Traditional Greek Food: 81 Dishes to Eat in Greece

Quick answer: Traditional Greek food is built on olive oil, lemon, oregano, vegetables, legumes, lamb, pork and fresh seafood, shared as small plates called meze. The 10 dishes to try first are horiatiki (Greek salad), moussaka, souvlaki, gyros, spanakopita, dolmades, tzatziki, fasolada, grilled octopus and baklava.

I grew up eating Greek food long before I ever set foot in Greece. My hometown in Ontario was full of Greek-owned restaurants and cafés, and many of the kids I grew up with were the children of Greek immigrants who arrived in the 1970s. My Greek friends called magiritsa, the lamb soup their families ate after the midnight Easter service, simply “Easter soup”.

Years later, when I was living in London as a budget traveller, a friend who wanted to return to Corfu to meet her boyfriend insisted I come along. We stayed at Roda Beach on the north coast, and we were poor, so I lived mostly on Greek salads and squid cooked in its own ink from the beachfront tavernas. The first thing I wanted to do when we landed (naturally) was try authentic Greek food and a few ouzos. The very first dish I ate was a simple horiatiki salad (what we called ‘Greek Salad’, and I was delighted to discover that the Greek food of my Ontario childhood was the real thing. (The ouzo, as you’ll read below, did not end so well.)

Since then I have spent more than 30 years working in food, including over 20 years as a food product developer creating dishes for Canadian food producers and restaurants. This guide is everything I would tell a friend before their first trip to Greece: what each dish is, where it comes from, and what to order first.

Greek Food Fast Facts

Fact	Details
Core ingredients	Olive oil, lemon, oregano, feta, yogurt, honey, legumes, lamb, pork, seafood
Most famous dish	Moussaka (modern version created in the 1920s by chef Nikolaos Tselementes)
“National dish”	Fasolada (bean soup) is traditionally called the national dish; there is no official one
Favourite street food	Souvlaki and gyros (usually pork or chicken in Greece)
Meal times	Lunch 2–3pm; dinner late, typically 9–10pm
Vegetarian-friendly?	Very: ladera (olive-oil-braised vegetables) and Lenten nistisima dishes
Protected foods	Feta (EU PDO since 2002); ouzo and tsipouro (protected since 2006)
Signature drinks	Ouzo, tsipouro, retsina, Greek coffee, frappé, freddo espresso
Best island for food history	Corfu: Venetian-influenced dishes found nowhere else in Greece
Best budget meal	Horiatiki with bread, or squid in ink: what I lived on at Roda Beach, Corfu

Greek cuisine is one thread in a much bigger story: see the full Global Food Guide for how food traditions like these connect across cultures worldwide.

What Is Traditional Greek Food? A Short History

Greek cuisine reflects the country’s regional diversity and thousands of years of tradition, varying from island to mountain. As Visit Greece notes, each region celebrates its own produce, from Cretan dakos and ofto (roasted kid) to the hearty meat and soup specialties of the mountainous interior. Culinary standards are also championed by bodies like Culinary Professionals Greece, a nonprofit association of certified chefs, while cultural institutions such as the Hellenic Foundation for Culture recognise Greek gastronomy as a 4,000-year-old tradition.

Archaeology and history tell us that people have farmed in Greece since the Neolithic period, roughly 9,000 years ago, when sheep, goats, wheat, barley, lentils and other pulses became everyday staples. On Crete, the Bronze Age Minoan civilisation (around 3000–1100 BC) grew olives, grapes, almonds and grains and pressed olive oil on a large scale. Olives, grains and grapes, the “Mediterranean triad”, still underpin Greek cooking today, and olive oil became the economic foundation of ancient Greece.

Greek food has absorbed many influences since: Byzantine, Venetian (especially on Corfu and the Ionian islands), Ottoman, Levantine and Persian. Two 20th-century events shaped the menu you’ll see today. After the 1922 population exchange with Turkey, refugees from Asia Minor brought dishes such as soutzoukakia, bougatsa traditions and a love of spices like cumin. And in the 1920s, chef Nikolaos Tselementes “Europeanised” Greek cooking with French techniques, giving us the béchamel on moussaka and pastitsio.

Greek cuisine also leans on herbs used less heavily elsewhere in the Mediterranean: oregano, dill, bay, thyme, fennel and mint, with parsley as a garnish; in northern Greece, warm spices like cinnamon and cloves are common. Olive oil goes into almost everything. Lamb and pork are the favoured meats (the rocky terrain suits sheep and goats far better than cattle), and fish, legumes and vegetables such as eggplant give Greek food its famously healthy balance. Greek eating is a foundation of the Mediterranean diet, and the island of Ikaria is one of the world’s “Blue Zones”, where people routinely live into their nineties.

How Greeks Eat: Meze, Meal Times and Lent

Meze and the art of sharing

Greek cuisine thrives on sharing, and nowhere is that more evident than in mezedes, the small plates that begin most meals. According to travel expert Rick Steves, the best way to eat in Greece is to order a spread of mezedes and enjoy them slowly with friends, which is also cheaper than ordering individual mains. This reflects filoxenia, the Greek spirit of hospitality, and lets you taste many regional flavours in one sitting.

