If your family balks at bitter greens and strong-flavored sauces, Santorini fava and white eggplant are the gateway dishes. The fava is a smooth, savory purée that eats like hummus but tastes of the island’s volcanic soil — rich, nutty, and naturally sweet. The white eggplant is pale, almost seedless, and so mild it never needs salting. Both are plant-based, easy to share, and served at nearly every taverna on the island. They are also the two dishes that best explain what makes Santorini’s kitchen different from the rest of Greece.
Santorini fava is not fava beans. It is a purée made from Lathyrus clymenum, a grass pea relative cultivated on the island for over 3,500 years. Archaeologists working at Akrotiri found the same seeds stored in clay jars from the Bronze Age. The European Union granted it Protected Designation of Origin status in 2011, tying the name exclusively to this corner of the Cyclades. The volcanic ground and the near-total lack of rain produce a legume that cooks down into a soft, buttery cream with a natural sweetness you do not get from yellow split peas grown elsewhere. Cooperatives such as Santo Wines still mill it using traditional stone grinders, and the drying happens in underground storerooms cut into the volcanic rock itself.
Traditional preparation is fast. The dried split peas are boiled with onion, garlic, and olive oil until softened, then blended to a creamy purée. The result is served warm, finished with extra virgin olive oil, sliced red onion, and local capers or caper leaves. The texture is thick enough to scoop with bread but light enough to eat as a main course. Most tavernas offer it year-round, and it is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan — a reliable choice if anyone in your group has dietary restrictions. The Greek Gastronomy Guide keeps a faithful record of the island’s recipes and confirms that fava remains a staple of both everyday meals and Lenten fasting tables.
The white eggplant is a different proposition entirely. Pale ivory, smooth-skinned, and almost seedless, it is sweeter and milder than the purple kind. It has no bitterness, so it never needs salting or pressing before cooking. It also absorbs far less oil when fried, which means it comes out lighter and less greasy — a practical advantage when you are feeding children who are skeptical of fried vegetables. The variety is grown with barely any irrigation, thriving in the same volcanic ash that shapes the fava. It is best from July through September, when it appears on menus as a velvety melitzanosalata, sliced and fried as a starter, or layered into local moussaka in place of the standard purple eggplant.
The island’s cherry tomato (tomataki) works on the same principle. Grown almost without water, surviving on morning dew and night humidity, the fruit concentrates its sugar and becomes far sweeter and more intense than standard tomatoes. It holds its own PDO status and is the base of tomatokeftedes, tomato fritters that are a fixture on every taverna menu. The grandmother’s version is simple: ripe tomato hand-chopped with onion and fresh mint, bound with a little flour, spooned into hot olive oil, and fried until the edges are lacy and crisp. Modern kitchens sometimes lighten the batter or fold in herbs, but the core dish is vegan and universally appealing. Metaxy Mas in Exo Gonia makes an exceptional version — crispy outside, almost jammy inside — and the village location keeps it well away from the caldera crowds.
Restaurants lining the caldera edge in Oia and the main strip in Fira charge €18 for a Greek salad that costs €7 at a village taverna. The food is rarely better. Go for a drink at a caldera bar — Cava Alta in Imerovigli is less crowded — and eat your real meals inland.
Beyond these three specialties, several other traditional dishes work well for families. Chlorotyri, the island’s fresh cheese made from goat’s or goat-sheep milk, has a clean, slightly sour edge. It is produced in tiny quantities and rarely travels off Santorini. Locals spread it thick on barley rusk or warm bread, or crumble it cold into a summer salad. You can find it at better tavernas and at the local market in Fira near the Orthodox cathedral; a small wheel costs around €5 to €7. Grilled octopus is another crowd-pleaser. On Santorini, the octopus is hung to dry on lines by the water, stiffening in the sun before grilling. The drying deepens the flavor and helps the flesh turn tender rather than rubbery. It is grilled over coals until the tips char and curl, dressed with olive oil, vinegar, and oregano, and pairs naturally with a cold glass of Assyrtiko. Melitinia — small sweet tartlets with a filling of fresh local cheese scented with mastic — round out a meal on a light, faintly fragrant note. The pastry is hand-pinched into fine pleats, and the texture sits somewhere between cheesecake and pastry. They are traditionally made for Easter and celebrations, but many tavernas serve them as a dessert year-round.
