Greek food is one of the great pleasures of the country and is consistently underestimated by people who have only encountered it abroad. The basics are excellent: good olive oil is everywhere, vegetables are fresh and seasonal, fish and seafood are abundant on the islands, and meat is cooked simply and well.
What to Eat
Mezedes are small shared dishes, the Greek equivalent of tapas, and the proper way to eat in a traditional setting. Order several and share. Classic mezedes include tzatziki (yoghurt, cucumber, garlic), taramasalata (fish roe dip), dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), saganaki (fried cheese), gigantes (baked giant beans), and grilled octopus.
Souvlaki — small skewers of grilled pork or chicken, wrapped in pita with tomatoes and onion — is the national fast food and is consistently good. A full portion with pita costs around €2–3. Do not leave Greece without having it from a proper souvlaki stand.
Moussaka, the layered aubergine and minced meat dish topped with béchamel, is a mainstay of taverna menus. Quality varies enormously; a good version, made fresh and properly seasoned, is excellent. A bad version is not.
Grilled fish (psari) is best ordered by the kilo at a fish taverna (psarotaverna). Point at what is fresh in the glass case. It is expensive by Greek standards — a kilo of good bream or sea bass typically runs €50–70 in tourist areas — but at its best it is simply the finest fish you will eat in your life.
Spanakopita (spinach and feta pie in filo pastry) and tiropita (cheese pie) are sold at bakeries throughout the country and make an excellent cheap lunch.
Feta is protected designation cheese and the real thing — made from sheep's and goat's milk — bears no resemblance to the watery supermarket version. Order it as a simple block with olive oil and dried oregano alongside your meal.
Regional Differences
Cretan food deserves special mention — it is considered the healthiest regional diet in Greece, rich in olive oil, wild greens (horta), legumes, and local cheeses. Thessaloniki is famous throughout Greece for its bougatsa (custard or cheese pie in filo), its mussels, and its generally excellent restaurant scene. On the islands, fresh seafood dominates; on the mainland, grilled meats are more prominent.
Drink
Wine: Greek wine has improved enormously since the 1990s. Indigenous varieties like Assyrtiko from Santorini (a mineral, high-acid white), Xinomavro from northern Greece (the closest thing Greece has to Barolo), and Agiorgitiko from the Peloponnese are all worth seeking out. House wine (hima), served in carafes, is cheap and often surprisingly good.
Ouzo: The anise-flavoured spirit of Greece, drunk diluted with ice water (it turns milky white). It is traditionally sipped slowly alongside mezedes, not knocked back as a shot. Lesbos and Plomari are considered to produce the best.
Tsipouro: A stronger, less sweet spirit distilled from grape pomace, similar to Italian grappa. Particularly associated with Thessaly and Macedonia. The Epirus version, tsipouro without anise, is rougher and more rustic.
Coffee: Greeks take their coffee seriously. Greek coffee (essentially Turkish coffee, never call it that) is boiled in a small pot and served with the grounds. Freddo espresso and freddo cappuccino — espresso shaken with ice — are the modern Greek inventions that have conquered cafes across the country. They are good and everywhere.
Where to Eat
A taverna is a traditional family restaurant, typically with paper tablecloths, a daily menu of home-cooked food, and outdoor seating. A psarotaverna specialises in fish and seafood. A mezedopoleio or ouzerí focuses on mezedes and ouzo. All three are preferable to the tourist-facing restaurants in the most trafficked areas, which tend toward mediocrity and high prices. Walk two or three streets back from the main harbour or square, look for menus in Greek, and follow the local families at lunchtime.