Over the years, Thessaloniki has started to become an established culinary destination in Greece. Traditional restaurants compete to offer fresh and delicious authentic food, trendy bars lift the spirit and mood of locals and visitors, and bakeries and sweet delights lurk around almost every corner. Here are some suggestions for places to eat in Thessaloniki.
💡 The headings with the names of the places are a link leading to the exact location.
Full tou Meze
If you want to try the best traditional food at affordable prices, you must visit the tavern Full tou Meze! It’s located on a small but lively square in the Ladadika district, with a very pleasant atmosphere and an interesting interior. You can find an up-to-date menu in English on the website – HERE. We ordered different things – Greek salad, seafood risotto, shrimp, grilled squid and other delicacies… Everything was superb and we wanted more and more!
The Rouga
Another place with homemade authentic food is The Rouga. The restaurant is hidden in the small street Karipi and completely isolated from the city noise. Every corner of the interior is nicely decorated to create the necessary coziness. The menu is very rich in appetizers, seafood delicacies, cooked dishes and meat offerings, but there are even vegan options (you can find the menu HERE). We tried the Greek salad which was quite a large portion, fries, grilled octopus and calamari saganaki. The octopus was very tender and tasty! And half a liter of homemade wine at lunch was an ideal prerequisite for a more cheerful afternoon walk!
Taverna O Thodoros
This tavern happened to be right below our apartment and was highly recommended by our hosts, so we decided to give it a try. The atmosphere is pleasant, there is also live music to create an additional mood. On the menu you can again find many traditional offerings, which we decided not to run away from – Greek salad (which was actually quite unusual), fries, tzatziki, squid, beef burger and great house wine! The prices are relatively lower than those in the center of Thessaloniki.
The Caravan Cafe | Brunch
Brunch in Thessaloniki…one of our favorite things! And this place is so colorful and invigorating. The menu is also varied and offers savory and sweet options for breakfast. We chose eggs benedict with salmon and eggs florentine. The portions are huge, and the cappuccino very nice! Besides a restaurant, they also have rooms to stay. You can view the entire menu in advance (HERE) so you don’t waste time at the venue. And at the moment they offer an additional discount of 10% for the early risers (07:00 – 10:00) and for those who fall asleep (15:00 – 17:00).
BEYOND The Walls
It’s a relatively popular place to start the day with a hearty meal, located right next to the fortress walls. There is a great courtyard outside and the whole place is decorated in a “rustic” style. It also works for lunch and dinner, but is definitely focused on brunch offerings, with many themed breakfast on the menu. The food was delicious and the coffee excellent and served with a cookie! At around 10:00 on a Saturday there were still quite a few empty tables, but after only 30 minutes everything was full.
PSISOU barbecue and Derlicatesen all Souvlaki
Gyros and souvlaki are two things that you can eat quickly for lunch and be extremely satisfied with their great taste! Both places are very busy and you may have to wait to be served. PSISOU barbecue is right next to the White Tower and has grown quite a bit in recent years, taking over a large part of the sidewalk with tables for visitors. They offer gyros in all kinds of variations, the portions are good and the prices normal. Derlicatesen all Souvlaki are masters of souvlaki, and we had it in a pita bread. There are only a few high tables there, but it’s close to the waterfront and the tower, where you can eat with a nice background.
Choureál | Choux & Profiterole and Cookieman
How about a pinch of French sweetness? You could hardly refuse if you peeked behind the glass window of one of the shops on Choureál | Choux & Profiterole. Here the profiteroles are raised on a pedestal! And you can create the dessert to your taste, adding different creams and ingredients. I’m not a huge fan of these dough balls, but the overall taste of the end result was PERFECT!
On one of our walks around Hagia Sophia, we saw a display case full of great looking cookies, but we continued on our way… All day I had only them in my head! Until the next day we came across the same red shop but this time around the Rotunda – Cookieman! Well, we couldn’t pass them up! I love freshly baked soft cookies, and choosing a flavor was a so difficult… We ended up trying ferrero and caramel. These are cookies for which one can return dozens of times to Thessaloniki…
72H Artisanal Bakehouse, Paradosiako and Παπαγεωργίου Bakery
The bakeries in Thessaloniki are something you shouldn’t miss! The aroma of freshly baked pastries can waft meters from them through the streets of the city, especially when they are scattered everywhere! 72H Artisanal Bakehouse’s artisanal bread, with a special sourdough left to rest for 72 hours, can be found at two locations in the city. We tried their buttered rolls filled with delicious pistachio cream!
And perhaps the most recognizable chain in Thessaloniki is Paradosiako, whose history dates back to 1957. They have become the equivalent of high quality and offer traditional Greek pastries with a slightly modernized twist. This is the place to try the most typical pastry of the region – bougatsa!
And the small bakery Παπαγεωργίου next to our apartment, tempted us every day with its neatly arranged windows, piled high with very good-looking pastries. And finally we couldn’t resist… We filled two bags with all kinds of sweets, especially the typical Greek treats wrapped in tinfoil, sold by the kilo. We have taken from quite a few places, but these were very tasty and finished for a short time accordingly…
Angel Quality Street Coffee & Food and Yellow Premium Coffee
As fans of walking around with a fragrant cappuccino in hand, it’s very important for us to find some really good coffee places in the cities we visit. Angel Quality Street Coffee & Food was just a stone’s throw from where we were staying, and their coffee is great! They offer snack options, mainly baked goods and sandwiches. The interior and the overall environment are very pleasant, modern and extremely clean! Another great anytime coffee option is Yellow Premium Coffee, with a few tables in the Ladadika district, right next to the entrance to the port area. An ideal choice if you want to walk along the coast with a cup of caffeinated drink in hand!
