Throubi, Santorini: dinner in the light of the caldera

The setting

Perched high above Santorini’s caldera in Imerovigli, Throubi Restaurant is the signature dining venue of Andronis Concept Wellness Resort. Its concept revolves around reimagined Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, using local ingredients and familiar flavours interpreted in a more contemporary way.

The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, but there is little doubt where we would choose to sit. Outside, the tables overlook the Aegean Sea and Santorini’s dramatic volcanic landscape — and ultimately, the view is the real highlight of Throubi.

We chose dinner for the sunset, and that proved to be the right decision.

Source: Throubi — Andronis Concept

The Setting: Come for Sunset

There are restaurants in Santorini where the food is the sole reason to visit. Throubi is slightly different.

Here, the entire experience starts with the location.

From the terrace, the landscape drops away towards the caldera, with unobstructed views across the sea. As the sun slowly descends, the colours change from the bright whites and blues of the afternoon to warmer golden and orange tones.

It is difficult to imagine a more quintessential Santorini setting.

For couples in particular, the atmosphere is romantic without feeling overly staged. Arriving early enough to enjoy a drink before sunset is therefore part of the experience rather than simply a way of waiting for dinner.

As daylight disappears, the restaurant gradually becomes more intimate, making the transition from sunset aperitif to dinner feel very natural.

If we were to return, we would again book around sunset rather than coming later in the evening. The view is simply too important a part of what makes Throubi special.

The Concept

Throubi describes its cuisine as a modern interpretation of Greek and Mediterranean cooking.

Rather than abandoning traditional flavours, the kitchen takes recognisable Greek ingredients and combinations and presents them in a more refined and contemporary format. Particular emphasis is placed on produce sourced from Santorini and local suppliers.

For our dinner, we could choose between a set menu and à la carte dining.

We opted for à la carte, which suited us better and allowed us to try different dishes without committing to a longer tasting-menu experience.

Santorini Tomato

Santorini Tomato | Verbena | Olive

The tomato course was visually elegant and very appropriate for Santorini, where the island’s small tomatoes are one of its best-known local products.

It was the simpler of our two starters.

The tomato itself remained very much at the centre of the dish, while the verbena brought freshness and a slightly aromatic character to it. It was light, clean and pleasant — a good representation of the restaurant’s philosophy of taking local produce and refining it without completely transforming it.

It was not necessarily the dish we would remember most from the evening, but it was refreshing and well executed.

Amberjack

Citrus Fruits | Truffle | Almond

The amberjack was one of the strongest dishes of the evening.

Unlike the tomato, this was a considerably more complex plate. The richness of the fish and truffle was balanced by the acidity and freshness of the citrus, while the almond added another layer of flavour and texture.

The combination sounds ambitious on paper, but it worked surprisingly well.

It was refined without becoming unnecessarily complicated and showed considerably more personality than the tomato starter.

Of the two appetizers, the amberjack was the clear favourite.

Bourdeto

Orecchiette | Red Shrimps | Red Mullet

The Bourdeto is Throubi’s interpretation of the traditional Ionian fish dish, presented here as a pasta course with orecchiette, red shrimp and red mullet.

The seafood flavours worked well and the dish was enjoyable overall.

Coming from Italy, however, we are perhaps slightly unforgiving when it comes to pasta. The orecchiette were softer than the al dente texture we would normally expect in Italy.

That did not make the dish bad — far from it — but it prevented it from becoming one of the highlights of the meal.

The flavours themselves were convincing, particularly the combination of shrimp and red mullet.

Lamb Saddle

Santorini Eggplant | Cherry

The lamb saddle was served with Santorini eggplant and cherry.

It was nicely presented and technically well prepared, and the sweet-acidic element of the cherry paired well with the richer lamb.

At the same time, this was another dish that we found good rather than exceptional.

There was nothing particularly wrong with it, but compared with the setting and with the excellent amberjack earlier in the meal, it did not leave the same lasting impression.

Service

Service throughout the evening was good and professional.

The staff were friendly, attentive and the evening progressed smoothly. The atmosphere remained relaxed despite Throubi being part of a high-end resort.

That said, at this price level, we would expect service to be not simply good but truly outstanding.

We did not experience any significant problems, but the service lacked some of the polish, anticipation and small personalised touches that separate very good hospitality from exceptional five-star dining.

This is a relatively minor criticism, but it becomes more relevant when a restaurant positions itself at the upper end of Santorini’s dining scene.

Prices

Throubi is firmly positioned on the higher end of the Santorini restaurant market.

That is hardly surprising given its location inside Andronis Concept Wellness Resort, its refined cuisine and — above all — its exceptional caldera setting.

You are not paying purely for what arrives on the plate.

Part of the price is very clearly attached to the location, atmosphere and sunset experience.

Whether that represents good value therefore depends on what you are looking for. If food alone is the priority, the setting may not justify the premium for you.

If you are looking for a romantic evening combining contemporary Greek cuisine with one of the island’s most beautiful settings, Throubi makes considerably more sense.

The SoftLuxNotes verdict

Throubi is a restaurant where the whole experience is greater than the food alone.

There were dishes we particularly enjoyed — particularly the amberjack — while others were good without being especially memorable. The cuisine is refined, creative and clearly rooted in Greek and Santorinian ingredients, although not every plate reached the same level.

Service was professional and pleasant, though not quite as polished as we would expect from the very best luxury restaurants.

But then the sun begins to set.

And for the next hour, many of those small criticisms become considerably less important.

The combination of the caldera, the Aegean Sea and the changing evening light creates an exceptionally romantic atmosphere. It is this setting, more than anything else, that makes Throubi worth experiencing.

Come for dinner, book an outdoor table and arrive before sunset.

That is when Throubi is at its best.

Before booking

The dishes and pairings described here belong to our dinner; the menu can change. Ask for an outdoor table and confirm the seating and service time directly with the restaurant. An early arrival only works if the terrace is welcoming guests at that hour. We would make sunset part of the reservation, rather than hope to catch it between courses.