Pelekanos [means pelican in Greek], is charismatically perched atop one of the authentic architectures of exquisite Oia.
It prides itself with an astonishing 360 degree views of the Island of Santorini and the perfect spot to relish in the beauty of its famous caldera. The restaurant, being in an elevated location, could be challenging to find. The entryway is along a busy, tourist-filled passage way in the heart of the village of Oia. However, once we found our way in, the panoramic view completely took our breath away.
We were greeted by Nick, a server from Bulgaria. He was very fun to talk to and seems incredibly knowledgeable. During the orientation of the Pelekanos menu, he recommended several dishes that would be very representative of the restaurant’s specialty.
As a starter, he brought in an octopus salad with white balsamic vinegar dressing. The appetizer was nicely decorated as seen on the neatly sliced octopus resting among its greens and drizzled around with red garnish. The red powder added a balance in its appeal and flavor of the dish. The octopus was indeed fresh, easy on the palate, and not at all rubbery compared to those found in Los Angeles. It was delightfully flavorful and has a perfectly well complementing dressing.
The next appetizer we enjoyed was the Greek sardines with lemon and olive oil sauce. As simple sounding sardines are, this dish had an excellent composition and seasoning. Most sardines usually characterize a stronger fishy attribute. I’m surprised that this one tasted differently. I’m thankful to have enjoyed fresh sardines for the first time!
The third appetizer we were served came as something that is commonly served in Santorini: The tomato fritters. What makes the Pelekanos tomato fritters different is that they deep fry tomatoes stuffed with vegetables topped with cucumber, yogurt and garlic dip. What a wonderful complimentary combination of flavors and texture! It had a cold tangy taste from the yogurt while the deep fried tomatoes introduced a hot, crunchy sensation with a soft center.
We enjoyed two main courses: The Fresh Bream and the Moussaka.
The fresh bream is a white fish with a specialty sauce that contains lemon, olive oil, and traces of capers and dill. Nick de-boned the fish for us so that we can easily eat this fresh fare. The fresh bream was served with a generous portion of salad greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers. This dish felt very light, clean, and healthy.
At first, I thought of having a mixture of a healthy fare, as well as a heavy and savory one. When the moussaka came, it certainly looked as heavy as they usually come. But as I was eating it, it felt much lighter than I expected. It was a pleasant surprise! The Pelekanos moussaka had additional toppings such as tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant. Delicious!
To finish off our Pelekanos experience, we enjoyed two very unique desserts. I’ve certainly had donuts before, but not the way Pelekanos made them. The restaurant served us homemade donut holes resting on a generous amount of warm honey. It was also topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The incorporation of fresh donuts, the warm and sweet honey, and the cold vanilla ice cream was nothing short of amazing!
The next dessert was something that combines two things I enjoy having: Coffee and bananas. This dessert is called… Banoffee! The flavors of this dessert continued to wow me just as much as the donuts did.
Our dining experience at Pelekanos absolutely proved that this restaurant is an expert in making what could be a simple and ordinary dish into an extraordinary one. It was truly a memorable and unique experience. Bravo, Pelekanos, bravo!
Pelekanos Restaurant | Santorini, Oia | 84702, Greece