There is one vegan restaurant on Santorini – 5 Senses in Fira (this was another reason we decided to stay in Fira). It’s quite centrally located in the town, making it easy to go and watch the sunset then pop in afterwards for dinner. It wasn’t super busy, but it is the only all vegan spot and I don’t think vegetarian options are abundant either, so it can’t hurt to book a table if you’ve got your heart set on it. It was a pretty spot with fast service, but we found the menu somewhat hit and miss.

On our first visit, we split a couple of starters. Fried cheese is a very popular dish in the Czech Republic, so we were excited to try the Greek version. It was fine – the batter was really good and light, but the cheese didn’t taste any better than Violife. We’ve had better, but maybe we’ve been spoiled in Prague.

The other starter more than made up for it – the tomato fritters were absolutely sensational! They contained juicy cherry tomatoes and quite a lot of feta, and were perfectly cooked. They were served with some zingy tzatziki. On our second visit, we ordered two rounds of fritters and no other starters. Dr HH has even recreated them at home for us since!

For my main course, I chose the meatballs. It was good – the meatballs had a good meaty texture and the sauce was really flavoursome. These potatoes are just the kind I like, and they did not disappoint.

Dr HH had his second moussaka of the trip and was not so impressed, unfortunately. He found it quite bland and unexciting, and not nearly as good as the one at Mama Tierra in Athens.

We both tried different mains on our second visit. I got the kebab, and didn’t love it – in a trip full of bread, meat, and potatoes, this was the weakest iteration. The meat was quite dry and underseasoned, and the chips and pita were just ok. It just didn’t quite come together for me, and it was not what I was expecting.

Dr HH was even more disappointed with his chicken roast. The menu promised chicken fillets, but he received strips – maybe this is a translation issue, but it was quite a let down. They were nicely charred, but tasted no better than chicken chunks we can buy in our local supermarket. The white wine sauce was very thick and sweet, and the server poured it on so he couldn’t even control its placement on the dish. The aubergine puree was too bland and desperately needed some more seasoning. The sprouts, parsnips, and potatoes on the side were all cold and undercooked. What a disaster.

The desserts were an improvement! In a break with tradition, I got the citrus cake and Dr HH got the chocolate one. This cheesecake had an extremely zingy lemon and lime cream (so sour it almost felt fizzy) on a fantastic biscuit base. I have complained many times on this blog about a lack of proper biscuit bases for vegan cheesecakes – this is exactly what I’m after.

On that note, Dr HH loved the raspberry cream and chocolate ganache on his cake, but was underwhelmed by the base, which was that dreaded raw base made of oats, dates, nuts, or other things of that ilk. If he could have had the same base as mine, he would have been thrilled.

Despite the few misses, we would still go back again and give it another go. I like what they’re trying to do and it’s definitely a place that I want to support. Also, we reminisce about those tomato fritters on a weekly basis!

To work up our appetites for 5 Senses, we had taken a trip on the island bus to Akrotiri in order to see the Red Beach, so named because of the red cliffs that provide a dramatic backdrop. Alas, we did not make it to the beach because the path to walk there had a sign at the start warning people not to use it in case of rock falls. Still, the water by the entry path was beautifully clear and a welcome sight.

Back on safer ground, we went to the Akrotiri Archaeological Site which was quite an impressive excavation site (and welcome respite from the blazing sun). It’s always amazing to see intact items from such a long time ago – this was definitely worth visiting.

There are of courses beaches to visit on Santorini and other historic ruins as well – we were a bit scuppered by a short stay and reliance on the buses (I believe most tourists hire cars). But we loved the things we did, and would happily return and do it all again!