When Greeks eat

Breakfast is light: a koulouri, a slice of tiropita or bougatsa, and coffee. Traditionally, lunch at around 2–3pm is the main meal, often magirefta, the oven-baked dishes like moussaka and gemista that tavernas prepare in the morning (ask “ti echete simera?” – “what do you have today?”). Dinner is late, typically 9–10pm, especially in summer. Arrive at 7pm and you’ll eat with the other tourists.

Lent and fasting food

The Greek Orthodox calendar includes long fasting periods, above all the 40 days before Easter, when many Greeks avoid meat, dairy and eggs. That is why so many traditional dishes are naturally vegan, and why you’ll see nistisima (fasting dishes) on menus: fava, horta, fasolada, fasolakia, gigantes, dolmades without meat, and even seafood such as octopus and squid, which are allowed.

Ordering tips

• Order meze for the table and keep ordering as you go, rather than one starter and one main each.
• Bread usually comes with a small cover charge; that’s normal.
• Whole fish is priced by the kilo, so ask to see it weighed before it is cooked.
• For the best value, eat where Greeks eat: a psistaria (grill house), an ouzeri or a tsipouradiko, where meze comes with your drinks.

Regional Greek Food at a Glance

Region	Known for	Dishes to try
Crete	Olive oil, wild greens, barley rusks, raki	Dakos, marathopites, horta, kolokithokeftedes, tsikoudia
Santorini & Cyclades	Volcanic-soil cherry tomatoes, capers, split peas	Fava, tomatokeftedes, horiatiki, revithia (Sifnos)
Thessaloniki & the north	Asia Minor spices, pastries, peppers	Bougatsa, bouyiourdi, tirokafteri, soutzoukakia, frappé
Corfu & the Ionian	Venetian pasta, garlic and red pepper, kumquats	Pastitsada, sofrito, bourdeto, kreatopita (Kefalonia)
Thessaly (Volos)	Tsipouro culture	Tsipouro with free meze at a tsipouradiko
The islands	Seafood	Grilled octopus, marides, garides saganaki

81 Traditional Greek Foods to Try

Here is my list of 81 traditional Greek foods and drinks, grouped the way you’ll find them on a taverna menu.

Meze and Dips

Meze (plural mezedes) are the small shared plates that start almost every Greek meal, and sometimes become the meal. Order four or five for the table, add bread, and keep ordering as you go.

1. Tzatziki – Yogurt, Garlic and Cucumber Dip

If you don’t know tzatziki, where have you been for years? This is Greece’s most popular dip: thick strained yogurt with grated cucumber, garlic, salt and olive oil, sometimes with fresh mint, dill or parsley. My personal favourite is the mint version, so damned refreshing on a hot summer day. Scoop it up with pita or crunchy vegetables, or spoon it onto souvlaki and gyros.

2. Melitzanosalata – Smoky Eggplant Dip

Melitzanosalata literally means “eggplant salad”, but it is a dip: eggplant roasted or grilled until smoky, then mashed with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and sometimes parsley or vinegar. It looks like baba ganoush, but the Greek version has no tahini, so it tastes brighter and smokier.

3. Taramasalata – Fish Roe Dip

Never in my life did I think I would appreciate taramasalata. It is made from tarama, the salted and cured roe of cod, carp or grey mullet, whipped with olive oil, lemon juice and stale bread or potato. The colour ranges from creamy beige to pink depending on the roe. Eaten with bread, it is heavenly. It is also a Lenten staple, eaten on Clean Monday.

4. Tirokafteri – Spicy Feta Dip

A punchy dip of creamed feta (sometimes with yogurt) blended with hot peppers and olive oil. Salty, spicy and perfect with warm pita, it is a fixture of meze spreads in northern Greece.

5. Fava – Santorini Yellow Split Pea Dip

Greek fava is not made from fava beans but from yellow split peas, puréed until silky and served with olive oil, lemon, capers and raw onion. It is most famous on Santorini, where the local fava is a protected (PDO) product grown in the island’s volcanic soil.

6. Saganaki – Fried Cheese

Fried cheese, who doesn’t love it? In North America, saganaki usually arrives flaming at your table with the waiter shouting “Opa!” Not in Greece. Here the cheese (usually kefalograviera, graviera or kasseri) is cut into thick slices and pan-fried until it gets a lovely crusty outside, then finished with lemon. Saganaki is actually the name of the small two-handled frying pan it is cooked in, which is why you will also see shrimp saganaki and mussel saganaki on menus.

7. Bouyiourdi – Baked Spicy Feta

The original baked feta, long before social media made it trendy. A slab of feta is baked in a small clay dish with tomatoes, peppers, chilli flakes, oregano and olive oil until it bubbles. It comes from Thessaloniki and northern Greece. Order bread to mop it up.

