Where to eat in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is the food city of Greece. It eats meze with ouzo or tsipouro, bakes bougatsa for breakfast and fills its markets with fish and spices. Go for a long lunch or a late dinner, share plates, and walk a street or two from the sea.
The short answer
- Best area to eat
- Ladadika for tavernas, the streets around Modiano and Kapani for markets, and Ano Poli for a quiet dinner.
- Order this
- Bougatsa for breakfast, meze with tsipouro, and a fresh fish or lamb dish.
- When to eat
- Lunch from 1pm, dinner from 9pm. Tsipouradika are busy at lunch.
- Book or walk in
- Book on weekends. Weekday lunch is easy to walk into.
- Tipping
- Round up the bill or leave 5 to 10 per cent.
What to eat in Thessaloniki
- BougatsaA custard or cheese pie in filo, eaten for breakfast from a bakery or a specialist shop.
- KoulouriA sesame bread ring sold on the street, the city's quick breakfast.
- Meze with tsipouroSeveral small plates served with a grape spirit, the way locals eat lunch.
- Trigona PanoramatosA cone of filo with custard, a local sweet.
- Fresh fish and seafoodMussels, grilled fish and fried small fish from the port.
- SoutzoukakiaBaked meatballs in a cumin tomato sauce, a Smyrna dish common in the city.
Where to eat in Thessaloniki, by neighborhood
Ladadika
Restored warehouses by the port, with tavernas and bars. Lively, good for dinner, and busier on weekends.
Modiano and the center
Markets, bakeries and meze counters. Best for lunch and street food.
Ano Poli
Quiet tavernas in the Upper Town with views. A cozy place for dinner.
Kalamaria
Residential tavernas by the sea, a local alternative to the center.
Places worth a booking or a queue
-
Bougatsa Bantis
€Bakery · Panagias Faneromenis
OrderBougatsa with custard
A family bougatsa shop open since 1969, with handmade filo and sweet and savory fillings.
- Book
- Walk in
Confirmed open: tripadvisor.co.uk
-
Oinopoleion
€€Tsipouradiko · Centre
OrderTsipouro with the meze that arrives with it
A tsipouradiko where meze comes in sequence with your tsipouro, ouzo or wine.
- Book
- Book on weekends
Confirmed open: greektriplanner.me
-
Ouzeri Agora
€€Ouzeri · Bezesteni
OrderOuzo with meze
A low-key, popular ouzeri in the Bezesteni area.
- Book
- Walk in
Confirmed open: fodors.com
-
Ouzeri Lola
€€Ouzeri · Centre
OrderMezedes
A crowded, well-known ouzeri with simple, cozy food.
- Book
- Walk in, book on weekends
Confirmed open: fodors.com
Food markets in Thessaloniki
- Modiano MarketA historic market reopened in 2022 as a food hall under a restored glass roof, with fish, meat, cheese and counters.Daily, long hours; stalls varySource: airial.travel
How Thessaloniki eats
- Meal timesLunch from 1pm to 4pm, dinner from 9pm. Many tavernas open late.
- TippingRound up the bill or leave 5 to 10 per cent.
- SharingOrder several meze and share. Mains come later.
- BreakfastLocals have bougatsa or koulouri and coffee, not a large meal.
Signs of a place to walk past
A waiter calling you in from the street.
Menus with photographs of every dish.
A taverna with empty tables at 2pm on a busy street.
Eating in Thessaloniki: questions people ask
What food is Thessaloniki known for?
Bougatsa, koulouri, meze with tsipouro, soutzoukakia and fresh fish. The city is known as Greece's best for eating.
Where should I eat in Thessaloniki?
Ladadika for dinner, the markets for lunch, and Ano Poli for a quiet evening.
What is a tsipouradiko?
A casual place that serves tsipouro, a grape spirit, with a plate of meze. Popular at lunch.
Do I need to book in Thessaloniki?
On weekends, yes, for popular places. On weekdays you can walk in.