Eating and drinking in Halkidiki

To experience a culture, it is advisable that you get in touch with the local people, try the food & listen the music.

'Eating Greek' can't be found in regional dishes only. It is more than a food intake. Eating Greek is also a lifestyle, a philosophy and a way of dining. It is a culinary journey. Basically dining Greek is a social event, based on sharing various tasty dishes and having a great time together. Try it.

Same philosophy counts for having a coffee. Life in Greece happens outdoor. If the people in Greece meet for a coffee it's basically more about gather with friends
than drinking a caffeinated beverage.

Nightlife: It's a well known fact that Greeks know how to celebrate. Beside 1000 different types of traditional dances, Greek music provides very good rock, dance, independent and many more. 'Going out' usually start in a bar and lead into a club or a Bouzoukia,a typical location with Greek livemusic. Hospitality always comes first, so don't be surprised about the various snacks, served with every drink you order. Party nights in Greece often end in 'Soup-Kitchens'; restaurants, open all night and ready to feed the party people before going home. The next day feels a bit healthier if you had something to eat after you were drinking and before you went to bed.
Annotation: No - Syrtaki is not Greek. It was invented for the movie 'Zorbas'. Also it's far from typical to order Ouzo in a Greek Bar. This is a drink which perfectly fits for dishes in Meze-Restaurants.

Recommended: Eat fish or seafood in a fish-restaurant. Eat meat in a traditional restaurant focused on grilled meat, eat cooked food in a restaurant specialized on cooked food and Gyros in a Gyros-shop. It’s totally okay to order Pizza in an Italian Restaurant but select the restaurant on its specialization.

Halkidiki-Greece presents a selection of various restaurants in the area of Kassandra. The fishing-boats you see here at night provide the seafood for many of the local restaurants on the coast. The villages in the mountains offer specialties on the grill and from the skewer.

Insider: During full moon is recommended to refrain from ordering small fishes species in restaurants. The reason can be explained in the fisherman’s way of hunting. During night the fishermen lure fish swarms with the lamps on the boat into the nets. It makes no makes to use this tactic during a bright moon nights, since the entire environment is brightly illuminated. For this reason, almost no fishing boat is leaving the port during this phase. Consequently it is possible that the small fishes which are offered to you are not very fresh. In this period it is advisable to focus on seafood and larger fish varieties.

 

 

 

Recommended Bars and Restaurants in Kassandra, Halkidiki

 

 

Kassandria - Siviri

giagiaka cafe bar siviri 300x200

Giagiaka Cafe Diner

Location: Siviri Beach Promenade
Benefit: Local and organic products

diamantis1 terrace siviri 300x200

Diamantis Fish Restaurant

Location: Siviri Beach Promenade
Benefit: Fresh and very high quaity seafood

Fourka & Fourka Beach

takis seafood restaurant tavern 300x200

Takis Fish-Restaurant

Location: Central Square of Fourka Beach
Benefit: Famous for the Octopus

 
Kalandra - Posidi

christoforos posidi tavern terrace 300x200

Christoforos Fish-Restaurant

Location: Beach Promenade of Posidi
Benefit: High quality local Shrimps

 
Agia Paraskevi - Loutra

tarsanas terrace loutra 300x200

Tarsanas Restaurant

Location: Direcly on the beach of Loutra
Benefit: High quality food & great location

kapetanios tavern terrace loutra kassandra 300x200

Kapetanios Restaurant

Location: On the central road in Loutra
Benefit: Wine Grower & Wine Connoisseur

Afytos

rementzo seafood restaurant afytos 04 300x200

Rementzo

Location: Liosi Beach
Benefit: Fantastic seafood & seaview

 

fortuna bar athitos entry 300x200

Fortuna Bar

Location: Afytos Cliff Promenade
Benefit: Environment & Panoramic View

mpogiata athitos live music bar 300x200

Bogiata

Location: Afytos Central Church Square
Benefit: Great Live-Gigs & Ambiente

Kallithea

elena tavern kallithea terrace 300x200

Taverna Elena

Location: Near Center of Kallithea
Benefit: Cooked Food

ahoy club kallithea 300x200

Ahoy Club

Location: Club-area near Kallithea
Benefit: Atmospheric Open-Air Club

Nea Fokaia

thokos bar nea fokea lights 300x200

Thokos

Location: Near the Tower of Nea Fokea
Benefit: Fantastic athmosphere

 
Hanioti

fresh restaurant hanioti sports 300x200

Fresh Restaurant

Location: Centrally in Hanioti
Benefit: Welcoming hospitality & live sport

 

 

 

 

The Food Lexicon

or

'what you find on a Greek menu'

 

Classic Mezedes

Dolmadakia – Meze – Vine leaves stuffed with rice, dill, parsley, olive oil and lemon

 