8. Tirokroketes – Fried Cheese Balls

Tirokroketes are crisp, golden balls of grated cheese (often feta and graviera) bound with egg, rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. A no-fuss taverna favourite, usually served with a wedge of lemon.

9. Dolmades – Stuffed Vine Leaves

Dolmades (or the smaller dolmadakia) are vine leaves rolled around rice, herbs (parsley, mint and dill) and onion, sometimes with minced meat. They are simmered until tender and served drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. The meatless versions are eaten during Lent; meat-filled dolmades are often served warm with avgolemono (egg-lemon) sauce.

10. Tomatokeftedes – Santorini Tomato Fritters

Santorini is famous for its tomatokeftedes, crispy fritters made with the island’s small, intensely sweet cherry tomatoes, which grow without irrigation in volcanic soil. The batter includes onion, mint and oregano before being deep-fried. Keftedes means meatballs; in places where meat was scarce, Greeks made “meatballs” from vegetables instead.

11. Kolokithokeftedes – Courgette Fritters

Kolokithokeftedes are fritters of grated zucchini (courgette for you British) mixed with feta, mint and dill, fried until browned and served with tzatziki. They make a great meze and appear on taverna menus all over the islands, Crete included.

Greek Salads

12. Horiatiki – Traditional Greek Salad

The very first dish I ate in Greece was a simple horiatiki, and on that trip to Roda Beach in Corfu, when we had very little money, I ate one almost every day. It is still the dish I think of first. Horiatiki means “village salad”: ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, green pepper and Kalamata olives, topped with a thick slab of feta, a sprinkle of dried oregano and plenty of olive oil. There is no lettuce in a traditional Greek salad. On Santorini it is made with the island’s cherry tomatoes and capers. Use the bread to soak up the juices at the bottom of the bowl. That’s what it’s for, and when you’re travelling on a shoestring, a horiatiki with bread is a filling, healthy meal for a few euros.

13. Dakos – Cretan Barley Rusk Salad

Dakos is a Cretan dish that starts with a base of barley rusk (paximadi), soaked briefly to soften. It is topped with grated fresh tomato, a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and crumbled feta or mizithra, a soft Cretan whey cheese, then finished with oregano, capers and sometimes olives. Think of it as Greek bruschetta.

Greek Pies (Pites)

Every Greek bakery sells pies wrapped in phyllo pastry. Phyllo means “leaf” in Greek, for the paper-thin sheets. Pies are breakfast, lunch and the snack you eat standing at the counter.

14. Spanakopita – Spinach and Feta Pie

I do love a handheld pie and spanakopita is definitely a favourite. It is made with spinach, feta, onion or spring onion, dill and egg, wrapped in phyllo. You will find it as a large tray pie cut into squares, or as small triangles. Feta is the main cheese, though some versions use kefalotyri.

15. Tiropita – Cheese Pie

Tiropita is spanakopita’s cheesier sibling: feta (often with another Greek cheese) and egg in phyllo, usually eaten for breakfast or lunch. Every neighbourhood bakery (fourno) in Greece sells it warm in the morning.

16. Kreatopita – Meat Pie

Kreatopita is a phyllo pie filled with minced lamb or beef, onions, herbs and spices. It is especially associated with the island of Kefalonia, where the local version is a festive dish. Look for it in bakeries rather than tourist restaurants.

17. Marathopites – Cretan Fennel Pies

A speciality of Crete, these small pies are filled with wild fennel, onions and seasonal greens (horta) in a fragrant mix of herbs, then fried in olive oil until golden.

Vegetable Dishes and Ladera (Vegetarian and Vegan)

Greek cooking is one of the easiest in Europe for vegetarians. Ladera means “with oil”: vegetables slow-braised in olive oil and tomato until silky. Because the Orthodox calendar includes many fasting days, nearly every taverna has nistisima (fasting) dishes with no meat, dairy or eggs, which makes many of them naturally vegan.

18. Briam – Greek Roasted Vegetables

Briam is a tray of potato, zucchini, onion and eggplant baked with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and oregano. Rather like a French ratatouille, but roasted rather than stewed, and often better the next day.

19. Gemista – Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers

Gemista (also spelled yemista) means “stuffed”. Tomatoes and peppers are hollowed out and filled with rice and herbs, then baked until sweet and caramelised, usually with potato wedges tucked around them. The classic version is meatless, perfect for vegans and vegetarians, though some cooks add minced meat or top it with kefalograviera cheese.

20. Gigantes Plaki – Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce

Exactly what it says: giant white beans baked in a thick tomato sauce with herbs and lots of olive oil. British baked beans have nothing on these giants. They are often finished with crumbled feta.

21. Fasolakia – Braised Green Beans

Fasolakia is the purest example of ladera cooking: green beans braised slowly with tomato, onion, potato and olive oil until completely tender. It is served at room temperature with feta and bread, and Greeks eat it as a main course, not a side.

