Discover the Delicious Cuisine of Greece

Greeks love eating out, sharing impossibly big meals with family and friends in a drawn-out, convivial parade of dishes. Whether you’re enjoying seafood at a waterfront table or sampling contemporary Greek cuisine under the floodlit Acropolis, dining out in Greece is never just about what you eat, but the entire sensory experience.

Devour Greece’s Favorite Street Food, Souvlaki

Greece’s adored fast food, souvlaki, comes as either gyros (meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie) or skewered meat served in soft pita bread, accompanied by tomato, onion, and lashings of tzatziki. Often, French fries are included for added heft. While choices typically include pork or chicken, lamb may also appear occasionally. For those wanting to eat on the go, asking for it “sto heri” means you’ll enjoy it in hand.

Savor Succulent Fish and Seafood

No trip to Greece is complete without indulging in seafood. Fish is often grilled whole and drizzled with ladolemono (lemon and oil dressing). Smaller fish such as barbounia (red mullet) or maridha (whitebait) are lightly fried, allowing you to savor the delicate flavors. Octopus can be grilled, marinated, or stewed in a wine sauce.

• Popular seafood dishes include:
• soupies (cuttlefish)
• calamari stuffed with cheese and herbs
• psarosoupa (fish soup)

To enjoy the freshest seafood, seek out tavernas run by local fishing families. Choose your fish and always inquire about the price—it can be eye-opening but worthwhile. Enjoying seafood by the shore enhances the experience.

Grab Some Great Grilled Meat

Greeks excel at grilled and spit-roasted meats. Beyond souvlaki, you can enjoy païdakia (lamb cutlets) and brizoles (pork chops) or fresh fish and calamari. During special occasions such as Tsiknopempti, where grilled meat is featured before Lent, or the Easter celebrations with spit-roasted lamb, be sure to savor your meal using your hands. Sides are often simple, including potatoes, vegetables, and dips.

Pretend You’re at Gramma’s House, with Mayirefta

Home-style, one-pot meals, mayirefta, are staples in tavernas. Prepared early, these dishes are left to cool, enhancing their flavors and making it easy to choose from a mouthwatering selection.

• Well-known mayirefta include:
• moussaka (eggplant, minced meat, potatoes, and cheese)
• yemista (vegetables stuffed with rice and herbs)
• lemonato (meat cooked with lemon and oregano)
• stifadho (sweet, stewed meat with tomato and onion)

Delight in a Mezedhes Smorgasbord

These small dishes are perfect for sharing and can serve as a full meal or appetizers. Classics include:

• tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber, and garlic)
• melitzanosalata (aubergine dip)
• taramasalata (fish roe dip)
• fava (split-pea puree with lemon)
• saganaki (fried cheese)

Pair your mezedhes with ouzo for a traditional experience!

Crunch into Crispy Pies

Bakeries across Greece offer a plethora of delicious pies, including:

• tyropita (cheese pie)
• spanakopita (spinach pie)
• bougatsa (custard pie from Crete)

Zap Your Palate with Ouzo and Other Spirits

Ouzo—Greece’s iconic liquor—serves as a social drink enjoyed with mezedhes during leisurely summer afternoons. This anise-flavored drink is typically served chilled in small bottles or karafakia with ice.

For those seeking variety, tsipouro and tsikoudia offer delightful alternatives. If you prefer something softer, mastiha, made from mastic resin found on Chios, acts as an excellent digestive.

Sip on Award-Winning Greek Wine

Greece’s wine industry is thriving, producing award-winning wines from indigenous grape varieties. Notable wine regions include Nemea in the Peloponnese, the vineyards of Santorini, and Naoussa in the north.

• Popular white wines are:
• moschofilero
• assyrtiko
• Popular red wines include:
• xinomavro
• agiorgitiko

Additionally, Greece offers exquisite dessert wines and a unique variety known as retsina, made from white wine flavored with pine resin.

Vegetarian and Vegan Options

Vegetarians will find many fresh and delightful options in Greece, especially during Lent when plant-based dishes take center stage. Look for popular vegetable dishes such as:

• fasolakia yiahni (braised green beans)
• bamies (okra)
• briam (oven-baked vegetable casserole)

A Year in Food

Spring

Spring is marked by an abundance of fresh vegetables and the celebration of Easter with traditional favorites like tsoureki.

Summer

Summer brings juicy fruits and local festivals celebrating seasonal produce, including sardines and eggplants.

Autumn

Autumn highlights the harvest of nuts and figs, and the production of raki.

Winter

Winter includes olive harvests and festive dishes such as honey cookies and the traditional New Year’s cake, vasilopita.