8 Tips About Greek Restaurants

One of the most beautiful experiences we had during a holiday in Greece was a dinner at a restaurant, on a terrace or in traditional tavern. We will present below seven things you should know when you decide to eat out in Greece.

1. The Greek cuisine is based on many ingredients that are also used in Romania

In Greece you can find a lot of dishes that are based on ingredients commonly used in the Romanian cuisine: tomatoes, onion, eggplants, cheese, olives, chicken / veal / pork / lamb, lettuce, rice etc. Thanks to the herbs and spices, the food flavors are different though. The most popular traditional dishes include: souvlaki (roasted pork or chicken), Gyros (a sort of chicken or pork shawarma), moussaka (a dish made of minced meat served as a thick square loaf, like a pie), pastitio (a kind of lasagna, with thick noodles with minced meat and cheese).

2. In the restaurant’s window are exposed the daily dishes

An existing facility in many establishments in Greece is represented by the dishes that are placed in the show window. You can go and see how each of them looks like, and thus it is easier to choose. For instance, the menu might not state clearly that the "dolmades" are meat balls wrapped in grape leaves, stuffed with rice and spices, but you can see the in the show window. In the places that are highly frequented by tourists, thanks to the numerous Romanians who visit Greece, there are people who speak Romanian or even people of Romanian origin who present to the customers the day’s offer for free, explaining each dish separately.

3. The table cloth, bread and water are automatically served

In many places, once you are seated, a waiter brings a sheet of paper and puts it on the table, pinned in four places with some clips instead of a canvas table cloth. Then a bread basket is brought to the table, which also contains the canteen, wrapped in napkins and in some cases, some water is also served. However, it is not bottled water. These small services usually represent the tip that you’ll leave at the end. The bread is paid whether you eat it or not. It’s worth a try, because it is lightly fried and sprinkled with olive oil and spices.

4. In the evening, the establishments open after 20:00

In Greece the siesta hours are still respected, and the activity starts again in the late evening, after 20:00, when the barbecue grills get hot, and hot food is served again. Therefore, it will be a late dinner.

5. The tips usually vary between 10% -20% of the total price

It is best to check on the bill whether the tip is included or not. Otherwise, you can round up the amount of money or it is advisable to leave some money to the waiter. However, in Greece tips are not mandatory, the waiters bring back the change and they carry on with their business, so it’s up to the customer you he wants to tip them or not, depending on how good the services were.

6. Hospitality is a common feature

Even in modest places, the Greek waiters are very patient with their clients and they do their best to communicate effectively with them and to satisfy their wishes. If verbal communication is difficult, they write down the price of the order on the paper tablecloth. In case you change your mind and move to another table, they will bring you all you need there. When you go inside, looking for the bathroom, they realize in a quick glance what you want and, before you get to ask, they give you the right directions.

7. In places that are not frequented by tourists, English is not spoken

If you get the chance to reach somewhere in Greece, far from the tourist attractions, you have to deal without using English or another widely spoken language. Greek is the only language spoken, and the menus are all in Greek. However, you can indicate the picture of the dish you want to order and you can also indicate the drink you want from the refrigerator’s show window. You can find more details about this kind of situations in the article How to communicate abroad, if you don’t speak the country’s official language.

8. A meal costs an average of 10 euros (main dish and beverage)

Main courses cost usually 4 -6 euros and in more pretentious restaurants they reach the amount of 10 euros a portion. Drinks cost around 4-5 euros. For a low budget, one can choose sandwiches and fast food products, such as Gyros, which costs around 2 euros and which can be a nourishing meal too.

By: Cristi Muresan

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This article was written by the staff of Oferte Ski Bulgaria, a travel site with good offers for Bulgarian ski resorts.