22. Imam Bayildi – Eggplant Braised in Olive Oil

Imam bayildi is an Ottoman-era dish shared by Greece and Turkey: whole eggplants split and stuffed with onions, garlic and tomatoes, then slowly baked in a generous amount of olive oil. The name means “the imam fainted”, supposedly because the dish was so delicious, or because of how much oil it used. It contains no meat (if you see minced meat, you are looking at papoutsakia, below).

23. Horta Vrasta – Boiled Wild Greens

Horta is a staple of the Greek table: wild or cultivated greens such as chicory, dandelion and amaranth (vlita), gently boiled and dressed simply with olive oil, lemon and salt. Greeks still forage for horta in spring, and it is one of the dishes most associated with long life on islands like Ikaria.

24. Patates Lemonates – Lemon Roasted Potatoes

These gorgeous taters are roasted in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and oregano, with crispy exteriors and soft, fluffy interiors. Simply addictive, and the classic side for roast lamb and chicken.

25. Kolokithakia Avgolemono – Stuffed Courgettes with Egg-Lemon Sauce

Summer squash or Homemade Greek Spanakopita Pastry with Feta and Spinach seasoned with parsley, dill and mint. Once cooked, the cooking stock is whisked with egg and lemon to make an avgolemono sauce, which is poured over the stuffed vegetables.

Greek Soups

26. Avgolemono – Egg-Lemon Chicken Soup

Avgolemono is both a sauce and a soup. The sauce is chicken broth thickened with eggs and lemon juice, carefully tempered so the eggs turn silky rather than scrambled. Add rice and shredded chicken and you have Greece’s answer to chicken soup, the cure for everything from a cold to a bad day. Food historians trace it to agristada, a similar egg-lemon sauce brought by Sephardic Jews.

27. Fasolada – White Bean Soup

A beautifully simple bean soup of white beans, crushed tomatoes, celery, carrot and onion, seasoned with bay and thyme and finished with a lot of olive oil. Fasolada is often called the national dish of Greece. Its ancestors go back to ancient times, and it is the dish my national dishes of Europe guide covers for Greece.

28. Fakes – Lentil Soup

Fakes (pronounced fah-kess) is a thick lentil soup with tomato, garlic, bay leaf and olive oil, finished at the table with a splash of red wine vinegar. It is a weekly staple in Greek homes and a Lenten favourite.

29. Revithia – Chickpea Soup

Revithia is a lemony chickpea soup. On the Cycladic island of Sifnos, it is traditionally baked overnight in a clay pot in the wood oven and eaten on Sunday after church. Sifnos is also the birthplace of chef Nikolaos Tselementes, who gave Greece its modern moussaka.

30. Magiritsa – Easter Lamb Soup

Magiritsa is the soup that breaks the Orthodox Lenten fast. It is made with lamb offal, spring onions, dill and lettuce, thickened with avgolemono, and eaten straight after the midnight Easter service. In Canada, my Greek friends called this “Easter soup”, as the lamb is symbolic of the Lamb of God. Read more in my guide to Easter food around the world.

Seafood Specialties

With more than 6,000 islands and islets and one of the longest coastlines in Europe, Greece eats a lot of seafood. In fish tavernas, whole fish is usually sold by the kilo, so ask to see it weighed and priced before it goes on the grill.

31. Chtapodi sti Schara – Grilled Octopus

Octopus is tenderised (traditionally by beating it on the rocks), sometimes hung up to dry in the sun outside the taverna, then grilled over charcoal and served with olive oil, oregano and lashings of lemon. Simple and impossible to beat.

32. Kalamarakia Tiganita – Fried Calamari

A must-have meze in any Greek taverna. The squid is lightly floured and deep-fried, absolutely delicious and not the rubber-band texture so often served in North American restaurants. A squeeze of lemon is all it needs.

33. Kalamarakia me Melani – Squid in Ink

This is the dish I remember most from Corfu. Squid (or cuttlefish, soupies) is slow-cooked in its own black ink with onion, garlic, red wine and sometimes tomato until tender, and served with rice or bread to soak up the inky sauce. It looks dramatic, tastes deeply of the sea, and in the seaside tavernas of Roda Beach it was one of the cheapest and most filling plates on the menu, which mattered when we were living on next to nothing. Expect black lips and a black tongue; it is worth it.

34. Marides – Fried Whitebait

Small whitebait (picarel) are dusted with flour and deep-fried in olive oil, then eaten whole, head and all, with just a squeeze of lemon. A classic ouzo meze.

35. Gavros Marinatos – Marinated Anchovies

Fresh anchovies are cleaned, deboned and marinated in vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, parsley and olive oil, which “cooks” the fish without heat. Commonly served in seaside tavernas, this dish reflects the Greek tradition of preserving seafood in simple ways that let the freshness shine.

36. Garides Saganaki – Shrimp Saganaki

Prawns cooked in the small saganaki pan with tomato, garlic, oregano and a splash of ouzo, then topped with crumbled feta. Have plenty of bread ready for the sauce.

37. Psari Plaki – Baked Fish

Psari plaki means “fish in a baking dish”. Firm white fish such as cod, sea bream or sea bass is baked with sliced onions, garlic and tomatoes, seasoned with parsley, oregano and lemon, until the flavours meld into a light but savoury dish.

