alisachni — Restaurant in Municipality of Thira

One of the best experiences I've had and the most unique dining experience of our trip. The food was absolutely delicious, far from the touristy options prevalent throughout the island. The dining room was a stunning cave-like experience, filled with unique bottles of wine and beautiful pieces of art made by one of the owners.

The other owner guided us through a wonderful wine experience, helping us navigate the local options and finding several for the table to share that enhanced our dining experience. He helped us find some of the best wines we've had, giving us personal recommendations based on our preferences and taste. Certainly did not expect to get such a personal experience that we won't soon forget.

When I found this place I was excited about the unique art and wine gallery experience, but to be completely honest, the food is what stood up the most. Absolutely delicious! I commented to a friend that I'm worried I will be chasing their unique take on moussaka and baklava for the rest of my life. Everyone's food was beautifully plated and we didn't have a single thing that wasn't amazing, from the moussaka to the chicken.

Speaking of food, traveling with a vegan companion, you often have to ask restaurants to accommodate some dietary requests. I don't think I would ever describe the vegan options here as simply "accommodations". The imam eggplant dish was One of the best at the table in a far cry away from the salads without cheese most places had to offer. It was one of the best dishes on the table.

Afterwards our group enjoyed the experience so much and loved the art so much that someone ended up walking away with a beautiful painting, which just emphasizes how much I think we all will want to remember the evening.

If you're staying in this neighborhood, I can't recommend visiting here for dinner one night instead of venturing out to the tourist areas. And if you're staying somewhere like Oia, please find time to make it out here. I promise it's worth it.

Oh, and as if everything above wasn't enough, the prices were beyond reasonable. At the time of writing this I believe my moussaka was $19, about the same price as the Greek salad in the resort I stayed at next door. There's literally nothing to not love about this place! Thank you to the owners who set a high bar for our first trip...

We called for  a reservation at 9.30 on a Thursday night.  We were told that the place was full and we needed to come earlier in order to be accommodated on the upper floor. We arrived at the instructed time just to realize that the place was half empty (without never being full). We were given a tour of the place which I have to admit was quite nice. We were seated at a table on the upper floor and there were three other couples and around 10 empty tables. This caused us a small distress, to actually find out that there was no reason to hurry. The menu though was promising.

The wine list is extensive and reasonably priced. Lot's of good options there. Unfortunately the rest was not. The main dishes looked dated on their conception (chicken roll? who orders chicken roll in Santorini?). We decided to stay with salads and appetizers and we got two from each.

We were quite disappointed to find out that they were not what we expected. The cuisine was quite heavy to the extent that compromised the flavour of the fresh(?) ingredients.. Heavy seasoning/sauces were present in every dish and amazingly overwhelming (not in a good way). I ordered the fish tartare as stated in the menu "Ταρτάρ από ψάρι ημέρας". Tartare is a simple dish consisting of raw fish that is cut up into small cubes with whatever flavors one prefers added in. The dish that came was full of a mayonnaise-based sauce. The waitress argued that this is how the dish should be prepared and that the menu stated the Tartar Sauce (which of course it didn't).

She offered to exchange the dish with another from the menu but nothing looked appealing. We left with a negative feeling about the overall experience.

Overall go there for the wine...

What can I say about Alisachni Art & Wine Gallery? It was absolutely amazing. We were welcomed with a tour of the historical buildings that make up Alisachni. The art gallery was wonderful with so many beautiful pieces. The wine cellar in the heart of the original cave was beautiful and took me back what felt like the original days on Santorini. Our meal on the rooftop terrace was incredible. Spectacular service and friendly staff. Their wine list was very extensive and mostly Greek…no surprise, but covered all of Greece. Our Syrah/Viognier blend was a tasty treat. The food was so delicious, especially the daily steamed fish special. This evening it was a sea bass. The dish was very well presented, perfectly cooked & paired wel with our wine selection (red). But don’t miss out on the White Wines of Santorini, they are incredible and would make for a perfect pairing with this dish as well. The daily pie (spanakopita) was delicious and made to order. Can’t get much better than this. Sorry we didn’t take any food photos as we were too busy in the moment enjoying our experience. I would recommend Alisachni to anyone coming to Santorini. It came highly recommended from our friends who live on the island. Thank you Alisachni for an amazing evening and Santorini dining experience.

Can’t wait to come...