What to eat and drink in Greece: dishes, etiquette and dietary tips

Greek cooking is seasonal and regional rather than a single national menu. In Athens and on the mainland you find grill houses, souvlaki shops and oven dishes (mageirefta) cooked that morning and served lukewarm. Crete cooks with olive oil, wild greens and cheese, and meals run long. The Cyclades work with what dry land gives: capers, split peas, local cheeses and fish. Northern Greece leans Balkan and Anatolian, with pies and spiced sausages. Corfu and the Ionian islands carry a Venetian streak in slow-braised meat dishes.

Use the table below to pick by appetite and region, then check the day's handwritten menu: what is good is what is in season.

Greece is mid-range for Western Europe. Street food is the cheapest way to eat well: a souvlaki or gyros wrap is a few euros. A taverna meal of two or three shared plates plus house wine lands in the mid-teens per person, and a fish restaurant on a harbour can be double that if you order by weight. Bakeries sell spinach pie, cheese pie and bougatsa cheaply for breakfast.

Two rules protect your wallet. Ask the price of fish and seafood by the kilo before ordering, since it is sold by weight and can dominate the bill. And check whether bread and a cover charge are on the menu: they are normal, but should be listed rather than added silently.

Dishes arrive in the middle as they are ready and everyone shares, so order fewer plates than people and add more later. Bread and a small cover charge are standard and should appear on the menu. Lunch runs late and dinner later: many kitchens close in the afternoon and reopen around 20:00, with tables filling after 21:00. If you want an early dinner, eat at a grill house or souvlaki shop instead of a taverna.

Tipping is not obligatory. Rounding up is normal, and 5–10% is generous for good service; there is no standard service charge. Tap water is safe in Athens and most cities, but on some small islands it is brackish and locals drink bottled. Coffee culture is serious: a freddo espresso can last an hour at a table, and nobody will rush you.

House wine (krasi) comes in a carafe, is cheap and is usually drinkable; bottled Greek wines from Nemea, Santorini and Naoussa cost more and are worth it. Ouzo is drunk with ice and water, always with food, and turns cloudy when diluted. On Crete, raki (tsikoudia) arrives free at the end of a meal; on other islands you may get a small dessert or fruit instead. Beer is light and local brands are fine; imported beer is expensive.

Coffee is a daily ritual: freddo espresso and freddo cappuccino in summer, Greek coffee (briki) in winter. Soft drinks and bottled water are sold everywhere, and supermarkets are much cheaper than kiosks on the waterfront.

Vegetarian eating is straightforward: fava, gemista (ask about mince), fasolada, horta, cheese pies, dakos and saganaki are everywhere. Vegan travellers should watch for feta and béchamel and ask for dishes without cheese; Lenten menus are effectively vegan and appear in spring. For coeliac travellers the risk is filo pastry, bread and pasta, plus flour dust in bakeries; grilled meat, salads and pulses are safer choices.

Street food in Greece is generally safe: souvlaki and gyros are cooked to order and served hot, and turnover is high. Be more careful with pre-made sandwiches and mayonnaise sitting in a warm display, and with unrefrigerated dairy desserts in summer. If you have a serious allergy, carry a card in Greek naming the ingredient, since shared grills and fryers mean cross-contact is likely.