38. Bakaliaros Skordalia – Salt Cod with Garlic Dip

Battered and fried salt cod (bakaliaros) served with skordalia, a pungent garlic dip made with potato or bread and olive oil. It is Greece’s fish and chips, and it is the traditional meal on 25 March, Greek Independence Day, which falls during Lent.

Meat, Baked Dishes and Grills

39. Moussaka

Probably the most famous Greek dish in the world. I have always hated eggplant, but this Greek culinary masterpiece changed my mind. Moussaka is layered sliced eggplant (often with potato) and spiced minced lamb or beef in tomato sauce, topped with a thick béchamel that bakes to a golden crust with lovely crispy edges. The spices usually include cinnamon and allspice.

Here’s something most guides don’t tell you: the béchamel is French. Moussaka as we know it today was created in the 1920s by the French-trained Greek chef Nikolaos Tselementes, who added the béchamel topping to an older Ottoman-era eggplant dish. In Turkey and the Balkans, moussaka is still made without it. Like most Greek baked dishes, it tastes even better the next day.

40. Pastitsio – Greek Baked Pasta

Pastitsio is a layer of tubular pasta (like bucatini), a layer of minced beef in a tomato sauce spiced with cinnamon and clove, and a thick béchamel top, baked until golden. People call it Greek lasagna, but the spicing makes it unmistakably Greek. Many tavernas make only one tray a day, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. More pasta dishes are in my guide to noodles around the world.

41. Papoutsakia – “Little Shoes” Stuffed Eggplant

Papoutsakia means “little shoes”, for the shape of the halved eggplants. They are baked until soft, filled with a spiced tomato and minced meat sauce, topped with béchamel and baked again until golden: moussaka in individual portions.

42. Giouvetsi – Baked Orzo with Meat

Giouvetsi is named after the clay pot it is baked in. Lamb, beef or chicken is slow-cooked in a tomato sauce with onions, red wine, garlic and warm spices such as allspice, cloves, bay and cinnamon, then baked with kritharaki (orzo) or the small square pasta called hilopites, and served with grated cheese.

43. Stifado – Beef and Onion Stew

Stifado is the perfect Greek comfort food: large chunks of beef (or traditionally rabbit) stewed until tender in a tomato and red wine sauce with vinegar, garlic, cinnamon, bay and a mountain of small sweet pearl onions. The dish is often said to have come to Greece with the Venetians, originally made with rabbit. It is served with orzo, rice or chips.

44. Kleftiko – Slow-Cooked Lamb

A very traditional lamb dish cooked long and slow with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and oregano, often sealed in parchment or a clay pot. Kleftiko translates as “in the style of the thieves” and is said to relate to the klephts, anti-Ottoman rebels who stole lambs and cooked them in hidden underground pits so the smell would not attract their enemies.

45. Soutzoukakia – Smyrna Meatballs

These oblong, cumin-scented meatballs are baked in a red wine and tomato sauce and served with rice or mashed potato. Their full name is soutzoukakia smyrneika: they arrived in Greece with refugees from Smyrna (today’s İzmir) after the 1922 population exchange with Turkey, and they are close cousins of Turkish köfte. See my guide to traditional Turkish food for the other side of the family.

46. Keftedes – Greek Meatballs

Keftedes (or keftethes) are fried meatballs of minced beef, pork or lamb with grated onion, soaked bread, mint and oregano. The soaked bread is what keeps them so tender. They are served as meze with tzatziki, or as a main course with chips and salad.

47. Kotopoulo Lemonato – Lemon Chicken

Chicken braised or roasted with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano and a splash of white wine until the meat is juicy and the sauce is bright with citrus. Served with lemon potatoes, rice or crusty bread to soak up the juices.

48. Paidakia – Grilled Lamb Chops

Lamb chops marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic, thyme and oregano, then grilled over hot coals. Greeks usually cook them well done and eat them with their hands, with lemon wedges and Greek roasted potatoes. Order them by the kilo at a psistaria (grill house).

49. Gyros

Gyros means “turn”, for the vertical rotisserie the meat is cooked on, like Turkish döner and Middle Eastern shawarma. Here’s the surprise for North Americans: in Greece, gyros is usually pork or chicken, not the lamb-and-beef cone I grew up with in Canadian Greek restaurants. Thin slices are shaved off and wrapped in a warm pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki and, yes, chips inside the wrap. It is the ultimate cheap and filling street food.

50. Souvlaki

Souvlaki means “little skewer”. Cubes of marinated pork (most common), chicken or lamb are grilled on skewers, then served on the stick with bread and lemon, or wrapped in pita like gyros. The difference between the two is simple: souvlaki is skewered chunks grilled to order; gyros is sliced from a rotating stack. Confusingly, in Athens people often say “souvlaki” for any pita wrap, gyros included.

