I did not plan to go to Santorini. I was in Athens, I needed to fly home, and it turned out it was cheaper to catch a ferry to Santorini and fly back from there than to fly direct from Athens. I thought: why not spend two nights.
I expected blue domes, cruise ship crowds, and very little I could actually eat. What I found was more complicated and considerably better than that. Santorini as a vegan requires planning. Genuine, do-it-the-night-before planning, not a vague intention to figure it out when you arrive. But when you find the right places, it is very, very good.
Two nights, a hired car, one of the best beachside lunches of the entire trip, and falafel so good I still think about it.
The One Rule That Changes Everything
Do not arrive in Santorini and wander around hoping to find somewhere vegan for dinner. This is the mistake. You might find something. It might be eye-wateringly expensive, or one sad salad on a seafood-heavy menu, and you will spend the meal watching everyone else eat impressively.
Open Happy Cow the evening before, map the places near wherever you are going, and have a plan. The island is small but spread out, and if you are based in one village and the good vegan food is in another, that is a real journey without a car. Plan first. The reward is worth it.
The Best Vegan Restaurants in Santorini
Here are the vegan restaurants in Santorini I actually ate at and would send you to, plus a couple of all-vegan spots worth the detour.
Tranquilo, Perissa
My number one recommendation and it is not close. Tranquilo sits right on Perissa’s black sand beach, which is itself worth the trip. The food is genuinely excellent: huge menu, lots of variety, proper vegan options at every meal. You can eat in the restaurant or head straight to the beach. The atmosphere is relaxed in a way that is hard to manufacture. I could have spent all day there.
I got there by hiring a car. If I had not done that, I would have missed it entirely.
FalafeLand, Fira
A bit out of the main section of Fira but very much walkable. The falafel is exceptional. Genuinely one of the best I have had anywhere, at a genuinely reasonable price. Exactly the kind of place you hope to stumble across and can actually afford. Do not stumble across it: plan to go there.
Veganissimo, Fira
I did not make it to Veganissimo on this trip (two nights goes fast), but it kept appearing in my research and the reviews are consistently impressive. Fully vegan menu, a minute from the bus terminal in Fira, family-run with a local feel. Vegan moussaka, mushroom souvlaki, fava bean dip. Very much on the list for next time and worth adding to yours now.
What happens when you do not plan
One evening we ended up at a restaurant near Imerovigli because nothing else was in reach and it was getting late. This is exactly the situation I warned about above. Vegan options were limited but they did exist. I found a couple of dishes and they were decent enough, though at a price that made me wince. The view from the terrace over the caldera was stunning, to be fair. But if I had planned ahead I would have eaten better for half the cost.
The All-Vegan Hotels (But Check They Are Open)
Santorini has a growing number of fully vegan accommodation options. MOD Santorini in Fira was the first fully vegan boutique hotel on the island. There is also Ethos Vegan Suites in Fira and Ethos Vegan Retreat in Imerovigli, all plant-based from the food to the furnishings.
I would love to go back and stay at one of these. Unfortunately, visiting at the end of October, the one I had in mind had closed for the season. This matters: many of Santorini’s smaller vegan hotels and restaurants close late October through March. If you are travelling in shoulder season, check availability before you book. The scene is genuinely impressive; you just need to time it right.
Snacks and Getting By
There was a small supermarket near where I was staying that covered the essentials: bread, vegetables, fruit, the basics. A couple of small local stops around the island had dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) which are naturally vegan and make a genuinely good snack while driving around. Breakfast was included at our villa every morning, and when I mentioned my preferences they sorted fruit and basics without any fuss.
Manageable. Just not Athens.
Hire a Car
Honestly essential. The bus network exists but the good vegan spots are spread across the island and without wheels you will miss most of them. A car is how I got to Tranquilo at Perissa, how I caught the sunset at the lighthouse on the southern tip, and how I reached Akrotiri and Red Beach, both absolutely worth the detour.
Akrotiri is a four thousand year old Bronze Age settlement, remarkably preserved and genuinely fascinating. One of the highlights of the whole trip. From there it is a short walk down to Red Beach, where the volcanic red cliffs drop straight into the Aegean. Neither are crowded in the way that Fira and Oia are, and neither are really accessible without a car.
I will cover driving in Santorini properly in a separate post because it deserves more than a paragraph. The short version: hire a car and you will not regret it.
Where to Stay
I stayed at Krokus Villas in Imerovigli, which sits on the caldera rim between Fira and Oia. The views are genuinely stunning. Imerovigli is quieter than Fira, close enough that you can walk down if you want to, and the caldera path toward Oia starts right there. We did part of the walk and it is beautiful.
Oia is extremely busy, especially at sunset. If you go with a car and find a quieter viewpoint away from the main crowd, it is extraordinary. And Fira when the cruise ships are in is genuinely best avoided. You can see them sitting in the caldera from the clifftops above, which is its own kind of spectacle. Fighting your way through the crowds they bring is not.
The Verdict: Vegan in Santorini
Harder than Athens. Requires planning. Genuinely excellent when you find the right places.
I booked it as an afterthought and it ended up being one of the better decisions of the trip. The key is not assuming the island will sort itself out for you. It will not. But Tranquilo, FalafeLand, a car key in your hand, and a caldera view from the balcony at sunrise? That is a very good two days.
If you are building a Greece vegan itinerary: start with the Athens guide, come here next, then read the Vegan in Meteora guide before you go anywhere near the mainland monasteries.
Vegan restaurants in Santorini: FAQ
Are there vegan restaurants in Santorini?
Yes. Tranquilo in Perissa and FalafeLand in Fira are the reliable ones, plus all-vegan spots like Veganissimo (check opening times off-season).
Where can vegans eat in Santorini?
Perissa and Fira are your best bets. Away from those, plan ahead, because a lot of Santorini menus default to feta and grilled meat.
Is Santorini good for vegans?
Genuinely good if you plan and hire a car. Harder than Athens, but excellent once you find the right places.
