Food & Drinks
Anyone who eats out in Greece will quickly notice that not all restaurants are the same here. There are tavernas, mezedopolia, psitopolia and kafeneia, and each has its own character. If you confuse them, you may quickly find yourself standing there with a glass of raki in your hand when you actually only wanted a coffee. Or you may end up in the middle of a cloud of smoke from the grill when you thought you were getting fish. But don't worry, with a little basic knowledge, you'll find your way around Greece's culinary labyrinth. Whether you want to feast in a tavern, share appetisers in a mezedopoleio, conquer mountains of meat in a psitopolio, or listen to village stories in a kafeneion, you'll go home full, happy and slightly tipsy at the end of the day.
Taverna
The taverna is the traditional restaurant for hot meals and social gatherings.
A taverna is the classic Greek restaurant, a place where families, friends and neighbours come together to eat, drink and talk. It usually serves simple, honest home cooking: moussaka, souvlaki, fried courgettes or fish straight from the grill. The atmosphere is often rustic and cosy, with chequered tablecloths, open wine carafes and lots of laughter.
Mezedopoleio
Mezedopoleio is all about sharing and enjoying lots of small dishes – perfect for sitting and chatting for hours.
Mezedopoleio is, so to speak, the little sister of the taverna, specialising less in large main courses and more in lots of small plates. You order several ‘mezedes’, or starters, to share: fava, octopus, cheese balls, dolmadakia or fried sardines. These are accompanied by raki, ouzo or wine, and the whole experience is relaxed and unhurried.
Psitopolio
Psitopolio is a grill restaurant. Fast, hearty, meat-heavy and usually without any frills.
A psitopolio is the Greek version of a grill house. Here, everything revolves around meat: skewers, chicken, pork, lamb, often straight from the charcoal grill. Many also offer takeaway, and you can smell the smoke and spices from afar. The atmosphere is uncomplicated, the food hearty and filling.
Kafeneion
The kafeneion is a traditional village café, more of a social meeting place than a restaurant.
Kafeneions are a piece of Greek cultural history. People don't meet here to eat, but to talk, play games and drink coffee. In the past, it was the domain of the men in the village, who would spend hours discussing or playing cards over Greek coffee and raki. Today, it is more open, but the spirit is the same: it's about community, not the menu.