Corfu Specialties: The Venetian Island Table

Corfu is where I first ate in Greece. We stayed at Roda Beach on the island’s north coast, and we were poor, so my Corfu diet was mostly squid in ink and Greek salads in the beachfront tavernas, plus the odd ouzo. But Corfu’s food is different from the rest of the country, and these are the island dishes I’d go back for now. The island never fell to Ottoman occupation; it spent around four centuries under Venice, followed by French and then British rule, and its kitchen shows it: more pasta, more garlic and vinegar, and fiery red-pepper sauces. Look for them in Corfu Town and village tavernas; they are rarely found on menus elsewhere in Greece. Planning a trip? Start with my guide to the best things to do in Corfu.

51. Pastitsada – Corfu’s Spiced Stew

Corfu’s signature Sunday dish traces its roots to Venetian rule. Its name likely comes from the Venetian pastizzada, meat braised in wine and spices. Beef or rooster simmers for hours with tomatoes, local wine, cinnamon, cloves and the island’s spetseriko, a guarded blend of sweet and savoury spices, until the rich sauce clings to thick bucatini pasta.

52. Sofrito – Veal in Garlic and Wine Sauce

Thin slices of veal are pan-fried, then simmered in white wine, vinegar, lots of garlic and parsley until the sauce is thick and tangy. Another Venetian legacy, it is usually served with mashed potatoes or rice.

53. Bourdeto – Spicy Fish Stew

Corfu’s answer to the Venetian brodetto: firm fish, traditionally scorpion fish, cooked in olive oil with onion and a generous amount of hot red pepper and paprika. It is one of the few genuinely spicy dishes in Greek cooking.

Greek Cheeses and Cheese Dishes

Greeks eat more cheese per person than people in most countries in the world, most of it made from sheep’s and goat’s milk.

54. Feta

The most famous Greek cheese. Real feta is brined, tangy and made from sheep’s milk or a blend of sheep’s and up to 30% goat’s milk. Feta has held Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status since 2002, so in the EU only cheese made in defined regions of Greece can use the name. The first written mention of feta is believed to be in a Byzantine poem.

55. Kasseri

Kasseri is a semi-hard, mild and faintly sweet sheep’s milk cheese with a buttery, slightly stretchy texture, popular for saganaki and toasted sandwiches. The name comes via the Turkish kaşer, which in turn traces back to the Latin caseus, cheese.

56. Kefalotyri

Kefalotyri is considered the oldest of the hard cheeses of Greece. It takes its name from its rounded, head-like shape (kefali means head). Salty and hard with a high melting point, it is grated over pasta or fried as saganaki.

57. Feta Wrapped in Phyllo with Honey

Like a pastry-wrapped French Brie: a block of feta is wrapped in phyllo, baked until crisp, then drizzled with honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Sweet, salty and a modern taverna favourite.

Greek Desserts and Sweets

Greek sweets are made for celebration and hospitality: honey, nuts, cinnamon, citrus and phyllo appear again and again. More pastries are in my guide to hand pies from around the world.

58. Baklava

Layers of phyllo filled with chopped walnuts (or pistachios) and cinnamon, baked, then soaked in honey or sugar syrup. The earliest versions of baklava as we know it appeared around 500 years ago, during the Ottoman Empire, likely refined in the royal kitchens of Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, and it is claimed by every country in the region. Greek tradition says a proper baklava has 33 layers of phyllo, one for each year of Christ’s life.

59. Galaktoboureko – Semolina Custard Pie

Galaktoboureko combines galakto (milk in Greek) and boureki (a filled pastry). Phyllo is layered above and below a sweet semolina custard, then baked and drenched in a clear syrup flavoured with lemon, orange or rose. Silky, rich and dangerously moreish.

60. Bougatsa – Custard or Cheese Breakfast Pastry

Bougatsa is a breakfast pastry of crisp phyllo filled with semolina custard and dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon, or made savoury with cheese or mince. It is the morning ritual of Thessaloniki and Serres, where refugees from Asia Minor made it famous after 1922, though its roots go back to Byzantine Constantinople.

61. Loukoumades – Greek Honey Doughnuts

Small bite-sized balls of yeast dough, deep-fried until crisp outside and airy inside, then drenched in honey or syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon and walnuts. Versions of fried honey dough balls are among the oldest recorded desserts, going back to ancient Greece.

62. Kataifi – Shredded Pastry with Nuts

Kataifi pastry is made of fine, shredded strands that look like vermicelli. It is wrapped around chopped walnuts or pistachios, baked until golden and crisp, then soaked in a cinnamon and lemon syrup.

63. Revani – Semolina Syrup Cake

A simple and very popular sponge made with semolina, yogurt, ground almonds and orange or lemon zest, drenched in citrus syrup after baking. Some bakers sprinkle the top with coconut; I’ll admit I always look for the version topped with almonds or pistachios instead.

64. Halva

Greece has two kinds of halva. Tahini halva, made from sesame paste and sugar, is sold in blocks and is a Lenten staple. Semolina halva (simigdalenios) is toasted semolina cooked in olive oil and syrup with cinnamon and raisins, and is completely vegan. The sweet originated in Persia centuries ago and spread across Greece and the Middle East.

