10 Best Restaurants and Taverns in Thessaloniki Favored By Locals
10 Best Restaurants and Taverns in Thessaloniki Favored By Locals
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The best restaurants in Thessaloniki are waiting for hungry visitors! In Thessaloniki, we love going out having fun and tasting good food. Talking about Greek cuisine, the first thing that comes to mind is the Greek taverns. Thessaloniki is committed to serving quality food to people, so there is a huge number of taverns that can satisfy your appetite. By definition, “tavern” is a Greek restaurant that serves traditional food at reasonable prices.
Usually, there is a live music show going on with a Greek bouzouki for your entertainment, so you can get as much of the Greek lifestyle experience as possible. These are our suggestions with the best taverns you need to visit before leaving the city, whether you are a meat or a fish lover.
“Tiho – Tiho”, 1 Stergiou Polydorou Street, Upper Town.
In the most beautiful neighbourhood of Thessaloniki, Upper Town or “Ano Poli”, there is a tavern named “Tiho- Tiho”. In Greek, this means “by the wall” and stands for the fact that the restaurant is located near the Byzantine city walls.
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There is a variety of dishes and flavors offered by the chef Theodoros Zottas. Besides the standard menu, there is a weekly menu, which has a special dish for every day of the week. The specials may be a burger stuffed with graviera cheese on Monday, a stuffed sausage with coleslaw and graviera cheese on Tuesday, a fresh salad with traditional Cretan myzithra ( something like a cream cheese but saltier) on Wednesday and fried chicken with mushrooms, bacon and tyrokafteri sauce ( traditional Greek cheesy sauce) on Thursday. Greek traditional dishes are prepared with a modern twist that can appeal to young and old alike.
For example, you can go for the typical “dolmadakia” dish but at “Tiho-Tiho” you will get them accompanied by a mint mousse, giving the traditional recipe a fresh touch, which is equally delicious. Accompany your food with the great variety of Greek wines on offer while admiring the view of the city from above.
]Stergiou Polidorou 1, Thessaloniki 546 34
p: 0030 2310 245 351
Opening Hours:
9.00 am – 3.00 am
Massalia, Manousogiannaki and Filikis Etairias Street, Thessaloniki
“Massalia” in Greek means Marseille.
This tavern was named after the French city. Its sign, the weathercock is a symbol that the Fokaeis people gave to French people as a celebration for the establishment of Marseille. The tavern Marseille was originally located in the village Fokies in the Halkidiki Peninsula, a few hours away from where it is now. In 2014, the owners decided to open the popular “Massalia” tavern in Thessaloniki and it has since then become the talk of the town.
Here you can find both meat and fish flavors, as well as a large variety of vegan options with plenty of fresh vegetables and salads. The menu is seasonal so you know you are getting the freshest ingredients in whatever you order.
Manousogianaki 6, Thessaloniki 546 21
p: 0030 2310 400 3714
Opening Hours:
13.00 pm – 12.00 am
Maiami, 18 Thetidos Street, Kalamaria Thessaloniki
If you are a fish lover, this is the place for you. Located beside the coastline of Kalamaria, here you can have a delicious lunch by the sea with a great view of the Thermaic Gulf. It is the perfect place for a lunch under the Greek sun or a lovely dinner by the sea, accompanied by their carefully selected wine list.
The restaurant specializes in seafood and fresh fish which comes directly from the Fish Auction of Michaniona , a market 30km out of Thessaloniki that operates one of the largest fishing fleets. The restaurant has been in operation since 1976. As the owners, Gogo and Dina Tertsi, say their goal is “to create food that restores, replenishes and revives”. It seems that their goal has been accomplished, as the long history of the restaurant shows. Go there and let yourself live the “MAIAMI Experience” !
