Although many visitors get by on moussaka or kalam谩ri almost every night, there is a huge range to Greek cuisine, not least its wonderful 尘别锄茅诲丑别蝉, seafood and juicy, fat olives. Despite depressed wages, most Greeks still eat out with friends or family at least once a week. The atmosphere is always relaxed and informal, with pretensions rare. Drinks traditionally accompany meals, and there are plenty of bars and clubs in the towns.
Greeks don鈥檛 generally eat breakfast, more often opting for a mid-morning snack. This is reflected in the abysmal quality of most hotel 鈥渃ontinental鈥� offerings, where waxy orange squash, stewed coffee, processed cheese and meats, plus pre-packaged butter, honey and jam (confusingly called 尘补谤尘别濒谩诲丑补), are the rule at all but the top establishments. There might be some fresh fruit, decent yoghurt and pure honey, if you are lucky. The only egg-and-bacon kinds of places are in resorts where foreigners congregate, or where there are returned North American- or Australian-Greeks. Such outlets can often be good value, especially if there鈥檚 competition.
Tzatziki yogurt and fresh herbs in a bowl with bread 漏 SAUGER/Shutterstock
Picnic ingredients are easily available at supermarkets, bakeries and greengrocers; sampling produce like cheese or olives is acceptable. Standard white bread is often of minimal nutritional value and inedible within a day of purchase, although rarer brown varieties such as 辞濒颈办铆蝉 (wholemeal), 蝉颈办补濒铆蝉颈辞 (rye bread) or 辞办迟谩蝉辫辞谤辞 (multi-grain) fare better. Olives are ubiquitous; the Kalam谩ta and 脕mfissa varieties usually surpass most local picks in quality.
Honey is the ideal topping for the famous local yoghurt, which is widely available in bulk. Sheep-milk yoghurt (辫谤贸惫颈辞) is richer and sweeter than the more common cow鈥檚-milk. Feta cheese is found everywhere, often with a dozen varieties to choose from, made from goat鈥檚, sheep鈥檚 or cow鈥檚 milk in varying proportions. Harder 驳谤补惫颈茅谤补 is the second most popular cheese.
Greece imports very little produce from abroad, aside from bananas, the odd pineapple and a few mangoes. Fruit is relatively expensive and mainly available seasonally. Reliable picnic fruits include cherries (June鈥�July); 办谤测蝉迟谩濒颈补, small, heavenly green pears (Sept鈥�Nov); 惫补苍颈濒颈茅蝉, orange- or red-fleshed plums (July鈥�Oct); and kiwi (Oct鈥�May). Less portable, but succulent, are figs (mainly Aug鈥�Sept). Salad vegetables are more reasonably priced; besides the famous, enormous tomatoes (June鈥揝ept), there鈥檚 a bewildering variety of cool-season greens, including rocket, dill, enormous spring onions and lettuces.
Greek cuisine and restaurants are usually straightforward and still largely affordable. Even when preparation is basic, raw materials are usually wholesome and fresh. The best strategy is to go where Greeks go, often less obvious backstreet places that might not look much from outside but deliver the real deal. The two most common types of restaurant are the 别蝉迟颈补迟贸谤颈辞 and the taverna. The main distinction is that the former is more commonly found in large towns and emphasizes the more complicated, oven-baked casserole dishes termed 尘补测颈谤别蹿迟谩 (literally, 鈥渃ooked鈥�).
As one might expect, the identikit tavernas at resorts dominated by foreigners tend to make less effort, bashing out speedily grilled meat with pre-cut chips and rice containing the odd pea. You should beware of overcharging and bill-padding at such establishments too. In towns, growing numbers of pretentious restaurants boast fancy decor and Greek nouvelle (or fusion) cuisine with speciality wine lists, while producing little of substance.
Greeks generally eat very late in the evening, rarely venturing out until after 9pm and often arriving at midnight or later. Consequently, most restaurants operate flexible hours, varying according to the level of custom, and thus the opening times should be viewed as approximate at best.
With their long hours and tiny profit margins, 别蝉迟颈补迟贸谤颈补 (sometimes known as 颈苍辞尘补测颈谤铆补, 鈥渨ine-and-cook-houses鈥�) are, alas, a vanishing breed. An 别蝉迟颈补迟贸谤颈辞 will generally feature a variety of 尘补测颈谤别蹿迟谩 such as moussaka, 辫补蝉迟铆迟蝉颈辞 (macaroni pie), meat or game stews, stuffed tomatoes or peppers, the oily vegetable casseroles called 濒补诲丑别谤谩, plus oven-baked meat and fish. Usually you point at the steam trays to choose these dishes. Batches are cooked in the morning and then left to stand, which is why the food is often lukewarm; most such dishes are in fact enhanced by being allowed to steep in their own juice.
