Global Elite Awards had the pleasure of speaking with Louisa of The Athenian House, following the restaurant’s recognition as the Leading Fine Dining Restaurant for Santorini Experiences in Greece 2026, marking its second consecutive year of recognition at the awards and coinciding with its 10th anniversary. In our conversation, Louisa shared her family’s deep connection to Santorini, the island terroir that shapes the menu, the choreography of a dinner on the caldera, and the new experiences that are defining the next chapter of one of Greece’s most celebrated restaurants.
A Second Consecutive Win in a Milestone Anniversary Year
For The Athenian House, 2026 is a year of two celebrations: a second consecutive Global Elite Award, and a tenth anniversary season on the caldera.
“Winning for a second year is very special to us, especially as 2026 is our 10th anniversary,” Louisa shares.
What gives the recognition its particular meaning, she notes, is the company it keeps. Global Elite spans a world that extends well beyond restaurants and hospitality.
“This award means a lot because Global Elite goes far beyond restaurants and hospitality. It brings together leaders from very different worlds, hospitality, architecture, design, fashion, beauty and luxury, alongside names such as Tadao Ando, Cartier, RIMOWA, Cipriani and others. So for a small independent restaurant from Santorini to be recognised in this wider world of luxury is something we are very proud of,” she explains.
Ten years in, the discipline that has kept the restaurant at the top is a balance between consistency and evolution.
“I think what has kept us going for ten years is consistency, but also the need to keep evolving. We never wanted The Athenian House to be just another beautiful restaurant with a Santorini view. The view is incredible, of course, but there has to be much more behind it,” Louisa shares.
“This year’s award is particularly meaningful because it recognises exactly that: The Athenian House as a Santorini experience, not simply as a restaurant,” she adds.
A Family History Rooted in Santorini
Santorini is more than a backdrop for The Athenian House. For Louisa, it is a homeland shaped by four generations of family history.
“Santorini is a huge part of who we are. For me personally, it is much more than the place where I opened a restaurant. My family has a very long history on the island,” she shares.
That history reaches back to the first half of the twentieth century.
“My grandfather was a well-known philanthropist here in the 1940s and 50s, creating free medical clinics for the local communities after the war. So, as the fourth generation of my family connected to the island, I really consider Santorini my homeland,” Louisa explains.
The island’s flavours, too, are part of her earliest memories, and they continue to shape the restaurant’s identity today.
“I grew up with Santorini fava, capers, white eggplants and cherry tomatoes on our family table, so these flavours are part of my own memories too,” she shares.
That lived connection informs every dish on the menu, which chef Dimitris interprets through a contemporary lens while keeping Greek culinary tradition at its heart.
“Dimitris takes dishes and flavours that Greeks know very well and gives them a contemporary interpretation. For a dish to belong at The Athenian House, it needs to have a Greek story behind it. It can be modern and creative, but when you taste it, there should still be something familiar and authentic about it,” Louisa explains.
The Volcanic Terroir That Defines a Menu
The Athenian House works with the small, concentrated harvest of Santorini’s volcanic soil, where the near absence of water produces ingredients unlike those grown anywhere else in the world.
“We use Santorini ingredients throughout our menus: cherry tomatoes, white aubergine, capers, fava and, of course, the island’s wines,” Louisa shares.
“What makes these ingredients so special is their very concentrated flavour. They grow in Santorini’s volcanic soil with very little water, so this almost ‘waterless’ cultivation gives them an intensity you don’t find easily elsewhere,” she explains.
Of all the island’s produce, Louisa believes Santorini fava is the one most misunderstood beyond Greece.
“Santorini fava is not what most people know as fava beans. It is actually made from small yellow split peas, a bit like lentils, and it has been cultivated on the island for thousands of years. It is such a simple ingredient, but for us it really represents Santorini: humble, local and full of flavour,” she shares.
And then there is Assyrtiko, the volcanic white wine that has become one of the most fascinating stories on the restaurant’s cellar list.