Thetidos 18, Kalamaria 551 31
p: 0030 2310 044 7996
Opening Hours :
12.00 pm – 12.00 am
Ouzou Melathron, 21 Karipi Street, Ladadika Thessaloniki
In Ladadika, one of the liveliest neighborhoods of the city center, you will find the beautiful tavern “Ouzou Melathron”. It is a place characterized by its fun decorations and a joyful atmosphere, with plenty of humoristic posters and drawings decorating the walls. The friendly staff will be more than happy to offer you the Greek traditional dishes that the city is famous for.
The menu has a dizzying variety of options for you to choose from and all the dishes have creative humoristic names. We urge you to try their “meze”, which in Greek stands for starters, accompanied by a glass of tsipouro or ouzo. For meat lovers, there is a big variety of grilled meat options, fresh salads and a wine list with amazing Greek wines.
Karipi 21, Thessaloniki 546 24
p: 0030 2310 275 016
Opening Hours:
11.00 am – 2.00 am
Agioli, 15 Nikis Avenue
Agioli is one of the best restaurants located on the seafront of Thessaloniki. Its menu focuses mainly on fish and seafood but with a gourmet twist. That means that this is not the typical menu that you would find in any other Greek tavern. The flavor is divine even with the gourmet twist, so whether you are a picky eater or particular about the traditional recipes, this is still worth trying.
Here you can enjoy your meal while admiring the sunset over Thermaic Gulf. The interior design of Agioli is characterized by colorful furniture in a vintage style, avoiding pretentious extravagance, which creats an upbeat and relaxing environment.
Nikis Avenue 15, Thessaloniki 546 23
p: 0030 2310 262 888
Opening Hours:
10.00 am – 2.00 am
Mia Feta – Feta Bar, 14 Pavlou Mela street
How would it sound to you if I told you that there is a place dedicated to the famous – as Greek as it gets- feta cheese? Mia Feta – Feta Bar on Pavlou Mela street is exactly what its name reveals: a bar that offers feta and a variety of other Greek cheeses. But it is not only that! It operates as a deli store, where you can purchase your favourite dairy products made from the Kourellas family, the owners of this new concept store. In the morning, you can have a breakfast of Greek yoghurt accompanied by fresh fruits, nuts, and honey. But it also operates as a restaurant, where you can sample great dishes based on the incredible superfood that is feta cheese.
Do not leave the place without trying the cheese fondue and the graviera saganaki dish accompanied with cherry tomatoes and lime sauce. Graviera is a salty yellow cheese that is delicious enough on its own but that becomes even better if you fry it. Saganaki for those of you keeping notes for later is the fried cheese! Don’t miss it. The most famous graviera in Greece is from Naxos Island, just in case you are heading there after for your Greek island holidays.
Pavlou Mela 14, Thessaloniki 546 22
p: 0030 2310 221 120
Opening Hours:
9.00 am – 12.00 am
Sundays closed
Ergon Agora at 42 Pavlou Mela Street.
In 2011, Ergon agora started operating as a deli store.
The vision of the Douzis Brothers, who are the owners of the company, was to create a brand that could offer a range of fine quality Greek products. The goal was that Greek products and the Greek culinary culture, in general, be known not only to Greek markets but internationally.
Today, when we think of Ergon Agora, we are talking about a contemporary closed market that hosts a restaurant and a café, a butcher shop, a bakery, a fish shop, and a grocery shop. As you are strolling around downtown Thessaloniki, stop at 42 Pavlou Mela Street and enjoy a healthy brunch along with a great cup of coffee, a light lunch or a delicious dinner. All the dishes are prepared using quality Greek products, which you can also purchase from the deli store after you finish your meal.
Ergon Agora may not be the typical Greek Taverna, but it doesn’t have to! the flavors are delightful, the quality is of the highest level, and you can both enjoy your lunch and purchase the goods that you just tried. Kill two birds with one stone!
This successful company has managed to franchise its business beyond Thessaloniki, to Athens, Rhodes island, Skiathos Island, Santorini Island, Lefkada Island, Corfu Island, London, Brussels and Cyprus.