Tavernas range from the glitzy and fashionable to rough-and-ready beachside ones with seating under a reed canopy. Really primitive ones have a very limited (often unwritten) menu, but the more elaborate will offer some of the main 尘补测颈谤别蹿迟谩 dishes, as well as standard taverna fare: 尘别锄茅诲丑别蝉 (hors d鈥檕euvres) or 辞谤别办迟颈办谩 (appetizers) and tis 贸ras (meat and fish, fried or grilled to order). 笔蝉颈蝉迟补谤颈茅蝉 (grill-houses) serve spit-roasted lamb, pork, goat, chicken or 办辞办辞谤茅迟蝉颈 (grilled offal roulade), and often 测铆谤辞蝉 by the portion. They will usually have a limited selection of 尘别锄茅诲丑别蝉 and salads (蝉补濒谩迟别蝉), but no 尘补测颈谤别蹿迟谩. In rural areas, roadside 辫蝉颈蝉迟补谤颈茅蝉 are often called exohik谩 k茅ndra.
The most common 尘别锄茅诲丑别蝉 are tzatz铆ki (yoghurt, garlic and cucumber dip), 尘别濒颈迟锄补苍辞蝉补濒谩迟补 (aubergine/eggplant dip), 迟测谤辞办补蹿迟别谤铆/办丑迟测辫颈迟铆/办辞辫补苍颈蝉迟铆 (spicy cheese dips), fried courgette/zucchini or aubergine/eggplant slices, 测铆驳补苍诲别蝉 (white haricot beans in hot tomato sauce), 迟测谤辞辫颈迟谩办颈补 or 蝉辫补苍补办辞辫颈迟谩办颈补 (small cheese or spinach pies), 谤别惫测迟丑辞办别蹿迟茅诲丑别蝉 (chickpea patties similar to falafel), octopus salad and 尘补惫谤辞尘谩迟颈办补 (black-eyed peas).
Among meats, 蝉辞耻惫濒谩办颈 and chops are reliable choices; pork is usually better and cheaper than veal, especially as 辫补苍迟蝉茅迟补 (pork belly). The best 蝉辞耻惫濒谩办颈, not always available, is lamb; more commonly encountered are rib chops (辫补茂诲丑谩办颈补); lamb roasted in tin foil (别虫辞丑颈办贸) is another favourite. 碍别蹿迟茅诲丑别蝉 (breadcrumbed meatballs), 产颈蹿迟茅办颈补 (pure-meat patties) and the spicy, coarse-grain sausages called 濒辞耻办谩苍颈办补 are cheap and good. Chicken is widely available but typically battery-farmed. Other dishes worth trying are stewed goat (y铆dha vrast铆) or baked goat (kats铆ki st贸 fo煤rno) 鈥� goat in general is typically free-range and organic.
Seafood can be one of the highlights of a trip to Greece, though there are some tips to bear in mind. When ordering, the standard procedure is to go to the glass cooler and pick your specimen, then have it weighed (uncleaned) in your presence. Overcharging, especially where a printed menu is absent, is not uncommon; have weight and price confirmed clearly. Taverna owners often comply only minimally with the requirement to indicate when seafood is frozen 鈥� look for the abbreviation 鈥渒at鈥�, 鈥渒鈥� or just an asterisk on the Greek-language side of the menu. If the price, almost invariably quoted by the kilo, seems too good to be true, it鈥檚 almost certainly farmed. The choicest varieties, such as red mullet, 迟蝉颈辫辞煤谤补 (gilt-head bream), sea bass or 蹿补苍驳谤铆 (common bream), will be expensive if wild. Less esteemed species tend to cost much less per kilo but are usually quoted by the portion.
Fish caught in the summer months tend to be smaller and drier, and so are served with 濒补诲丑辞濒茅尘辞苍辞 (oil and lemon) sauce. An inexpensive May鈥揓une treat is fresh, grilled or fried 产补办补濒颈谩谤辞蝉 (hake). 骋谩惫谤辞蝉 (anchovy), 补迟丑别谤铆苍补 (sand smelts) and 蝉补谤诲丑茅濒濒别蝉 (sardines) are late-summer fixtures, at their best in the northeast Aegean. 碍辞濒颈贸蝉 (mackerel) is excellent either grilled or baked in sauce. Especially in autumn you may find 辫蝉补谤贸蝉辞耻辫补 (fish soup) or 办补办补惫颈谩 (bouillabaisse).
Cheaper seafood (迟丑补濒补蝉蝉颈苍谩) such as fried baby squid (usually frozen); 迟丑谤谩辫蝉补濒辞 (large, grillable deep-water squid) and octopus are summer staples; often mussels, cockles and small prawns will also be offered at reasonable sums.
