Category Archives: Eat

Marea

unnamed-6New seafood restaurant in town, and it is called Marea ! My friends and I visited it last month during the cold weather to prepare ourselves mentally for summer.

It is owned by the team of Glykanissos, a well known restaurant for its top quality, so we had high expectations for this one ! Marea managed to exceed our expectations as the food and service were simply excellent.

You will find a big selection of fish as well as risotto, linguini with shrimps, gnocchi with crawfish and many excellent starters, as well as a massive wine list.

I saved the best for last, the dessert ! As a chocolate lover myself, the chocolate soufflé is a reason on its own for me to get back ! I have a video also but some people hated me after posting it so I ‘ll just share the photo with you !

Where : Lori Margariti 13

Kourbeti

As we prepare to say goodbye to summer, we try to enjoy the last summer nights as much as possible.

A friend was visiting from London for the weekend and we wanted to eat somewhere old style + trendy ! What a combination is this, you are probably wondering, does it even exist ?

Yes it does exist, in Kourbeti, a cool new tavern in Ladadika. It opened exactly one year ago, I know because I was there, and we had a lot of fun! The food is typical greek with a twist. I particularly love their fried potatoes and smashed cheese (chtypiti), but everything else I tried was also delicious!

The environment is very relaxed and super friendly. If you go at night I suggest you go before 9 otherwise it might be difficult to find a table as it is quite small !

Where : Vaiou & Lycourgou

Chilai

chAugust in the city, is only good if you have already taken at least a short break to the beach. It is also good if you discover places that make you forget you are in the city.

I think Chilai does this, despite being just steps away from the Tsimiski buzz. It opened last May and was a sure hit. It literally transformed the quiet till then street of Agiou Mina, into an island alley.

It is a nice place for a cool coffee during the day but also great choice for long cocktail nights ! It also has a very elegant interior so I am sure it will be a winter hit as well !

Where : Agiou Mina 4

Akadimia

ακWhy oh why did I not discover this sooner ?  You know how sometimes you just ignore things or places just in front of your nose ? This is what happened with me and Akadimia restaurant.

It is located in one of the most beautiful streets of the city – Agiou Mina. In the spring and summer the bitter orange trees smell everywhere around. I knew that at the back side of the restaurant was a small yard and was planning to visit at some point. Well the time was right when a friend was visiting and we wanted to go somewhere special that none of us had been before.

Akadimia is a fantastic experience overall, with exquisite food and very friendly but impeccable service. I highly recommend it for a relaxed and high quality dinner.

Where : Agiou Mina 3

ΙΓΓΛΙΣ ( english )

Yigges, that is correct the greek name of this place means english. This is one of (if not THE) most historical taverns of the city. It first opened in 1914 and moved to its current location in Ano Poli in the 60’s. It has a very long history as you can imagine, as it changed owners and chefs.

It is also a nice place to celebrate spring, since the yard and flowers make this a hidden city gem.

It is popular for the food, wine and fairytale atmosphere. The food is a successful mix of old and new recipes and flavours. The location is simply amazing. If you want to escape the city buzz, you can loose yourself here in a different era. It might be a bit hard to find, so follow your map.  It is also very hard to park, so I suggest you go by foot.

Where : Irodotou 32, Ano Poli

 

The Dubliner

dubl

This place describes itself as the only 100% Genuine Irish Bar and Restaurant in Thessaloniki and it is actually true !

It is owned by Irish people, and the style and feeling is totally Irish. Ok, I’ve never been to Ireland but it reminds me a lot of a classic English pub so I am sure it is pretty close to the real thing. I also have the impression, correct me if I am wrong, that Irish people have a similar mentality to greek people so this is a combination destined to succeed.

I know that many international groups such as meetup and Internations select it for their events as it is quite spacious and also in a very central location in Ladadika.

It is also conveniently located very close to my office, so it is ideal for a midday sun break or an after work beer for me!

It will be nice to visit for St. Patrick’s this month !

Where : Katouni 16-18, Ladadika

Pax Burgers

New Burger places appear in the city all the time. To get you into our city food history, Thessaloniki is the birthplace of the iconic burger chain Goody’s back in the late 70’s. The famous burger and fast food chain has gone through various stages and there was a time period where many of the restaurants in the city closed.  This is when the new burger places started to emerge.

I like the fact that we have a lot of new places with different style and taste. Although I do not eat beaf burgers anymore, I like to join my friends and select the veggie or chicken version in the menu.

Pax burgers just launched an iconic chicken burger and went straight to my top chicken burger list: The chicken marsala.  I am sure if you are a beaf lover you will find many more to love.

Tip: They have 1+1 Tuesdays and Student discount Monday’s so you can plan your first visit on one of these days and I am sure you will be back !

pax

Where: Kalapothaki & Venizelou (close to the port )

Yasemi

γ“YASEMI” means Jasmine and this is a place made in heaven.  So small and so cute, it feels like home.

Everything is handmade including some of the homemade liqueurs. The food menu is limited but everything is cooked with love and care.

It is literally hidden in a small street very close to the White Tower and few steps away from buzzing Tsimiski street, so if you are in the area I suggest you take a relaxing break there.

Where : Tsopela 4

Aigli Geni Hamam

aig.jpgThis is the #1 destination for anyone who is stuck in the city or just returned from vacations and want to feel like they did not. If you are in town for a few days only this is a must visit as it combines the historical visit with a relaxed drink or dinner.

This is a 16th century building that was originally build as a Hamam during the Otoman era. It later became an open air cinema, then a place for cultural events and after that remained closed for several years.

It is now more beautiful than ever, functioning as a relaxed coffee bar restaurant.  It is located just behind the church of Saint Demetrios so you can go for a coffee right after your visit to the church. As dusk falls, the place completely transforms to an exotic back yard with the big screen showing chill out videos transferring your mind to far away places !

Where :  Ag. Nikolaou & Kassandrou

Extravaganza

exIt took me a while to visit this fantastic restaurant that the whole city is talking about and I have to say I am sorry. It is literally a hidden gem and well worth the effort you will make to find it.

The food is excellent, the atmosphere friendly and relaxed. Although we went on a day with a heat wave it was fully packed and had to wait a lot for our food to arrive. So if you want sth fast don’t go, but if you want to experience the famous chill out mindset of our city combined with excellent food and drinks you should not miss it !

Where : Amvrosiou str ( close to Antigonidon )