“People around the world know it much better today, but you really understand it when you drink it here, where it is grown. The volcanic soil, the wind, the lack of rain and the century-old pre-phylloxera vines create something very specific. This is why Santorini wine has become such an important part of our experience. We don’t just serve it; we try to explain its story to our guests,” Louisa explains.
A Restaurant Built Around a Moment
Guests do not simply arrive at The Athenian House. Many have been planning for a year.
“Most people come to us for a very special evening, some having booked a year in advance: a honeymoon, an anniversary, a birthday, a proposal, or simply one night in Santorini they have been dreaming about for a long time,” Louisa shares.
Holding that responsibility is, in her words, probably the most important part of the work the team does. The approach is quiet and attentive, rather than performative.
“So we try to understand what each guest is looking for. Sometimes it is about giving them the perfect table. Sometimes it is a wine they discover, a dish they love, or simply allowing them to stay, lose themselves in the caldera, and enjoy the evening without feeling rushed,” she explains.
“Luxury for us is very much about attention and time,” Louisa shares.
A Seasonal Rhythm That Allows a Restaurant to Begin Again
Few restaurants in the world operate on the rhythm that Santorini imposes, with a defined open and close each year. For The Athenian House, this seasonality is not a constraint but a source of renewal.
“It actually gives us a chance to start again every year,” Louisa shares.
The winter is dedicated to reflection and preparation, from visiting producers and wineries to studying food trends and developing new dishes and experiences.
“During the winter we have time to look back at the season, see what worked, what we want to change, visit producers and wineries, study new food trends, work on new dishes and think about extraordinary experiences. Then every spring we reopen with the same identity, but with something new,” she explains.
“I think this rhythm has helped us a lot over the years. We have never wanted to simply repeat the previous season,” Louisa shares.
Choreographing a Dinner Around the Caldera Sunset
The daily sunset over the caldera is perhaps the most defining ritual at The Athenian House, and the team has learned over the years to let it set the pace rather than compete with it.
“We don’t really want to compete with the sunset. Often, we need to pause our service because almost everyone is on their feet, taking pictures or simply in awe of the breathtaking colours,” Louisa shares.
The evening unfolds in distinct chapters, each shaped by the changing light.
“We try to let the evening happen naturally around it. Guests arrive, have a cocktail or start their dinner, and as the light changes, the whole atmosphere of the restaurant changes with it. Then the sun disappears, our solar lanterns come on, dinner continues and the restaurant becomes completely different,” she explains.
“For us, that transition from daylight to sunset and then to dinner under the stars is one of the most beautiful parts of The Athenian House experience. Sometimes, we have guests who arrive at 6pm and leave at midnight,” Louisa shares.
A Tenth-Anniversary Chapter Built Around Experiences
To mark its tenth year, The Athenian House has placed renewed focus on the experiences that surround the meal, from wine journeys to private sunset events.
“This year, especially for our 10th anniversary, we have focused much more on experiences,” Louisa shares.
Alongside the tasting menus, the restaurant has introduced three dedicated sunset wine journeys, including one devoted entirely to rare vintage Santorini bottles and another exploring volcanic wines from around the world. Private experiences now extend well beyond the dining room.
“We also have private experiences that combine Sailing, Sunset and Dinner, as well as special Champagne & Caviar Tastings or String Quartet Nocturnes,” she explains.
Across all of these, the vision for what comes next remains anchored in the island itself.
“I think this is where The Athenian House is going. Not simply adding more dishes, but finding new ways for our guests to experience Santorini through food, wine and hospitality,” Louisa shares.
Setting the Standard for Fine Dining on Santorini
The Athenian House’s second consecutive recognition at the Global Elite Awards, in the year of its tenth anniversary, is a tribute to a restaurant that has refused to coast on the beauty of its setting. Behind the caldera view are four generations of Santorini roots, a volcanic terroir celebrated with care, and a culinary team led by chef Dimitris whose contemporary interpretations keep tradition unmistakably alive.
For discerning travellers seeking the definitive fine-dining experience on Santorini, The Athenian House remains the island’s singular culinary destination.
Discover more about The Athenian House and reserve your experience at theathenianhouse.com.
