MICHELIN's Pick for Santorini's Debut: Two Stars for Lycabettus

If a trusted inspector guide just put a brand-new destination on the map, the natural question for a traveler is which single restaurant is worth planning a trip around. According to the MICHELIN Guide, the answer in Greece's newly expanded 2027 selection is Lycabettus, which received two Michelin Stars the moment it debuted. The restaurant operates inside the Andronis Luxury Suites hotel in Oia, on Santorini's western edge, and two stars is the highest rating any Santorini newcomer received in this round. Santorini is genuinely new ground for Michelin's inspectors. The guide's Athens coverage dates back to its first edition in 1987, and the 2027 selection marks the first time coverage has reached Santorini and Thessaloniki at all. That means every restaurant on the island, Lycabettus included, is being rated by this guide for the first time, with no prior Santorini edition to compare it against. Michelin defines two stars as recognizing exceptional cuisine worth a detour, a distinction Lycabettus earned on that very first attempt, landing at the top of the scale Santorini's new restaurants were judged on.

Why the inspectors singled it out

Chefs Christos Karagiannis and Petros Brandenburg run Lycabettus's kitchen. Among their dishes are squid set against a bolder red mullet reduction, and lobster softened by a carrot purée, two plates that give a sense of the range the two chefs work across on the menu. Behind that menu sits a cellar of more than 1,000 wine labels, and many of those bottles are available by the glass rather than only by the bottle, alongside a curated cocktail list. For a diner working through a multi-course meal, that structure means the wine pairing can shift from course to course instead of locking into a single bottle for the whole evening, and the cocktail list gives another option before or between courses.

Santorini's other new stars

Lycabettus wasn't the only Santorini name on the list. The island supplied three of the seven restaurants nationwide that earned their first Michelin Star in this edition, and with Lycabettus included, Santorini now has four starred restaurants. Because this is the first time Santorini has appeared in the guide at all, every one of those four restaurants earned its recognition in this same release, with nothing carried over from an earlier edition. Lauda, described as the island's oldest restaurant, picked up a star for dishes including scorpionfish with lemon verbena and a reimagined kakavia, the traditional Greek fishermen's soup, served here with lobster gnocchi. Lauda has been serving on the island far longer than Lycabettus has existed, giving the newly starred list a mix of one of Santorini's oldest dining rooms and one of its newest. Selene earned its star in part for a signature sun-dried tomato tart highlighted as capturing the essence of Santorini's culinary heritage. Chef Ettore Botrini, tied to two of the newly one-starred restaurants, picked up a star at Botrini's Santorini in the same announcement, giving him a connection to two of Santorini's four newly recognized restaurants. Each of those three restaurants debuted with one star, a tier below the two stars awarded to Lycabettus.

The scale of the announcement

Lycabettus's debut landed inside a much larger release. Greece's 2027 selection now spans 62 restaurants across Athens, Thessaloniki and Santorini, nearly double what the guide had listed in the country before. Seven restaurants earned their first star nationally, four in Athens and three in Santorini, bringing the national one-star count to 19. The same release added seven new Bib Gourmand restaurants, a category recognizing good food at a more moderate price, bringing that national total to 10, and 21 new Recommended entries, restaurants the guide's inspectors flag as worth a visit without a Star attached, bringing Greece's Recommended list to 32. Michelin confirmed the expanded selection would arrive in this form on 20 October 2026, extending the guide to Thessaloniki and Santorini for the first time alongside Athens.

The bottom line

For a traveler deciding where to go on a first visit to Santorini, the inspectors' own ratings make the hierarchy clear: Lycabettus is the only two-star debut on the island, with Botrini's Santorini, Lauda and Selene each holding one star as the next tier down. All four restaurants are new to the guide in this same release, since Santorini had never been rated before this selection, a reminder that this is the guide's first look at the island rather than a ranking built up over several editions.

Quick answers

Which restaurant should I book first after this announcement?

According to the MICHELIN Guide, it's Lycabettus in Santorini, which received two Michelin Stars the moment it debuted in the 2027 Greece selection.

What's actually new about the 2027 Greece guide?

Santorini and Thessaloniki joined Athens in Michelin's Greek selection for the first time, bringing total guide coverage to 62 restaurants nationwide.

Did Santorini get more than one new star?

Yes, Santorini now has four starred restaurants: Lycabettus with two stars, and Botrini's Santorini, Lauda and Selene each with one.