65. Amygdalota – Almond Cookies

Tiny, gluten-free almond cookies sweetened with sugar or honey and flavoured with orange blossom or rose water. They are traditional on islands such as Andros and Hydra and are often served at weddings.

66. Pasteli – Honey and Sesame Bars

References to pasteli can be found in ancient Greek and Byzantine texts. This simple sweet is made from just two ingredients, honey and sesame seeds, sometimes with almonds, walnuts or pistachios. These are the original power bars.

67. Glyka tou Koutaliou – Spoon Sweets

Spoon sweets are whole fruits, or even baby aubergines and bitter orange peel, preserved in thick syrup. When you visit a Greek home, a small spoonful is offered on a saucer with a glass of cold water as a gesture of hospitality (filoxenia). Quince, sour cherry, fig and bergamot are classics.

68. Greek Yogurt with Honey and Walnuts

Thick strained yogurt drizzled with Greek thyme honey and topped with walnuts: the simplest Greek dessert, and the breakfast I would happily eat every day. Greek honey, especially thyme honey from the islands, is floral and intense, and nothing like supermarket honey.

69. Melomakarona and Kourabiedes – Christmas Cookies

These two cookies appear in every Greek home at Christmas. Melomakarona are soft cookies made with olive oil, orange and cinnamon, soaked in honey syrup and topped with walnuts. Kourabiedes are buttery almond shortbreads buried under a snowfall of icing sugar, so wear dark clothes at your peril.

Greek Breads

70. Horiatiko Psomi – Village Bread

A rustic loaf with a chewy crust and dense crumb, made with wheat flour and sometimes corn or barley flour, traditionally leavened with a natural starter. It arrives with almost every taverna meal (often with a small bread charge) for mopping up salad juices and sauces.

71. Paximadi – Barley Rusks

Twice-baked barley rusks created for long shelf life, especially by shepherds and sailors. Despite being rock-hard, they soften beautifully when topped with tomato, olive oil or cheese, and are the base of dakos.

72. Koulouri – Sesame Bread Rings

A ring-shaped bread roll covered with sesame seeds, sold from street carts every morning in Athens and Thessaloniki. A koulouri with a coffee is the classic Greek breakfast on the go. I cover it in my guide to the best breakfasts in the world.

73. Tsoureki – Easter Sweet Bread

A braided, brioche-like sweet bread flavoured with mahlepi (cherry pit spice) and mastic from the island of Chios. At Easter it is baked with a red-dyed egg pressed into the braid; red eggs symbolise the blood of Christ and rebirth.

Greek Coffee and Drinks

74. Ellinikos – Greek Coffee

Greek coffee is a brewing method more than a type of coffee: very finely ground coffee boiled in a small long-handled pot called a briki and served unfiltered, with the grounds settling at the bottom of the cup (don’t drink the last sip). You order it by sweetness: sketos (no sugar), metrios (medium, one sugar) or glykos (sweet). It is the same method as Turkish coffee and was widely known as Turkish coffee in Greece until the 1970s.

75. Frappé – Greek Iced Coffee

Frappé is instant coffee shaken with water, sugar and ice into a thick foam, with or without milk. It was invented by accident in 1957 at the Thessaloniki International Fair, when Nescafé representative Dimitris Vakondios had no hot water and shook his instant coffee with cold water instead. Order it sketo, metrio or glyko, just like Greek coffee.

76. Freddo Espresso and Freddo Cappuccino

These days, younger Greeks have largely swapped frappé for the freddo: a double espresso shaken with ice and served over more ice. A freddo cappuccino adds a thick cap of cold milk foam. In summer, this is what you will see on almost every café table in Greece.

77. Ouzo

The famous aniseed spirit. Ouzo descends from tsipouro (below), and modern ouzo distillation took off in the 19th century after Greek independence; the island of Lesvos still claims it as its own. Since 2006, only Greece and Cyprus can use the name. Greeks add cold water or ice, which turns it milky white, and sip it slowly with meze, never on an empty stomach. Experience tells me it leaves a vicious hangover, and you may choose (like I did, after Corfu) never to experience it again.

78. Tsipouro

Tsipouro is a strong spirit distilled from grape pomace, the skins and seeds left after winemaking, a bit like Italian grappa. According to tradition, it was first made by Orthodox monks on Mount Athos in the 14th century. In Thessaly and Volos, tsipouro is served in small bottles in a tsipouradiko, and every round arrives with a free plate of meze. On Crete, the same spirit is called tsikoudia or raki.

79. Retsina

An ancient white wine flavoured with pine resin, made in Greece for over 2,000 years. The tradition likely began when amphorae were sealed with resin. Not my favourite by any stretch: many a potted plant was my retsina recipient back in the day. It tastes of pine and is very much an acquired taste, though modern producers make far gentler versions. To explore the rest of Greece’s wines, take a wine tasting tour.

