cheese version with melted gouda folded in alongside traditional graviera and feta.
Weekday evenings after 21:00 are my favorite window here, when the families have mostly gone and the table turnover slows. If you are here on a weekend, I would instead aim for an early lunch before noon, pushing past the noise factor that the main Kamari strip can generate. One of the most overlooked details at Saltsa is their promotion for locals on certain slower days; year-round Kamari residents will know which days and times have scaled back pricing, but it is worth simply asking your server politely when you arrive.
What to Order: Four-cheese pizza with gouda, graviera, and feta, or the seafood pizza on any day the kitchen notes the catch is local.
Best Time: Weekday evenings after 21:00, or weekend lunch before noon.
Local Secret: Discounts for locals are sometimes available on slower days. Ask directly whether any discounts are active.
4. Kipos Tavern, Fira (backstreets behind the main pedestrian lanes)
Not every great pizza here needs a caldera view, and Kipos on one of the quieter backstreets of Fira where locals actually live is proof of that. Run by the same family for a long stretch, this place pumps out solid, affordable, wood-fired pizzas that attract more year-round islanders than passing sightseers. Their version of the Santorini pizza, with cherry tomatoes, capers, and kopanisti pepper cheese, is one of the most authentic takes you will find anywhere on the island.
Late weekday lunch or very early evening around 18:00 has always been my sweet spot for Kipos, beating the small dining room from feeling crowded. After you eat, duck into the alley behind the restaurant and take the footpath toward the white church. It is about a five-minute walk to a quiet overlook where almost no tourists bother to wander, and you can pause there before rejoining the main Fira lanes. As a minor complaint, the space is quite tight and tables are close together, so this works best when you are comfortable with neighbors right next to you.
What to Order: Santorini pizza with cherry tomatoes, capers, and kopanisti pepper cheese.
Best Time: Late weekday lunch or 18:00, beating the dinner crush.
Local Secret: The five-minute footpath behind the restaurant leads to a white church and a quiet overlook that most day-trippers miss entirely.
5. To Poegeki, Kamari
This lesser-known corner spot on one of Kamari's backstreets away from the beachfront delivers some of the most honest, best casual pizza Santorini has, and because it is not on the waterfront strip, the prices stay noticeably gentler. To Poegeki feels like it was built for neighborhood regulars first and tourists second, and the menu keeps things simple and direct. I go straight for their spicy pizza with local sausage and peppers, which has a genuine punch thanks to Santorini's own kopanisti.
Weekday early evening in this part of Kamari is quiet and easy, because most of the action stays along the beach promenade. Sit on the little sidewalk terrace if one of the tables outside is free, and you end up watching the real neighborhood life of Kamari rather than the version aimed at visitors. A small downside is that the kitchen can run slowly if a group just placed a big table order ahead of you, so it helps to ask your server for an honest wait time up front. Coming during quieter hours usually resolves that issue. As a worthwhile insider detail, the adjacent street hosts a seasonal produce seller in the mornings; pick up a bag of cherry tomatoes before dinner for the full loop of neighborhood support.
What to Order: Spicy pizza with local sausage and kopanisti peppers.
Best Time: Weekday early evening, when the beach strip is busy but this backstreet is calm.
Local Secret: The mornings produce seller on the adjacent street sells cherry tomatoes that could easily have ended up in your pizza earlier that day.
6. Meli Tou Paidi, Messaria
Messaria is a bona fide Santorini village with a real town heart, and Meli Tou Paidi is one of its least touristy but most dependable local pizza spots Santorini residents point to when asked where they actually eat. The interior is warm and family-like, running a plain but effective wood-fired oven. Ask for the stuffed-crust pizza, which is not advertised on every menu board but has been quietly served here for some years.
Locals know to come early, before 19:00, to get a table without a wait and catch the kitchen at its sharpest. I like to combine a Messaria pizza visit with a walk through the older residential quarter, where the volcanic rock walls narrow into footpaths that were laid down when Santorini's agricultural economy centered on wine and grain, not tourism. Kids play in the side lanes, farmers still use the inner roads for trucks at odd hours. The restaurant itself is not air-conditioned and the material of the room holds the summer heat, so in peak July and August the dining can feel stuffy until the evening cool comes in. If you mind that, sit closer to the door or earlier in the day.
What to Order: Stuffed-crust pizza, not always listed as a menu board feature but regularly served.
Best Time: Before 19:00, when waits are short and the kitchen is at its best.
Local Secret: Walking through the old Messaria quarter before your meal lets you see the agricultural backbone of Santorini that most visitors never experience.
7. Valentina Restaurant, Firostefani
Valentina sits in the narrow pedestrian strip of Firostefani, that shoulder of land between Fira and Imerovigli with views that rival the more famous caldera side but at slightly less frantic pacing. This is not strictly a pizzeria, but local pizzas here are surprisingly well executed, and the cherry tomato base they use is noticeably brighter than what you get in many larger Fira tourist restaurants. The margherita is restrained and honest, with good cheese and a clean char on the base.
I prefer to eat here in the very early evening, a little before 18:00, when they still have tables near the open side that faces west, and the light is beginning to soften over the caldera. After dinner, walk the Imerovigli direction for five minutes to look down on the Orthodox cathedral from a slightly different angle; you will also pass a tiny kiosk that sells local capers and cherry tomato paste by the jar. Back at the restaurant, the tables at Valentina are packed quite tightly in the front section, so if you value elbow space you will want to ask for a table slightly further back from the front wall.
What to Order: Margherita pizza with the restaurant's own brighter cherry tomato base.
Best Time: Just before 18:00, when westward terrace-type seating is still open.
Local Secret: The five-minute walk toward Imerovigli passes a small kiosk selling local capers and cherry tomato paste that could anchor your own island-style cooking.
