Selene Restaurant - Thira Old catholic monastery

We went to Selene with high expectations due to the reputation the restaurant has. We had the 10-course menu and every dish was a unique gastronomic experience. The environment is so beautiful but what made our dinner so special was the experienced staff. Every single person from the waiters to the sommelier were so polite and willing to provide us with high level services. We felt so welcomed. Totally recommended.

I'm a bit divided, but landed on 5 stars. The reason is that Selene in Pyrgos is (was) a Santorinian institution of sorts. Great food, same staff every year and nice location with a view towards the beach side of Santorini. We went several years in a row. Two years ago they changed location to Fira and this was the first opportunity we had to go. Upon arriving it turns out that the only thing they kept was the name. In my opinion the "Selene soul" is not there anymore. However, this year at least, the concept is by Ettore Botrini. We visited his Chalandri restaurant 3 years ago and it was maybe the best food experience I've had. The food at new Selene was up to the same standards. They "recycled" some of the dishes, but I was more than happy to have them again. Concerning the service, I understand and share the impression that some of the other reviewers had. Some of the staff were a tad presumptuous and arrogant. Luckily our main servers were not, and we were very well taken care of - especially by our excellent sommelier Katerina. The location is a step down from the breezy balcony, now it's situated in a garden and I believe it's connected to a hotel. The prices are stiff, but the food is excellent. We had the 10 course with wine pairing. It's not Selene anymore, but it is Botrini.

Everyone said Selene is one of the best restaurants on Santorini. Well we didn't sample them all but I don't know how it could get any better. Selene is an amazing experience. From the moment you enter the courtyard, you know you're in for something special. The wife and I were celebrating our last night honeymooning in Santorini so we went all out with the Full Moon menu and Grand Cru wine pairing. The dishes were out of this world good, with amazing attention to detail and flavors that blew us away. The wine pairings were spot on. We made the mistake at first of drinking our wine a little too fast for the pairings. No matter. They gave us another pour. Awesome service. The staff was super friendly and approachable. Not stuffy for a fancy restaurant at all. We would go back to Selene again and again if we could.

Beautiful surroundings, fantastic waiting staff, and the food was 4/5. I would strongly recommend the swordfish carpaccio as the best dish I tasted, and surely one of the best on the menu. It set the other dishes in the shade - an absolute delight.

Been going back between 4 or 5 stars. Food was amazing! We did the 10-course menu and was delicious beginning to end. Great presentation, great (local) flavors and kind staff. We were in the 10pm service and felt a bit “rushed” through the experience (like 2 min breaks between dishes). Beautiful setting - on a hot day, make sure to ask to be seated in the patio and not under the arches where it is very hot (we switched tables).

The atmosphere and the history of this restaurant is worth the visit. Additionally the service was exceptional by all the staff. The only downside was some dishes which we expected to be better but the staff welcomed our review when pointed out.

VERY luxurious, in an old-school luxury kind of way, with white tablecloths and proper service. Not trying to be hip or edgy and it works for them. Beautiful space, great food and wines, good service. You get what you pay for though; it is very expensive.

We are fans of chef Botrini (as evident from rating his Athens restaurant with 5/5). The Santorini restaurant's ambience is wonderful. There is attention to detail and the overall feeling is high end. That said, I highly regret dinner for 2 at Selene: it costed almost as much as a pair of Louboutin heels, minus the joy of owning and wearing them. Upon arrival we discovered the menus were not the ones displaying online but instead just a choice between a 3-course a la carte (of sorts), at 125 euro per person, and a bigger tasting menu at 210 euro (!) per person. We went for the "cheap" option. Each course featured 3 choices, expect 1 of the 3 was not available (and not substituted for) at the firsts section - completely unacceptable. The food was good (and very good looking) but not exquisite - there was a sense of "good enough for tourists" about it. The service was friendly but overly aggressive. Wine glasses were refilled after every couple of sips and we basically finished our bottle before the main course arrived. Subsequent suggestions were in the neighbourhood of 45 per glass (we succumbed). Despite ordering the "economy" menu we managed a 520 euro bill (prior to the tip) for 2. We take no issue with the amount per se, but when one negotiates at this price point one expects a certain level of satisfaction. This was nowhere near value for money. Crucially, immediately after the five hundred+ euro dinner we went for drinks and ordered mini burgers and grilled prawns too - we were still hungry. Not coming back.