80. Kumquat Liqueur (Corfu)

Corfu is Greece’s kumquat island: the fruit was introduced during British rule in the 19th century and is grown mainly in the north of the island. The tiny citrus fruits are turned into a sweet, bright orange liqueur (koum kouat) and candied fruits, sold in every shop in Corfu Town.

81. Tsitsibira – Corfu Ginger Beer

Another British legacy: Corfiot ginger beer, made with ginger, lemon and sugar and still produced by a few small makers on the island. It is a refreshing non-alcoholic alternative to ouzo on a hot day.

Traditional Greek Food FAQ

What is the most traditional Greek food?

The most traditional Greek foods are horiatiki (Greek village salad), moussaka, souvlaki, spanakopita, dolmades, fasolada (bean soup) and tzatziki, eaten alongside bread, olives and feta. Most are built on the same simple base of olive oil, lemon, oregano and fresh vegetables.

What is the national dish of Greece?

Greece has no official national dish. Fasolada, a white bean soup that dates back to ancient times, is traditionally called the national dish, while moussaka is the most famous Greek dish internationally, and souvlaki and gyros are the most eaten.

What is the difference between gyros and souvlaki?

Souvlaki is cubes of marinated meat grilled on a skewer, while gyros is meat stacked on a vertical rotisserie and shaved off in thin slices. Both are served in pita with tzatziki, tomato and onion. In Greece both are usually pork or chicken.

What do Greeks eat for breakfast?

Greek breakfast is light: a sesame bread ring (koulouri), a slice of cheese or spinach pie, a custard bougatsa, or Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts, with a Greek coffee or a freddo espresso.

What time do Greeks eat dinner?

Greeks eat dinner late, typically between 9pm and 10pm, and even later in summer. Lunch, traditionally the main meal of the day, is usually eaten between 2pm and 3pm.

Is Greek food good for vegetarians and vegans?

Yes. Ladera dishes (vegetables braised in olive oil), bean dishes such as fasolada and gigantes, fava, horta and gemista are all meat-free, and because of Orthodox fasting days many tavernas offer nistisima dishes with no meat, dairy or eggs.

What is meze in Greece?

Meze (plural mezedes) are small shared plates such as tzatziki, saganaki, grilled octopus and keftedes, served before or instead of a main meal, usually with ouzo, tsipouro or wine. Ordering several to share is the classic way to eat in Greece.

Is Greek food healthy?

Traditional Greek food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines in the world and is a foundation of the Mediterranean diet, focused on olive oil, vegetables, legumes, fish and moderate amounts of meat and wine. The Greek island of Ikaria is one of the world’s Blue Zones, known for long life.

Does a traditional Greek salad have lettuce?

No. A traditional Greek salad (horiatiki) is made with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, green pepper and Kalamata olives, topped with a slab of feta, dried oregano and olive oil. Versions with lettuce are a foreign adaptation.

What food is Corfu known for?

Corfu is known for Venetian-influenced dishes found nowhere else in Greece: pastitsada (spiced beef or rooster stew with pasta), sofrito (veal in garlic and white wine sauce) and bourdeto (spicy red-pepper fish stew), plus kumquat liqueur and ginger beer (tsitsibira), legacies of British rule.

What should I drink with Greek food?

Drink ouzo or tsipouro, mixed with a little water or ice, with meze; local wine with main courses; and a Greek coffee, frappé or freddo espresso afterwards. Retsina, a pine-resin wine, is traditional but an acquired taste.

Greece Travel Guide

Greece offers an extraordinary blend of ancient history, stunning natural beauty, and authentic Mediterranean culture across its diverse destinations. Ancient Corinth presents fascinating ruins that can be explored on a day trip from Athens. Sailing around Greece provides an unparalleled way to experience the country’s azure waters and hidden coves, with opportunities to charter boats and explore secluded beaches accessible only by sea. For those considering moving to Greece, the country offers a relaxed lifestyle, rich cultural heritage, and welcoming communities, though navigating bureaucracy and learning Greek can present initial challenges for expatriates.

The Greek islands each possess distinct personalities and attractions that cater to different travel preferences. Santorini is the instantly recognizable supermodel of the Greek islands, famous for its dramatic volcanic cliffs, white-washed buildings, and spectacular sunsets, making it perfect for romantic getaways. Corfu offers safe harbours and beaches considered among the most beautiful in all of Greece, with Venetian architecture and lush green landscapes. Remember to explore the wines of Greece and take a wine tour to enhance your culinary experience.

Chania in Crete enchants visitors with its picturesque Venetian harbor, cobblestone streets, and exceptional local cuisine, while Paros and Naxos provide stunning white-washed villages and beautiful beaches, perfect for island hopping adventures. Naxos remains a favorite among travelers because it receives no cruise ships, preserving its authentic character and offering a more peaceful island experience.

Love Greek food? Try its close cousins in my guide to the food of Cyprus, or compare it with the rest of the continent in national dishes across Europe. **Looking for great Greek recipes?**

**Planning a trip to Greece**? Bookmark this list and use it as your personal food guide. Or share your favourite Greek dish in the comments: let’s talk food!