Restaurant Greece - The 10 best restaurants Greece in 2024

Practical information : Eating out Greece

Timetable

In Greece, people eat later than in France. Lunch is usually served from 1:30 pm to 4 pm and dinner from 9:30 pm to 11 pm. However, in Athens and in all the tourist sites you can eat all day long without any problem. And throughout the day, from the door of some restaurants, waiters will try to attract you.

Budget & Tips

While restaurants (estiatório) are slightly more expensive than taverns or ouzeries, eating out is still very affordable in mainland Greece. Unless you go to a trendy or very chic restaurant in Athens, you will have to count about 15 euros per person for a full meal with a carafe of local wine or raki/ouzo. There is one exception: fresh fish, sold by the kilo, is always expensive. To avoid unpleasant surprises at the time of the bill, go and choose your fish in the kitchen and ask for the price before ordering it because the bill goes up quickly. In taverns, dessert (watermelon slices, halva plate, cake...) is often offered. In spite of the crisis, Greeks still do not depart from this pleasant tradition. But this is not a must: in the most touristic places, like Olympia, you can always wait!

What costs extra

Some taverns and restaurants charge an additional fee of about €1 for cutlery and bread, which is not always offered. Water in a carafe is free, but in some of the more upscale restaurants, you will often be served a bottle of mineral water as standard. This is not a big charge, but it is better to know this before you dispute the bill! Finally, when paying, always bring cash because credit cards are not accepted everywhere. And leave a tip of about 10%.

The local way

The service can be very long: there is no need to get nervous, but plan ahead and don't wait until you are hungry to sit down, especially with children. Also note: the dishes arrive as they are prepared, so don't expect to eat an appetizer first and then a main course. The dishes that arrive are shared, and guests often pick from the same dish. Another sign of hospitality: a small dessert or a glass of liquor is often offered at the end of the meal. But in Greece, you will never be pressured to leave the table or recommend that you do so once your meal is over. Unless you ask for the bill, you will be left to enjoy your meal without necessarily clearing the table. And if there are a lot of leftovers on the table and you are renting, don't hesitate to ask for a "paqueto" (a "doggy bag") to prolong the experience at home..

To be avoided

Greek cuisine is generous and should be shared. In taverns, avoid ordering one dish per person, as in the French. And if you go to a restaurant with Greeks, pay the bill or have the meal offered to you, but avoid counting what each person has eaten to pay only your share. This is not a common practice, if not downright rude. Also, if you are celebrating your birthday at a restaurant during your stay, you should invite guests, not the other way around.

Kids

Children are kings in Greece. The advantage is that they are welcome everywhere and well received. Here, there is no separation of generations, no attempt to silence noisy children or to force them to sit still. The children are invited to the adults' table and can run their own show (often with a cell phone), without trying to contain themselves or the adults. This results in a joyful - sometimes noisy! - hubbub. And in the evening, when dinner drags on, they can play in the streets until well after midnight, while their parents quietly finish their ouzo.

Smokers

Smoking is theoretically prohibited in public places in Greece. But the law is not always enforced. And in some remote rooms of restaurants, smoking a cigarette at the end of the meal, or even during the meal, is tolerated. However, this is less and less common. Greece has been widely criticized for its tolerance of smoking in public places.

Tourist traps

Let's just say that, as everywhere, it's rarely in establishments with a reel at the entrance that you eat best..

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