Greeks like to eat at night and if possibly in open air. So look for a taverna which has a really nice terrace where you can enjoy the warmth of the night and the company of fellow travelers.

Don’t expect to find plates breaking, flaming cheese or ouzo flowing like a river…real Greek restaurants don’t look like anything you would image from the movies. Just for your information, breaking plates has been outlawed in Greece years ago. Also, the real Greek cuisine can be totally different than what you can find in Greek restaurants around the world. Tzatziki is served all over the world but no where in the world does it taste like in Greece.

If traveling in a group you’ll soon realize that ordering mezedes and sharing them is more than enough for one meal. Plus you get to sample a lot of dishes and experiment with the Greek cuisine.

Tzatziki (also spelled “Tsatsiki”) is a Greek meze (appetizer) and is always served cold. It’s made from yogurt –usually sheep’s milk or goat’s milk yogurt -, grated cucumber, minced garlic and olive oil. Sometimes finely chopped dill, parsley or mint is added.

Tzatziki is often served with pita as part of the first course of a meal. In Greece, souvlaki is never served with tzatziki on a side. Restaurants make the tzatziki sauce from scratch therefore the quality of the sauce is a proof of the restaurant’s excellence.

And speaking of diary, tzatziki is not the only sauce based on yogurt. There are several sauces based on yogurt which are served as mezedes or which accompany other dishes.

Typically, ouzo is served with appetizers. Greeks won’t be caught dead drinking ouzo like a shot so to properly savor ouzo, do as the locals do: dilute it with some water or ice and sip it while eating the mezedes.

Try to avoid the big restaurants and look for the hidden treasures: small family-run places that cater for the locals. That’s where you can find the real Greek cuisine. Simplicity is what real Greek cuisine is all about: simple restaurants, simple dishes.

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