Greek Food: What to Eat and What It Costs
Greek food is simple, fresh, and genuinely good value: a gyro wrap costs €3–4, a casual taverna meal €12–20 per person, and a nice dinner with wine €25–40. Don't miss moussaka, real horiatiki (Greek salad — no lettuce), souvlaki, spanakopita, and fresh grilled seafood by the coast. The single biggest tourist-trap tell is a laminated, multi-language photo menu with a staff member outside pulling people in — walk two streets back instead.
Greek food doesn't always get the international respect it deserves, partly because a lot of visitors' first exposure is a sad gyro from a food court somewhere. The real version — grilled that morning, dressed in olive oil that actually tastes like something, served without ceremony on a checkered tablecloth — is one of the best reasons on its own to book the trip.
Must-try dishes
| Dish | What it is | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|
| Souvlaki / gyro | Grilled skewered meat or a wrapped, spit-roasted version with fries, tomato, and tzatziki | €3–5 |
| Moussaka | Layered baked eggplant, spiced ground meat, and béchamel sauce | €8–14 |
| Horiatiki (Greek salad) | Tomato, cucumber, onion, olives, and a slab of feta — no lettuce, ever | €6–10 |
| Spanakopita | Flaky phyllo pastry filled with spinach and feta | €3–6 |
| Fresh grilled fish (by weight) | Whatever's local that day — best at coastal tavernas | €40–70/kg, shared |
How to spot a real taverna
- Look for a menu in Greek first, with prices that vary slightly by season and aren't identical to the place next door.
- Skip anywhere with a staff member standing outside actively pulling tourists in off the street — genuinely good tavernas rarely need to.
- A short, seasonal menu is usually a better sign than a 15-page one covering every cuisine imaginable.
- Ask what's fresh or local that day — a good taverna will actually tell you, rather than just pointing at the laminated photos.
Dietary needs
Vegetarians do very well in Greece — the Orthodox Lenten tradition (nistisimo) produced a huge menu of naturally vegetable-based, often vegan dishes; ask for 'nistisimo' options if you want a shortcut to them. Vegans should double-check that feta, yogurt, or honey haven't been added to a vegetable dish by default. Halal options are limited outside Athens and Thessaloniki — check ahead in smaller island towns. Seafood and nut allergies: shellfish and nuts (pine nuts especially, in some pastries and stuffed vegetables) show up in unexpected places, so ask directly.
What it costs, all in
| Meal type | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Street food / gyro wrap | €3–5 |
| Casual taverna | €12–20 |
| Mid-range restaurant with wine | €20–35 |
| Nice dinner out, coastal seafood | €35–60 |
Where to find the best of it
- Athens' Plaka and Psyrri neighborhoods — walk a street or two off the main tourist strip for noticeably better food at a lower price.
- Thessaloniki, generally — widely considered Greece's best food city, with a distinct culinary identity from its Asia Minor refugee history.
- Any harbor-side taverna on a smaller island, especially one that also doubles as a working fishing boat dock — a strong sign the seafood is genuinely local.
- Local morning markets (Modiano in Thessaloniki, the Central Market in Athens) for a cheap, authentic lunch away from tourist menus.