Greek traditional cuisine is rich in very tasty and varied specialties. There are differences in the preparation of certain dishes in different part of Greece, but we will list what you must try regardless of the region in which you are vacationing.

The best traditional Greek dishes

The most famous Greek home cooked dishes are:
Moussaka
Stifado
Pastitsio
Kleftiko

Moussaka

When it comes to homemade dishes, then of course you should try the Greek moussaka. We can say that globally moussaka is the most famous Greek dish. So we recommend that you definitely try it.

Eggplant is an indispensable ingredient in Greek moussaka, but so is béchamel sauce, lamb or beef meat, tomatoes and spices like cinnamon, tyme etc..

You can try it anywhere. It is prepared in almost all taverns and restaurants, but also in fast food restaurants. The most important thing is that it is fresh, so before you visit a restaurant with the intention of ordering moussaka, you can ask the owners of your accommodation to suggest you where to go.

Stifado

Stifado is originally a dish with rabbit, but in restaurants it is usually served with veal. It is a dish that is prepared in a ceramic dish and cooked with very small heads of onions (shallots or pearl onions) and in a tomato sauce. All these cooked dishes have different variations and their taste depends a lot on the preparation, so when you decide to try one of the local dishes, it is best to visit a tavern or restaurant recommended by the locals.

Pastitsio

Pasticcio resembles lasagna, it is pasta with minced meat, topped with bechamel sauce.

Kleftiko

Kleftiko is a very delicious meal with lamb and vegetables in a ceramic pot. The best one is made in a restaurant Piatsa Mihalis in Potos. We recommend that you try it in that restaurant. Another good place for kleftiko is in the Mesogios restaurant in Limenas. In Sithonia and Kassandra, we did not come across well-prepared kleftiko, although we tried it in several restaurants. Maybe you will have better luck. Please let us know.

Lamb in Thassos, Sithonia, Kassandra

Greece is famous for its delicious lamb. They say that Greek lamb does not have an intense smell that bothers some people, because the grass that free-range lambs consume is full of salt and iodine. Be that as it may, the preparation of lamb is counted among the best Greek specialties.

You can try the best lamb on Thassos In Theologos, at the Kleoniki restaurant (Iatrou-at Kostas with mustache) and in the Stelios Tavern.. Here, lamb is served from an electric grill. It is also good at the George restaurant in Potos because it is grilled and prepared on smoke rather than an electric grill. This restaurant serves lamb only in the evening and is located near the highway in Potos.

In the village of Panagija there are two taverns that serve lamb. Choose the tavern whose garden has a large plane tree. Kazaviti is also famous for its lamb, and most other traditional villages also have lamb on the menu in their taverns.

The best lamb (almost the only place where you can try lamb in Sithonia) is served in the village of Metagitsi (Taverna Klimataria).
On Kassandra you can try it in the restaurant Mnemes in Pefkohori (Cretan style lamb).

What equally delights us in Greek cuisine are the numerous warm appetizers.

To be honest, we usually skip the main meal in Greek taverns, because we always want to try as many different appetizers as possible.

The most famous Greek appetizers and spreads

When it comes to appetizers you should try

Bouyourdi

Kolokitokeftedes

Haloumi

Tirosalata

Tzatiki

Fried Zucchini

Bouyiourdi is mix of cheeses and tomato, warmed up in a clay pot. It’s prepared differently from place to place.

Tirokroketes are something like fried cheddar cheese balls, and halloumi is a special type of cheese that is grilled.

I recommend fish eggs salad for those who like stronger flavors. It’s called tarama or taramosalata.

Tirosalata is an appetizer of crushed feta and olive oil. Peppers are often added as well. We tried the best tirosalata in the canteen between Limenaria and Potos.

Fried zucchini is a very popular appetizer in Greece and is always ordered in taverns. There is no tavern that does not have fried zucchini in its menu. They are like chips and are usually served with tzatziki.

Of course, make sure you try tzatziki. It is a salad that mainly consists of sour crème, pickles, dill, garlic…

Octopus is usually ordered as an appetizer and can be prepared in several ways. The softest is when is prepared in wine (krasato) while on the barbecue can be stiff especially if it’s fresh.

As well as the following seafood:

Seafood risotto - the best one is in tavern Limani in Limenaria (in the port at the end of promenade)

Shells in tomato sauce - the best ones in tavern Armeno in Skala Maries

Shrimps in any way (grilled, cooked, fried or in sauce)

Squid / Kalamari - fried or grilled

Fish:

Fagri - sea bream

Lavraki - toothfish

Tsipoura - sea bream

and from smaller fishes Mparpouni - Mullet.

It goes without saying that the fish must be fresh. The best are from the open sea, but they are many times more expensive than those from the pond. Whether they are from the open sea or from the pond, you can tell by the price. For fish taverns, you need the right recommendation. See at the end of the text our recommendations for fish and other taverns in popular Greek destinations.

Best Greek Sweets

It is not easy to choose the best Greek cakes and sweets in general, but below we will list the most famous ones that you should try at least once.

Whole nuts in pine honey (can be bought in all shops)

Kadaifi

Trigono (the most famous sweet of Thessaloniki and Northern Greece. It is triangularly shaped pastry, reminds of baklava and is filled with white cream)

Baklava with pistachios

Souffle with ice-cream

It’s hard to choose which cakes are the best, because there are so many. The traditional ones are generally made from dough and topped with sugar syrup.

A favorite Greek breakfast is sweet bugatsa. It is a thin-crust pie, filled with vanilla cream. Click HERE to see more about this sweet breakfast and recommendations on where to try it.

The best restaurants in Thassos Island klick here.
To check out accommodation offers on Thassos click HERE.