Pavlou Mela 42, Thessaloniki 546 22
p: 0030 2310 288 008
Opening Hours:
9.00 am – 12.00 am
Tsinari, 74 Papadopoulou Street, Ano Poli
If you want to discover traditional Greek cuisine, you should definitely visit “Ouzeri Tsinari”. In Greek, ouzeri is the place where you can enjoy your ouzo along with “mezedes”, which are platters of small-portioned dishes with a variety of food combinations. Typically, Greeks order plenty of “mezedes” so as to try as much as possible. We love to share our food and rarely do we buy one meal per person like in some of the Western restaurants.
With a history that dates back to 1885, Tsinari offers mezedes that go best with ouzo, and feel like what your grandma would serve, making you feel like you are eating homemade food instead of restaurant food. Go for the “dolmadakia” dish, which are wine leaves filled with rice and accompanied by Greek yoghurt or tzatziki, fried small fishes like gavros or sardela (a perfect match for your ouzo!), bougiourdi and soutzoukakia smyrneika.
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The name of the restaurant comes from the Turkish word “cinar” which means plane tree. And guess what, there is an enormous plane tree just outside the ouzeri, which makes it the perfect place for hot Greek summer days. Its interior design remains unchanged since the 1990s when the Papadopoulou family first took over the business. The old blue windows, the black and white tiling and the wood-burning stove in the centre of the place will make you feel like you have time-travelled to an era long gone.
The authenticity of the Greek recipes and the old-style environment are the two characteristics that make Tsinari one of the best restaurants to visit in Thessaloniki. Just try it!
Alexandras Papadopoulou 72, Thessaloniki 546 33
p: 0030 2310 284 028
Opening Hours:
1.00 pm – 12.00 am
Bachtses, 11 Queen Olga Avenue Street
Going to the east part of Thessaloniki, away from the fuzziness of the city centre, you should visit the Greek Restaurant “Bachtses”. At 11 Queen Olga Avenue, you will find a small place with fancy decorations and plenty of colour on the walls and furniture. You will recognize it by the colourful fresh peppers hanging from the ceiling and the narrow aisle that leads to a beautiful open backyard at the back of the store. The place is decorated based on an ethnic-style aesthetic: old vintage furniture, colorful walls, traditional Greek decoration like colorful small carpets (hanging on the walls) and old pottery.
The menu covers all tastes. If you are in the mood for some seafood to accompany your ouzo with, go for the fried calamari (squid) dish. Enjoy it with lots of lemons and a big portion of Greek salad. If you are more of a meat lover, there are even more options for you. Try the “mixed tigania” dish, which is a combination of fried pork, chicken, sausages, fresh green peppers and spices.
An absolute must try: the “feta saganaki” dish. This miraculous thing is a pan-seared Greek cheese appetizer. A generous portion of feta is fried, then topped with sesame seeds and sweet honey. The combination of salty cheese and wild thyme Greek honey is the perfect starter for your meal.
Queen Olga Avenue 211, Thessaloniki 546 46
p: 0030 2310 427 339
Opening Hours:
11.00 am – 2.00 am
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7 Thalasses, 8-10 Kalapothaki Street
Here we are talking about one of the best seafood restaurants in Thessaloniki but also the whole of Greece. 7 Seas, which is the translation of the name of the restaurant, has plenty of awards in its history: 2006-2007-2008 Gourmet Award and 2010Best Greek Cuisine Award.
The menu is built around fresh quality fish, seafood and 80 % Greek organic goods. Chef Andreas Voulgaris has designed a menu based on the Greek culinary tradition but with a fresh, gourmet touch that makes it undoubtedly appealing to the foodies out there. There is also the possibility of private dining.
Kalapothaki 10, Thessaloniki 546 24
p: 0030 2310 233 173
Opening Hours:
12.00 pm – 12.00 am
- During your visit to Thessaloniki, one thing is certain you will be fed well! Whether you are a pescetarian, a vegetarian or a meat-lover; you will be able to find the place for you. This list of the best restaurants in Thessaloniki we recommend you visit is always under improvement. Is there anything you would add to the list, let us know in the comments below!
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