Where to eat in Greece? The essential guide to Greek cuisine with the best things to eat and places to taste it.
Cheese, souvlaki, gyros, moussaka and many other tasty delicacies, we have selected the places to eat the best of Greek cuisine.
Greek Cuisine
It is from breakfast that you can start tasting the goodness of Greek cuisine. The typical Greek breakfast consists of the irreplaceable thick and creamy Greek yoghurt with honey and dried fruit, usually accompanied by a cup of coffee, orange juice and croissants.
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The Greek salad is a great classic of Greek cuisine, in summer and winter. Often in restaurants any dish is accompanied by a simple salad with tomatoes and onion, but in the full version you will also find capers, olives and feta.
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You can try chtapòdi (octopus) or kalamarakia, squid. These dishes are eaten in Taberne and are excellent in all coastal areas of Greece.
Typical Greek dishes
The main dishes of Greek cuisine are based on lamb or suckling pig meat. Among the most famous dishes is gyros, very similar to kebabs but served with tzatziki sauce. It is eaten in all typical Greek fast food restaurants.
Souvlaki is the typical dish consisting of skewers of pork, lamb and chicken. They are served with spices and sauces in a pita or served on a plate with vegetables.
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Moussaka is another great traditional Greek dish. It is a flan made of aubergine, minced meat, béchamel and potatoes.
Tyropita is a crispy pastry filled with cheese.
The Greek sauce par excellence is tzatsiki, the famous sauce of yoghurt, cucumber and garlic, but in addition to this there are delicious sauces with aubergines (melitzanosalada) and eggs (taramosalada).
Keftedes are the famous Greek meatballs always served with sauce and vegetables.
Of direct Arabic derivation are yemistà (peppers or tomatoes stuffed with meat or rice) and imam (fried aubergines stewed with tomatoes, garlic, spices and onions).
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The pita
The pita is the famous round bread similar to piadina and is usually served with various sauces such as tzatziki or with gyros as if it were a kebab. You will find it on every table and it is made from wheat flour.
Greek cuisine famous recipes
On Giallo Zafferano you will find lots of recipes for typical Greek dishes at home. Here, for example, you will find a recipe for pita, while here you will find directions for cooking moussaka.
If you want to cook gyros, the typical Greek street food dish, you will find directions here and the recipe for souvlaki here.
No Greek dinner is complete without the typical Tzatziki sauce: here are tips on how to make it at home.
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Where to eat in Greece
Taberne - If you want to experience the quintessence of Greek cuisine, spend very little and taste the delicious food seasoned with oil from the many local olive groves; don't miss a meal in a Trattoria; there are plenty of them, open practically every hour from 11am until late at night. Count it among Henry Miller's favourite places on his trip to Greece; once seated on the typical blue chairs, let the waiter serve you and sample Greek salad made with feta, tsatsiki, yoghurt, garlic and cucumbers; grilled meats such as souvlaki or gyros and the delicious moussaka. If you prefer a dinner of the freshest fish, choose the Psarotaverna, where they offer delicious dishes such as kalamarakia, chtapòdi (octopus), shrimps or spit-roasted swordfish. For wine, try the Retsina and don't miss the excellent house white wines, which are really good.
Estiatorio - At much higher prices and with less rustic, more tourist-oriented service, you can choose to eat in a restaurant.
They are actually very similar to taverns, also in terms of the type of cuisine they offer; assuming you want to eat Greek. Many restaurants offer international, Turkish, you name it; but, most offer typical Greek cuisine at much higher prices than the rustic taverna, where the skilled native cooks are still in the kitchen.
Souvlatzidiko - The king of Greek fast food, small places where you often eat standing up where you can taste gyros and souvlaki. When out and about in the cities, hunt for the ones with the largest crowds and smallest size, you will be rewarded for the wait. Order souvlaki, the classic skewers of meat, especially pork, accompanied by pita, or try the gyros.
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Bars - For a breakfast of omelettes and toast or for a drink, head to the numerous bars that usually crowd the city centre or the harbour. From cosy places to more spartan takeaway-like places, know that they don't offer hearty breakfasts, better to turn to the small restaurants. They are, however, a great place to have a drink before going to dinner; like the delicious chupitos. It is difficult in Greece to drink good coffee, what they drink is similar to a big shaken milkshake, if you are an espresso lover, avoid it.
Galaktopolio and Zaharoplastio - In the dairy shops (Galaktopolio) you can stop for a quick breakfast of Greek coffee, white yoghurt or with honey and nuts; while in the zaharoplastio, you can taste the very good and very imitated Greek pies, such as cheese puff pastry, tiropida, or the delicious spanakopita pie with spinach and feta.
Kafenion - These are one of Greece's ancient institutions, smoky places where you can find local elders chatting animatedly. They are spartan, a little dirty and totally uninhabited.
You can play draughts, cards, drink a Greek coffee. an ouzo, the typical aniseed-based liqueur, or a hot tea. It was a traditionally male bar, especially popular in the villages, where Greek coffee (kafés ellenikos) was served, tables were played, backgammon, draughts, chess, cards, and the latest news was discussed and exchanged.
Creperie - You can find creperies in small rooms or in little street trucks where you can taste both sweet and savoury crepes. They are very cheap and you can get your fill by ordering just one. If you prefer, you can top them with ham, cheese, tomato, bacon, turkey, chicken, or if you have a sweet tooth, you can have them made with chocolate, a really cheap treat.
Ouzerie - Ideal for a tasty snack, these are the typical places where the traditional Greek aperitif is served, ouzo a high alcohol, strong aniseed-flavoured liqueur that is drunk diluted with fresh water. The custom in Greece is to accompany the drink with small plates of olives, boiled or grilled octopus, fried squid, cheese and cold cuts, to limit the effects of alcohol. In ouzerias, mezedopolia or ouzadika, you can taste imezé and pikiliés, real full meals that accompany ouzo.
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