When you see “fava” on a menu, ask whether it is Santorini fava (PDO) or regular yellow split peas. The flavor difference is noticeable, and the price should reflect it.
Where you eat matters as much as what you order. The research consistently points to a short list of places that serve these dishes the way they should be served. Metaxy Mas in Exo Gonia is the most-recommended local taverna on the island — handwritten menu, generous portions, and the owners will tell you what is good that day. Expect €18 to €25 per person for a full meal with wine, and make a reservation in July and August. To Psaraki in Vlychada sits right on the harbor of a working fishing village that most tourists miss. The grilled octopus and fresh sea bream come off boats you can see from the table, and lunch runs €20 to €30 per person. For a quick and cheap meal, Lucky’s Souvlaki near the main square in Fira does a souvlaki wrap with pork, tzatziki, tomato, and onion for about €3.50. Villages like Pyrgos, Megalochori, and Episkopi Gonias have small tavernas that serve locals year-round at honest prices — consistently better value than the tourist centers.
If your family wants to go deeper, cooking classes are a practical way to spend a morning. Several operators run sessions where you make tomatokeftedes and fava from scratch, then eat the results. Prices run €65 to €90 per person including the meal, and classes are bookable through Viator. A cooking class also gives you a reason to buy a bag of PDO fava to take home — the Union of Santorini Cooperatives ships nationwide, and the dried peas keep for months.
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For a hands-on introduction to these ingredients, a Santorini cooking class lets you prepare fava and tomatokeftedes with a local chef, then sit down to the meal you made.
Peak season for white eggplant and cherry tomatoes
Good availability, some fresh produce
Limited fresh tomatoes and eggplant; fava available year-round
White eggplant and cherry tomatoes for tomatokeftedes are at their best from July through September. If you visit in May, June, or October, you may find limited fresh tomato dishes, but fava and most other local specialties are available year-round. The shoulder seasons have smaller crowds and lower prices, which can make a family trip easier to manage even if the produce calendar is narrower.
For more depth on where to eat with kids away from the tourist flow, the guide to where families eat like locals in Santorini covers the villages and tavernas that consistently serve the dishes described here.
What families ask about Santorini’s traditional dishes
Will my kids eat fava if they do not like hummus?
Possibly. Fava is smoother and earthier than hummus, with a natural sweetness from the volcanic soil. It is also served warm, which changes the texture. The capers and raw onion on top are easy to leave aside. If your child eats mashed potatoes or smooth soups, fava is worth a try.
How much should I expect to pay for a meal at a good local taverna?
At a place like Metaxy Mas, a full meal with wine runs €18 to €25 per person. A seafood lunch at To Psaraki in Vlychada costs €20 to €30 per person. Caldera-view restaurants in Oia or Fira charge two to three times that for equivalent food quality.
Is the white eggplant available outside of summer?
It is seasonal. The best months are July through September. In shoulder season you may find it on some menus, but the quality and availability drop. Fava and tomatokeftedes (when made with preserved tomatoes) are more reliable year-round options.
Where do locals eat on Santorini?
Metaxy Mas in Exo Gonia is the most consistently recommended local spot. To Psaraki in Vlychada is excellent for fresh seafood. Villages like Pyrgos, Megalochori, and Episkopi Gonias have small tavernas serving locals year-round at honest prices. The farmers market in Fira runs Tuesday and Friday mornings and is a good place to buy cherry tomatoes, local honey, and capers.
References
Fava Santorinis PDO. European Commission, 2011.
Fava Santorini Dish. Greek Gastronomy Guide.
Santo Wines. Santo Wines Cooperative.
Santorini fava beans and volcanic soils. Nature, 2024.
