The tsipouradiko is a Thessaloniki institution — a restaurant where rounds of tsipouro (a clear grape brandy) arrive with small complimentary plates of food: mussels, fried courgette, grilled sardines, taramosalata, whatever the kitchen is making that day. You don't order the food; it comes with the drink, changing with each round. It is one of the most civilised ways of eating ever devised.
Look for one of the long-running establishments in Ladadika — the old oil-merchants' district — where the formula has been operating the same way for decades. A table for two with a few rounds of tsipouro and a full stomach costs around €20-25 per person. Go on a weekday evening to avoid the weekend crush; arrive by 9pm if you want a table without a long wait.