8. Volcano Lounge Restaurant, Fira
Up the hill behind the main center of Fira, Volcano Lounge sits where the density of tourist restaurants drops markedly and more year-round workers in town tend to come for affordable dinners. This makes Volcano Lounge one of the more practical cheap pizza Santorini options if you want decent ingredients without caldera-view markup. Their thin-crust pizzas come in a no-nonsense range of toppings, and the vegetarian option loaded with grilled zucchini, eggplant, and Santorini cherry tomatoes gives you a taste of local agriculture in a simple frame.
On weekday evenings before the shop-top crowd drives in around 21:00, the kitchen produces pizza at a comfortable pace. After dinner, take the uphill footpath leading away from the center of Fira toward the old cable car trailhead; locals use it for some exercise, and it gives a view away from the sea and back toward the island's interior valleys. The connection between places like Volcano Lounge and the broader character of Santorini is easy to spot once you understand that these hilltop restaurant areas were traditionally where workers ate at the end of long days in shops and small businesses, not the caldera-view dining floors where tourists are directed tonight. One drawback is that the street parking right in front of the restaurant is extremely tight, particularly in August, and the alley behind is more suitable for drop-off only.
What to Order: Vegetarian thin-crust with grilled zucchini, eggplant, and Santorini cherry tomatoes.
Best Time: Weekday evenings before 21:00, before the post-supper crowd builds.
Local Secret: The uphill footpath behind the restaurant leads toward the old cable car trailhead and opens up views of the island's interior valleys, not just the caldera.
9. Yogi's Gyros & Grill, Kamari
Yogi's is technically a gyro and grill spot on the Kamari strip, but it has earned a loyal local following partly because its quick-fire flatbread pizzas sit well inside the best cheap pizza Santorini category: fast, filling, and genuinely liked by residents. The base here is not Neapolitan; it is fast, thin, and a little crisp-edged, exactly what you want after a hot day on Kamari's black-pebble beach. My go-to is the spicy pepperoni cooked just until the edges curl. It does not claim to be artisan, and that is the point.
Right before the beach crowd heads off to evening drinks, Yogi's hits a small sweet spot between 18:00 and 19:00 when you can order without a crush at the counter. Later at night the stretch can become congested with people heading to and from the seafront bars, so do not plan this as a calm late-night sit-down. Use it instead as fuel between activities. As a small warning, the seating is minimal and the airflow is not ideal on hot days; you may find it more comfortable to take your pizza to the seafront benches and eat with a direct breeze off the water.
What to Order: Spicy pepperoni flatbread pizza with curled, crisped edges.
Best Time: Between 18:00 and 19:00, after the beach but before the main bar crowd.
Local Secret: Taking your pizza to the seafront benches instead of trying to eat inside lets you reset with a sea breeze before heading out for the evening.
When to Go / What to Know
Santorini's pizza scene peaks from May through September, with hours extended and wood-fired ovens running constantly. If you are visiting between November and March, some of these seasonal spots will reduce their hours or close entirely, so double-check ahead before walking across town. Expect to spend between 8 and 13 euros for a standard pizza at most local spots, slightly more at caldera-view tables. Local variations using cherry tomatoes, capers, kopanisti, and fava are worth requesting, because these ingredients connect the meal to the volcanic soil and agricultural history that define Santorini beyond the postcard caldera image.
Frequently Asked Questions
How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Santorini?
Vegetarian pizza options and vegetable-heavy meze are widely available across Santorini, with most tavernas offering at least two to three clearly labeled meat-free pizzas or flatbreads. Fully vegan pizza, without cheese, is less common in smaller traditional kitchens; your best chances are in Fira, Pyrgos, and Kamari, where international-style cafes and some tavernas now stock vegan cheese or will omit cheese on request. Expect a slightly higher price for pizza in tourist-facing caldera restaurants, sometimes 10 to 15 euros or more, while vegetarian flatbreads at cheaper grill spots can start at around 6 to 8 euros.
Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Santorini?
There is no strict dress code at local pizza joints or casual tavernas, but wearing light, tidy clothing is appreciated, particularly in smaller villages where locals are present in large numbers. If you are visiting a place of worship or monastery near a pizza spot, avoid entering bare-shouldered or in very short shorts; carry a light scarf or layer just in case. Tipping 5 to 10 percent in smaller restaurants is common practice, though not mandatory.
Is Santorini expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers?
For mid-tier daily spending, expect around 80 to 120 euro per person if you include one sit-down meal, one casual meal, coffee, and local transport or a half-day car rental. Budget accommodation runs 60 to 120 euro per night for a decent double room, while parking can cost 2 to 5 euro per hour in busy Fira and Oia areas. Overall daily costs can be reduced by eating at local side-street spots rather than caldera-view restaurants and by visiting during the shoulder months of May, early June, September, and October.
What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Santorini is famous for?
Two local specialties are essential: fava Santorinis, a puree of local yellow split peas served cold with olive oil and onion, and Vinsanto, a sweet wine made from sun-dried Assyrtiko grapes that you will see on virtually every wine list. Many small pizzerias and tavernas will pair these with bread or a cheese plate. At wine bars or caldera restaurants, expect to pay around 6 to 12 euro for a Vinsanto flight and 5 to 8 euro for a fava appetizer.
Is the tap water in Santorini to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?
Tap water in Santorini is technically safe to drink, as it meets EU standards, but most locals and restaurants serve bottled water because the desalinated supply can taste slightly mineral-heavy. The cost difference is minimal: a 0.5-liter bottle costs around 0.50 to 1 euro from kiosks and corner shops. Filtered or bottled water remains the default at virtually all sit-down restaurants.
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