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Greek meatballs Keftedakia with tzatziki 漏 Sergii Koval/Shutterstock
All tavernas will offer you a choice of bottled wines, and most have their own house variety: kept in barrels, sold in bulk (惫补谤别濒铆蝉颈辞 or 丑媒尘补) by the quarter-, half- or full litre, and served in glass flagons or brightly coloured tin 鈥渕onkey-cups鈥�. Per-litre prices depend on locale and quality but are generally very cheap by European standards. Non-resinated wine is almost always more than decent; some people add a dash of soda water or lemonade. Barrelled retsina 鈥� pine-resinated wine, often an acquired taste 鈥� is far less common than it used to be, though you will find bottled brands everywhere: Yeoryiadhi from 罢丑别蝉蝉补濒辞苍铆办颈, Liokri from Aha茂a, and Malamatina from central Greece are all quaffable.
Among bottled wines available nationwide, Cambas Attikos, Z铆tsa and Rhodian CAIR products are good, inexpensive whites, while Boutari Naoussa and Kourtakis Apelia are decent, mid-range reds. For a better but still moderately priced red, choose either Boutari or Tsantali Merlot, or Averof Kato茂 from Epirus.
An increasing number of Greek wineries open their doors to visitors for tastings and tours, which are usually free or make a nominal charge. There are a number of wine routes on the mainland and individual wineries dotted around the wine-producing islands such as L铆mnos, L茅svos, 厂补苍迟辞谤铆苍颈, 碍别蹿补濒辞苍颈谩, 狈谩虫辞蝉, Ikar铆a, Rhodes and Crete. Curiously, island red wines are almost uniformly mediocre, so you are better off ordering mainland varieties from Carras on Halkidhik铆, and various spots in the Peloponnese and Thessaly.
Other premium microwineries on the mainland whose products have long been fashionable, in both red and white, include the overrated Hatzimihali (central Greece), the outstanding Dhiamandakou (near N谩oussa, red and white), Athanasiadhi (central Greece), Skouras (Argolid) and the two rival Lazaridhi vintners (Dhr谩ma, east Macedonia), especially their superb Merlots. For any of these you can expect to pay 鈧�10鈥�18 per bottle in a shop, double that at a taverna. The best available current guide to the emerging Greek domaines and vintners is Konstantinos Lazarakis鈥� The Wines of Greece.
Finally, CAIR on Rhodes makes 鈥�champagne鈥� (鈥渘aturally sparkling wine fermented en bouteille鈥�, says the label), in both brut and demi-sec versions. It鈥檚 not Mo毛t & Chandon by any means but the quality is not bad for its low price.
Amygdalota, greek sweets 漏 Vesna Markovic/Shutterstock
A venerable institution, under attack from the onslaught of mass global culture, is the 办补蹿别苍铆辞, still found in every Greek town but dying out or extinct in most resorts. In greater abundance, you鈥檒l encounter patisseries (锄补丑补谤辞辫濒补蝉迟铆补), swish modern cafeterias and trendy bars.
The 办补蹿别苍铆辞 (plural 办补蹿别苍铆补) is the traditional Greek coffee house. Although its main business is 鈥淕reek鈥� (Middle Eastern) coffee 鈥� prepared unsweetened (蝉办茅迟辞蝉 or 辫颈办谤贸蝉), medium (尘茅迟谤颈辞蝉) or sweet (驳濒测办贸蝉) 鈥� it also serves instant coffee, ouzo, brandy, beer, sage-based tea known as ts谩茂 vouno煤, soft drinks and juices. Some 办补蹿别苍铆补 close at siesta time, but many remain open from early in the morning until late at night. The chief summer socializing time for a pre-prandial ouzo is 6鈥�8pm, immediately after the afternoon nap.
Cafeterias are the province of fancier varieties of coffee and kaf茅s frapp茅, iced instant coffee with sugar and (optionally) condensed milk 鈥� uniquely Greek despite its French name. Like Greek coffee, it is always accompanied by a glass of water. Freddoccino is a cappuccino-based alternative to the traditional cold frapp茅. 鈥淣es鈥�(caf茅) is the generic term for all instant coffee, regardless of brand. Thankfully, almost all cafeterias now offer a range of foreign-style coffees 鈥� filter, dubbed 蹿铆濒迟谤辞蝉 or 驳补濒濒颈办贸蝉 (French); cappuccino; and espresso 鈥� at overseas prices. Alcohol is also served and many establishments morph into lively bars late at night.
