She’s been sharing her insider knowledge of Athens, the Greek Islands, and local culture for nearly a decade — both on this blog and her YouTube channel. When that happens, don’t miss the opportunity to join up too- everyone will be happy to teach you the dance steps so you can follow, and nobody will care if you don’t get it right from the start. As tavernas evolve, the tradition may not be followed, especially if there is a catalogue for desserts, but usually you will get some kind of treat on the house. A shot of alcohol, usually raki or some kind of local liquor might also be what you get together with the bill.
Greece has several types of eating establishments, of which the μενου γαμου best known is the traditional taverna. Very family friendly with alot of good restaurants and cafes around We take pride in our traditional dishes, cooked the way our grandma used to cook.
An island famous for its local fava is Santorini, but you must also try it if you find yourself in Schinoussa or Amorgos. The fava dish, a dip made out of yellow fava beans, is also popular. I love them and am too lazy to make them at home, so I often order them as a main course!
As the eating and the drinking gets more people into their happy place, more dancing will take place with people joining even if they don’t know each other, from all the tables. Often in a traditional taverna, you will find it is family-run, with the men (usually the dad) being the one who grills the meat and fish and the women doing all other types of cooking. The main ingredients used in Greek dishes are vegetables, olive oil, pulses, meat, fish and cheese.
If you like garlic, you should also try the melitzanosalata, a dip made out of mashed grilled aubergines flavoured with garlic. One of our most popular starters is tzatziki, a thick dip made out of yoghurt, cucumber, garlic and olive oil. Salads aside, the Greek cuisine has dozens of different small dishes and dips. Another popular salads is dakos, a barley rusk topped with chopped tomatoes and feta cheese. People often combine it with a portion of fries or a main course.
If there is no fruit, there is traditional dessert, with the most frequent being yoghurt with honey and walnuts or baklava. If you don’t like them, the best thing to do is not to feed them or pay them attention. It is also expected that you will use the excellent bread (often grilled and doused in olive oil) to dunk into the salad, and so will your tablemates!
We use nothing but the best ingredients and prepare our dishes the way grandma used to cook!
- She’s been sharing her insider knowledge of Athens, the Greek Islands, and local culture for nearly a decade — both on this blog and her YouTube channel.
- If you have a problem with that, make sure it’s communicated before the first dishes arrive.
- When that happens, don’t miss the opportunity to join up too- everyone will be happy to teach you the dance steps so you can follow, and nobody will care if you don’t get it right from the start.
- If you google the translation of the word “ταβέρνα”, which is how a taverna is written in Greek, you will see that it is not readily matched with the word ‘restaurant’.
- Usually when you pick fish, the waiter will assume you know which the manner of cooking is that is considered best- usually grilled or fried.
As they are rather heavy dishes, one portion easily serves two people! These are two of our most popular dishes, especially for first-time visitors. Both dishes are topped up with a thick béchamel sauce and cooked in the oven. You will find recipes including beef, pork, lamb, goat, minced meat, entrails, kidneys, liver, you name it.
Grilled to Perfection,
Waiters also will tell you what is freshly cooked, or is especially good for the day, or day specials and the like. In tavernas that have evolved from that stage, the waiter will arrive and will list all the items available for appetizers and main course. Instead, as soon as you are seated and have your table set, a big tray with servings of various dishes will arrive. In truly traditional places you will find no menu at all.
Chicken Nuggets, French Fries, Village Macaroni, Green Beans, Fresh Leguminos vegetables, Dried leguminous vegetables, Stuffed Mushrooms, Zucchini with eggs, Escargots, Ravioles, Meat Balls, Lamb Liver, Potatoes in oven Moreover, every Sunday during lunchtime a rich buffet is served at very reasonable prices. As tourism has grown in Greece, many tavernes have attempted to cater to foreign visitors with English menus and "shills" being hired in many tavernes to attract passing tourists. The earliest Greek restaurant was discovered in ancient Athens by archaeologists in the early 1970s. Having visited over 60 countries and every major region of Greece, she brings a traveler’s curiosity and a local’s insight to everything she writes.
Was possibly the best restaurant food we have had in six visits to Greece Great location with a view and food is very good quality even though a I think hands down the best restaurant we have been to in this year’s Many visitors underline that the staff is pleasant at this restaurant.
The amazing souvlaki, the delicious kontosouvli, the big selection of grilled choices of meat and the cooked food offered by the restaurant, create a feast of flavor and taste. Bonus points if they feature casseroles and other complicated dishes cooked by the family grandma (the yiayia)- if there is one, have whatever she made that day. It is perhaps one of the few restaurants on the island that still maintains the traditional Cypriot cuisine.
Sitting to eat at a traditional Greek taverna
Though you will often find a menu in a taverna, it’s a token thing that lies around on the table and serves more as a paperweight for the paper tablecloths than anything else. As always, it’s best done if you go with a local who will introduce you to it all, but here is a good guide for doing it on your own as well! You can just order a jug of a local wine, or opt for a bottle. Here’s a guide on some of the most popular vegan dishes in Greece. This explains why there are rather few dedicated vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Greece.