Champagne in a Windmill: Our Evening at Mylos, Santorini

Some evenings feel planned by the island itself. Ours at Mylos began with two glasses of champagne beneath the sails of a restored windmill, the sky behind them turning peach, then gold, then a deep glowing orange over the caldera. It ended with a tiramisu that we're still talking about.

Mylos Restaurant & Champagne Bar sits inside one of Santorini's historic windmills, right on the caldera edge in Firostefani, a short walk north of Fira. It's a champagne bar and a fine-dining restaurant in one, and for a couple it's about as romantic as a Santorini evening gets. Here's what our evening was like, and how to plan your own.

Golden hour

Champagne in a windmill

There's something about drinking champagne inside a windmill that makes you both start smiling before the first sip. The whitewashed tower rises right above you, the wooden sails and ropes fan out against the sky, and the whole caldera opens up below. We came for golden hour, and it delivered: soft light on the white plaster, the sky warming from apricot to gold, and that slow, happy feeling of having nowhere else to be.

The name is no exaggeration. The champagne list is long, with houses like Dom Pérignon, Ruinart, Taittinger, Louis Roederer and Veuve Clicquot, plus Greek sparkling wines and a lovely list of Santorini Assyrtiko if you'd like to switch to something local for dinner.

Dinner

Dinner on the caldera

As the light faded, we moved on to dinner. The kitchen cooks modern Mediterranean food with Asian influences, and the menu runs from Mediterranean plates to sushi, with tasting menus if you'd rather let the kitchen decide.

The details are what we remember. Their little orange windmill logo is on everything, even the linen napkins, and once it was dark, the windmill lit up above the terraces like something from a film.

The highlight

The tiramisu

We have to talk about dessert. The tiramisu at Mylos was some of the best we've ever had, and after our trips to Rome and Florence, we've had our share of tiramisu. Of everything we ate that evening, it's the one we still bring up. Order it, and don't even think about sharing just one.

A small note: the menu changes with the seasons, and dessert is no exception, so ask your server what's on that night. If the tiramisu is there, you know what to do.

"Some of the best tiramisu we've ever had."

Practical tips

Our tips for couples

• Book for golden hour. Reserve a table timed for sunset, then let champagne roll into dinner. The sunset tables go first, so book ahead.
• Ask for an outdoor table. Mylos has an outdoor windmill courtyard and sushi bar, plus an indoor room with caldera views. For champagne beneath the sails, ask for outside.
• Arrive a little early and watch the light change before you sit down.
• Dress up. The official dress code is casual, but it's the kind of evening you'll want to dress for. A linen shirt, a slip dress and flat sandals for the whitewashed steps.
• Pick your night. Mylos lists a live DJ on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. If you'd rather a quieter, more intimate evening, go midweek.
• Save room for dessert. Truly. See above.

Before you go

• Where: on the caldera in Firostefani, a short walk north of Fira along the caldera path.
• When: evenings only. Their site lists daily hours from 5:00pm to 12:30am. Like most caldera restaurants it's seasonal, so check before you plan around it.
• Reservations: by phone (+30 22860 25640), by email ([email protected]) or on OpenTable.
• Budget: this is a special-occasion dinner, and OpenTable lists it at €51 and over per person, before champagne.
• Allergies: many dishes have more ingredients than the menu lists, so tell your server about any allergies.
• Getting there: we booked our rides around the island ahead of time, so we never had to think about getting to dinner and back.

Our verdict

If you only book one special dinner in Santorini, make it this one. Champagne beneath the sails as the sky turns gold, a beautiful dinner on the caldera, and a tiramisu worth crossing the Aegean for. It's still one of our favourite evenings in Santorini. For the rest of our days on the island, read our Santorini itinerary for two.

Quick questions

Where is the Mylos windmill restaurant in Santorini?

Mylos is on the caldera in Firostefani, a short walk north of Fira. The restaurant and champagne bar are set around a restored historic windmill, with an outdoor windmill courtyard and an indoor room with caldera views.

Do you need a reservation at Mylos Santorini?

We'd book ahead, especially for a sunset table. You can reserve by phone, by email or on OpenTable. It's open in the evenings, and like most caldera restaurants it's seasonal, so check before you go.

What is the dress code at Mylos Santorini?

OpenTable lists the dress code as casual, but it's a special-occasion evening, so we'd dress up a little: think linen and a slip dress, with flat sandals for the whitewashed steps.

What food does Mylos serve?

Modern Mediterranean cooking with Asian influences, including sushi and tasting menus, plus a long champagne list. The menu changes with the seasons.

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