A culinary tour of Thessaloniki

There’s a great range of experience providers offering gastronomy tours in Thessaloniki, or you could explore under your own steam. It’s that kind of city. But here are the must-dos if you want an insight into the city’s culinary soul.

Breakfast like a local

First up, fuel up with a koulouri from a street vendor. The sesame seed-crusted bread rings are popular all over the country, but they originated here. Or sit down and order some halva (a sesame-based confection that comes in a number of flavours). And definitely treat yourself to a bougatsa (filo pastry with a semolina-cream filling dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon) and a Greek coffee. There are savoury bougatsas but the sweet version is king and completely Thessaloniki.

The markets

This is where the pulse of Thessaloniki beats strongest. There’s the charming chaos of the outdoor Kapani market with vendors chirping away about their herbs & spices and other products spilling out of bins. Ask them about their olives, cheeses and cold cuts. The lively vendors encapsulate the history and personality of Thessaloniki, always ready to share a smile and spill the secrets about what makes their produce unique. In the Jewish quarter, the recently refurbished Modiano Market is the city’s largest covered food market and has become an undisputed foodie highlight. It has kept all the grandeur of its original 1930 architecture while being redesigned around 75 stalls (laid out in ‘neighbourhoods’ according to food type) showcasing select local and international products. It also has a balcony area overlooking the main market, where you’ll also find a zero-waste bar and brunch outlet, perfect for breakfast or an afternoon bite or drink. 

Meat & Fish

Even if you don’t buy any, pick your way through the meat and fish on display. Greece’s second city is surrounded by farmland and grazing pastures and the Thermaic Gulf, supplying it with high-quality meat, fish and dairy products.

Grab a bite

Go for a classic taverna or an ouzerie or tsipouradiko (named after the tipple served alongside meze of seafood, cold cuts and cheeses). Or a delicatessen serving excellent quality local products. You won’t have any difficulty finding them, either in the central market district or the Upper Town. Or head to Ladadika, the regenerated dockside area that now has a cool, urban vibe and eateries in little squares and backstreets. The music and fun spill over onto the street.

Sweet memories

It could be to start or end your day (or any time in between) but you have to try a sweet speciality from Thessaloniki. There’s tsoureki, a brioche-like sweet bread topped with flaked almonds that’s mouth-wateringly delicious on its own. But the locals give it a deeper level of decadence with a melted chocolate coating or a chestnut filling. And there are Thessaloniki’s famous syrup-sweets, often from an original recipe of a Greek from Asia Minor. Perhaps Trigona Panoramatos – triangular-shaped folds of buttered phyllo pastry, baked until golden and hollowed out when cooled and dunked in syrup. The crowning glory is when they get filled with pastry cream and topped with chopped almonds. And the evocatively named Kazan Dipi, starting life as a classic crème brûlée before being given an eastern twist with cinnamon and rosewater.