Food Culture
A Beginner's Guide to Greek Food (What to Order, and How)
Meze culture, the difference between a taverna and an estiatorio, and how not to over-order (or under-order).
Greek dining is built around sharing, which trips up a lot of first-time visitors used to ordering one main course each. Understanding the structure makes the whole thing click.
Taverna, estiatorio, or ouzeri?
- Taverna — the everyday Greek restaurant: family-run, checked tablecloths (sometimes literally), a rotating daily menu, built around shared plates.
- Estiatorio — a step up in formality, with individually plated mains rather than a purely shared-plates format.
- Ouzeri / Mezedopoleio — built around drinking (ouzo, tsipouro, wine) with small plates to match — order several rounds of little dishes rather than one big meal.
How to order
Skip the one-main-each instinct. Order 3–4 shared plates for two people, mixing something grilled, something cold (like a dip or salad), and something fried, then add more if you're still hungry. This is how the menu is designed to be eaten, and it's also the best way to try more of what's on offer.
Dishes to know
- Tzatziki — yogurt, cucumber, garlic dip.
- Melitzanosalata — smoky grilled eggplant dip.
- Gigantes — giant baked beans in tomato sauce.
- Dolmades — vine leaves stuffed with rice (and sometimes meat).
- Souvlaki & gyro — grilled or spit-roasted meat, the backbone of Greek street food. See our restaurant guide for where to find the good ones.
- Baklava & galaktoboureko — the two desserts you'll see everywhere, one nut-and-honey, one custard-filled.
A note on the bill
A small "kerasma" — a complimentary fruit plate or sweet from the kitchen — often appears unasked at the end of a meal in a proper taverna. It's a genuine gesture of hospitality, not an upsell.