Cheese Mezedes

Bugiurndi - very regional Cheese dish. In Halkidiki prepared in the oven with Feta red pepper, hot pepper & tomato. In other areas in addition with 1-2 other types of cheese

Grilled Feta - often prepared with hot pepper tomato & olive oil

Saganaki kefaloturi, hard cheese. Often served fried

Mpatso saganaki - half hard cheese, mainly served fried

 

Salads

Farmers Salad also known as ‘Greek Salad’ – tomatoes, cucumber, olives, peppers, onions, Feta, olive oil and oregano

Αγγοροντομάτα - Tomato-Cucumber salad with tomatoes, cucumber, omions, parsley & olive oil

Μαρούλι-Ρόκα - Lettuce-Rocket salad with tomatoes, balsamic vinegar & extra olive oil

Τονοσαλάτα - Tuna salad with lettuce, rocket, samphire, tuna, mayonnaise & fresh onions

Κρίταμα - Samphire salad, tomatoes, olives, garlic, vinegar & olive oil

 

Plain Fare Dishes

 

Gemista – Stuffed, oven baked vegetables – tomatoes and green/red peppers, rice onions, parsley, mint. Can also be prepared in addition with minced meat

Pastitsio – Traditional casserole – comparable to the Italian Lasagne – Layers of macaroni, tomato sauce with minced meat and béchamel with hard cheese

Papoutsakia – oven-baked, stuffed Eggplants – Eggplants, minced meat, tomatoes, onions, wine, cinnamon, pepper, olive-oil, allspice and béchamel

Fricassee – knuckle of lamb or kid (young goat meat) – spinach, spring onions, lettuce dill, parcel, lemon, egg

Soutzoukakia a la Smyrni - fried meatballs made out of minced beef with homemade tomato sauce

Keftedakia - Grilled or fried meatballs

Spetsofai - dish, prepared in the pan with sausage, green pepper, red peppers & tomato sauce

Kleftiko – traditional, oven cooked dish with lamb, peppers, potatoes and hard-cheese

Imam – Stuffed and oven-baked Eggplant - eggplant, tomatoes, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, nutmeg, sugar, cinnamon & cloves

Briam - Oven Baked Vegetables – zucchini, potatoes, sliced tomatoes, onions (dried ?)oil

Mousaka – Traditional Casserole/Bake – Layers of potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes with minced meat and béchamel

Oven Baked Giant Beans – large white beans, celery, carrots, onions, (coarsely ground-) pepper

 

Grilled Food

Souvlaki – pork/chicken/lamb-meat in small pieces on small skewer grilled and served with oregano, salt and lemon

Bifteki - grilled meatball made out of minced beef

Pansetes - grilled belly of pork

 

Seafood - Mezedes

Chtapodaki – grilled or boiled slices of octopus. Served with olive oil, vinegar and oregano

Mydopilafo – Mussels in shell, rice, onions and dill. Comparable to a risotto

Mydia saganaki – Mussels saganaki – Mussels with or without shell, prepared in a pan with olive oil, hot peppers, Feta, parsley and mustard

Shrimps Saganaki - Shrimps in olive oil prepared in a pan with hot pepper, Feta, parsley, chilies and fresh tomatoes

Shrimps on grill – large Shrimps, grilled and served with olive oil, oregano and lemon

Friend Squid – sliced, floured and fried slices of squid. Served with fresh lemon

Soupies Spanaki – cuttlefish-spinach - dish made out of cuttlefish, spinach, olive oil, onions, finely chopped, wine, fresh tomatoes, parsley, dill, salt and pepper

Soupies Stifado - cuttlefish stifado - a stew made out of cuttlefish, onions, olive oil, black pepper, bay leaves, garlic, red wine and fresh tomatoes

Grilled Squid – whole large squid, grilled and served with olive oil, oregano and lemon

Astakomakaronada – Lobster with pasta – lobster, spaghetti, onions, cloves, cinnamon, olive oil, tomatoes, wine and parsley, prepared in a pan

Sardines Plaki - Sardines, chopped onions, garlic, olive oil, parsley and fresh tomatoes prepared in the oven

Chtapodi sharas - Grilled octopus

Soupia Psiti - Grilled cuttlefish

Bakaliaros - Fried salted cod- typical dish on the Saints day on 25th March

Skoumpri - Smoked mackerel

 

Essentials - usually in addition with other food

 

Feta – traditional brine pickled goat-lamb-cheese. Needs to comply guidelines to be called Feta. As ‘Meze’ served with olive-oil and oregano.

Tzatziki – traditional spread made out of yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, olive-oil and pepper

Melitzanosalata - Spread made out of Eggplant, parsley, olive oli and grilled red pepper. Can be found plain or enriched with mayonnaise

Fava - Spread made out of split peas and carrot. Often served with fresh onion)

Tyrokavteri - Spicy Cheese-spread made out of Feta and hot red peppers