View is everything in Santorini and at Oia Gefsis we are focusing on more than just the view to make your dining experience memorable. One of the core identities of the Gefsis kitchen is the wood-fired oven which is one of the basic methods of cooking in Greece returning to the roots of the Greek cuisine and allowing for maximum natural flavor and human involvement in the preparation of the dishes.
Using live fire as opposed to an oven to cook your meal can add so much to your dish! It makes the end result so much nicer and gives a richer, fuller more intense taste than normal. Not only does live fire add flavour it also adds texture and smell to your meal giving it an extra dimension not found in a normal cooking space. When in Santorini it’s a must to try real Greek food and no experience is more authentic than sitting down to enjoy some delicious Greek authentic food that has been made in the traditional way, with the main feature being the live fire!
Our menu consists of a traditional flavours expertly cooked in our wood-fired oven. The wood-fired oven brings out new dimensions in flavours in meat, vegetables, seafood and even pastries. In a destination where many restaurants offer similar settings, cooking method becomes a real point of difference at Oia Gefsis.
What makes a wood-fired oven different
Wood-fired ovens cook using a combination of live flame, radiant heat from the stone walls and natural convection within the oven cavity. This unique environment provides a more complex system of cooking than a conventional oven.
You can really notice the difference in flavour with the Fire clay cooker compared to the Original. The light smoky and caramelised flavours add a deeper and rounded dimension to your food. The higher cooking temperature produces rich tasting food with well cooked, juicy meat and a better finish. The stone holds food evenly and cooks them to a consistent quality.
However, there is something very familiar about this method of preparing a Greek dish. Indeed, most Greek slow-cooked dishes, as well as many pies and breads, are cooked together in the oven, and this practice continues to the day in homes and villages across Greece.
Why wood-fired cooking has such a strong character
When food is cooked in a wood-fired oven, it’s hard not to feel that it tastes more naturally and ‘deeper’ than what you can conjure up in other forms of cooking. That flavour is largely driven by the fire, the timing and the quality of oven itself.
Better flavour
Using live fire to cook your food imparts subtle smoky flavours and a rich caramelisation to a variety of foods from meats to root vegetables and pies and pasties.
High heat
Our oven reaches temperatures of around 400°C, much hotter than a normal home oven. This means food can be cooked quickly whilst retaining moisture.
Steady stone heat
The oven stone maintains and distributes heat evenly meaning it will help to create consistent results with a solid texture, even finish and greater control for the user.
A method tied to Greek tradition
Our way of cooking has roots in old Greek kitchens, where wood-fired ovens where an integral part of the cooking process and everyday Greek food culture. This method of cooking is not a culinary trend but rooted in history.
Dishes from our menu touched by the wood-fired oven
Bellow there is a selection of dishes from our menu that have been prepared using our wood-fired oven. At Oia Gefsis some of the dishes are entirely cooked in our wood-fired oven, while in others the oven plays a crucial role in their shaping. Whatever the case, the mark of fire, stone and timely action can always be seen.
Meat dishes
Wood-fired ovens enhance the flavour of your meat and keep it tender and juicy. Wood-fired ovens enhance the flavour of your meat and keep it tender and juicy.
Wood-Fired Lamb (Naxos Origin)
Wood-Fired Goat (Naxos Origin)
Pork with Leeks and Celery
Goat with Chickpeas
Hilopites & Wood-Fired Milk-Fed Lamb
Traditional Meat Pie
These recipes require high heat, more depth in roasting flavour and the oven to be able to retain moisture and cook slowly whilst delivering well-balanced flavour on the surface.
Seafood dishes
While most people associate wood-fired cooking with meat, seafood works equally well and provides a wonderful range of dishes where balance and a gentle smoky character are desired.
Wild Sea Bass
Wild Sea Bream
Red Snapper
Fish Fillet
Octopus Souvlaki
Grilled Oyster
Shrimp Salad
Whether it’s seafood or meat, using the oven brings extra depth to these dishes without overpowering the natural taste and quality of what you’re cooking.
Vegetables and side dishes
Vegetables take on a sweeter, fuller personality when exposed to live heat.
Wood-Fired Petal-Cut Potatoes
Wood-Fired Greens
Wood-Fired Beetroots
This way of cooking makes sure that the vegetables on the base soften up sufficiently and get a light caramelisation and taste of flavour.
Our daily wood-fired oven process at Oia Gefsis
A real wood fired oven requires each day preparation, a rhythm and a lot of attention.
Food is prepared before guests arrive and placed into the oven where everything cooks together as each dish absorbs the unique flavours locked into the stonewall and the special zone of heat provided by the inner chamber. Preparation starts before you light the fire as you need to have time to build up the right amount of heat into the oven and then manage the temperature throughout the day for perfect results.
Of course there’s ongoing control than needs to happen in the wood-fired oven, which is part of the experience of it all. The fire is still alive, the oven temperature fluctuates so you have to watch closely, and as such, you need experience with wood-fired cooking.
The wood we use
The type of wood matters. It affects both heat performance and aroma.
At Oia Gefsis, we use olive wood and beech wood. Olive wood offers a gentler aromatic smoke and adds a more Mediterranean character to the cooking process. Beech burns well and gives stable, reliable heat, which helps support consistency during service.
This balance allows the oven to perform well while also adding subtle flavour to the food. It is one more detail that shapes the final result on the plate.
A rare cooking method in Oia
Very few restaurants in Oia cook this way. That makes the wood-fired oven more than a technical detail. It becomes part of the identity of the restaurant and part of what sets the experience apart.
In a place where many visitors are searching for traditional Santorini food and authentic Greek cooking, real method matters. A menu can describe tradition, but the cooking itself has to support that claim. Fire, stone, time and ingredient quality all work together to give that claim substance.
This is one of the reasons the wood-fired oven holds such an important place at Oia Gefsis. It speaks not only to taste, but to authenticity.
Traditional flavour, present-day expression
Greek food is fundamentally about method as much as it is about recipe. The same ingredients can taste dramatically differently if it’s been cooked a certain way. And, perhaps more than anything else, the wood-fired oven is synonymous with Greek cuisine.
We at Oia Gefsis cook our dishes blending flavors of the past Greek traditions with a modern twist, resulting in unique and thoughtful creations that reflect heritage Greek cuisine. Served in our naturally beautiful setting in Oia, Santorini, these carefully made dishes are sure to bring depth, familiarity and character to your dining experience.
But dining at Oia Gefsis isn’t all about the top shelf fare – if you’d like you can experience more of our main menu, seafood and wine experience in Oia ou visit our main page to discover the signature dishes and atmosphere that make dining at Oia Gefsis so memorable.
For those keen on trying the traditional Greek cuisine made on open fire in Oia, a table at Oia Gefsis is waiting for you.