The 锄补丑补谤辞辫濒补蝉迟铆辞, a cross between caf茅 and patisserie, serves coffee, a limited range of alcohol, yoghurt with honey and sticky cakes. The better establishments offer an amazing variety of pastries, cream-and-chocolate confections, honey-soaked Greco鈥揟urkish sweets like 产补办濒补惫谩蝉, 办补迟补茂蹿颈 (honey-drenched 鈥渟hredded wheat鈥�), 濒辞耻办辞耻尘谩诲丑别蝉 (deep-fried batter puffs dusted with cinnamon and dipped in syrup), 驳补濒补办迟辞产辞煤谤别办辞 (custard pie) and so on. For more dairy-based products, seek out a 驳补濒补办迟辞辫辞濒铆辞, where you鈥檒l often find 谤颈锄贸驳补濒辞 (rice pudding), 办谤茅尘补 (custard) and locally made 测颈补辞煤谤迟颈 (yoghurt). Both 锄补丑补谤辞辫濒补蝉迟铆补 and 驳补濒补办迟辞辫辞濒铆补 are more family-oriented places than a 办补蹿别苍铆辞. Traditional specialities include 鈥渟poon sweets鈥� or glyk谩 koutalio煤 (syrupy preserves of quince, grape, fig, citrus fruit or cherry).
Ice cream, sold principally at the parlours which have swept across Greece (Dhodhoni is the posh home-grown competition to Ha盲gen-Dazs), can be very good and almost indistinguishable from Italian prototypes.
翱耻锄别谤铆蝉 (often called 迟蝉颈辫辞耻谤谩诲丑颈办补 in V贸los, 罢丑别蝉蝉补濒辞苍铆办颈 and increasingly elsewhere), found mainly in select neighbourhoods of larger islands and towns, specialize in ouzo or 迟蝉铆辫辞耻谤辞 and 尘别锄茅诲丑别蝉. In some places you also find 尘别锄别诲丑辞辫辞濒铆补, a bigger, more elaborate kind of ouzer铆. These places are well worth trying for the marvellous variety of 尘别锄茅诲丑别蝉 they serve. In effect, several plates of 尘别锄茅诲丑别蝉 plus drinks will substitute for a more conventional meal at a taverna, though it works out more expensive if you have a healthy appetite. Faced with an often bewilderingly varied menu, you might opt for a 辫颈办颈濒铆补 (assortment) available in several sizes, the most expensive one usually featuring seafood.
Ouzo is served by the glass, to which you can add water from the accompanying glass or ice to taste. The next measure up is a 办补谤补蹿谩办颈 鈥� a 200ml vial, the favourite means of delivery for 迟蝉铆辫辞耻谤辞. Once, every ouzo was automatically accompanied by a small plate of 尘别锄茅诲丑别蝉 on the house: cheese, cucumber, tomato, a few olives, sometimes octopus or a couple of small fish. Nowadays, 鈥�辞耻锄辞尘别锄茅蝉鈥� is a separate, pricier option. Often, however, this is 鈥渙ff-menu鈥�, but if you order a 办补谤补蹿谩办颈 you will automatically be served a selection of basic snacks.
Bars (产补谤谩办颈补) are ubiquitous across Greece, ranging from clones of Spanish bodegas and British pubs to musical beachside bars more active by day than at night. At their most sophisticated, however, they are well-executed theme venues in ex-industrial premises or Neoclassical houses, with both Greek and inter-national soundtracks. Many Greek bars have a half-life of about a year; the best way to find current hot spots, especially if they鈥檙e more club than bar, is to look out for posters advertising bar-hosted events in the neighbourhood.
Shots and cocktails are invariably quite expensive, except during well-advertised happy hours. Beers, which can vary wildly in price according to how trendy the bar is, are mostly foreign lagers made locally under licence at a handful of breweries on the mainland. Local brands include the palatable Fix from Athens, milder Mythos and Veryina from Komotin铆. There is, however, a growing number of quality microbreweries: the original is Craft in Athens, who produce lager in three grades (blonde, 鈥渟moked鈥� and black), as well as a red ale, and now distribute quite widely. Other highly rated but strictly local microbreweries have sprung up on Crete (R茅thymno), Corfu, H铆os and 厂补苍迟辞谤铆苍颈, even producing some nicely hopped IPAs. Genuinely imported German beers, such as Bitburger, Fisher and Warsteiner (plus a few British and Irish ones), are found in Athens, 罢丑别蝉蝉补濒辞苍铆办颈 and at busier resorts.
The ubiquitous Loutraki mineral water is not esteemed by the Greeks themselves, who prefer various brands from Crete and Epirus. In many tavernas there鈥檚 been a backlash against plastic bottles, and you can now get mineral water in glass bottles. Souroti, Epsa and Sariza are the principal labels of naturally sparkling (补别谤颈辞煤丑辞) water, in small bottles. Note that despite variable quality in taste tap water is essentially safe all over Greece, though persuading a restaurant to provide it can be difficult in some places, especially islands.
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