Best gathering places
City centre
Chan
Extra-stylish Pan Asian restaurant at design hotel The Met. During the summer restaurant moves to the Sky bar on the 7th floor, with the breathtaking view of Thessaloniki. (The Met Hotel, 48, 26th October Str., tel. +30 2310 017000)
Akadimia
Very charming, cosy restaurant at atmospheric Agiou Mina Street. Entering the summer mood, the menu takes full advantage of fresh vegetables and herbs to produce a Mediterranean and Greek cuisines’ repertoire. (3, Agiou Mina St., tel. + 30 2310 521803)
Maître and Margarita
A casual little restaurant lies hidden in the centre of Thessaloniki, serving tasteful dishes at a warmly designed space. Sample one of the beautifully prepared salads or dishes, and relax with a glass of wine. (Verias & Irodous Attikou St., tel. +30 2314 007586)
7thalasses [7 seas]
The post-modern fish taverna par excellence! Friendly staff, good ambience, fresh fish, shellfish, seafood and a well-informed wine list. (10, Kalapothaki St., tel. +30 2310 233173)
Be
An American diner-style restaurant. Pleasant casual ambiance, excellent music and quality cuisine at the restaurant of the Excelsior Hotel. (10, Komninon St. & 23 Mitropoleos St., tel. +30 2310 021020)
Frutti di Mare
The restaurant has tables out on the pavement all year round, with a view of the Bazaar Hamam. Enjoy your wine with delicious seafood and meat meze. (20, Komninon St., tel. +30 2310 239100)
Garçon Brasserie
Café-bar-restaurant with a trendy environment and the best balcony on the old waterfront. The cuisine follows modern trends. (Nikis Av. & 2, Ag. Sofias St., tel. +30 2310 253033)
Clochard
Classic venue for lovers of good food. Stylish dining in an atmospheric setting. Award-winning Greek cuisine with some beautifully prepared international dishes. (4, Proxenou Koromila St., tel. +30 2310 239805)
Ergon Agora
A real gastronomic staging post housing under the same roof: a modern grocery -with shelves hosting a delicious collection of local produce, including the ERGON collection of traditional Greek products-, a restaurant, a butchery, a fish shop, a bakery and an upgraded café. (42, Pavlou Mela St., tel. +30 2310 284224)
Mia Feta
Cafe, bar, grocery and dairy shop. Here, you can go shopping while tasting dishes with feta as you have never tried it before: feta as foam, feta with truffle, feta in panna cotta, feta with olives/peppers and many other versions. (14, Pavlou Mela St., tel + 30 2310 221120)
Marea
From the people of Glykanissos (see p. 54) comes this stylish seafood restaurant. While they’re offering a firm traditional seafood experience, we particularly love their unique dishes open to international trends and techniques. They also have a great drink list with excellent wines and spirits. (13, Lori Margariti St., tel. +30 2310 257696)
Restaurant Lounge Bar Β
The restaurant is located inside the Museum of Byzantine Culture. With its beautifully designed atrium, full of greenery, it offers a breath of fresh air in summer months and a superb Mediterranean menu. (2 C’, Septemvriou St., tel. +30 2310 869695)
Zythos - Doré
Well-known haunt of artists and intellectuals. The courtyard offers a generous shade and a view of the White Tower, while the cuisine prepares a range of Mediterranean flavours, same with Zythos in Ladadika. (7, Tsiroyianni St., tel. +30 2310 279010)
Panorama
Kritikos
Yiannis Kritikos has moved on to his next big concept in Panorama Thessaloniki, while keeping his famous venture in Ouranoupolis, Halkidiki (see p. 60). The food at this gastro-fish-restaurant is undeniably stellar, with an excellent thoughtful wine and spirits list to match. (5B Venizelou St., Panorama, tel. +30 2310 332810)
Glykanissos [Anise]
Trendy seafood restaurant with fresh and relaxed atmosphere. The menu leans heavily to Mediterranean ingredients and techniques; a rich menu of different types of seafood dish, including starters, salads, fish mezedes and main courses. (46, M. Alexandrou St., Pylaia, tel. 2310 302882)
Old City
Yedi
Ouzeri with rembetiko music, in the shadow of the old Yedi Kule prison and castle. Serves a wide range of meat and seafood dishes. (13, Ioannou Papareska St., Yedi Kule, tel. +30 2310 246495)
Radical food & wine project
Located in a beautiful house in Old City this place is great if you love wine. The plates are excellent, and served in the cosy dining room and the veranda which offers sweeping views of the castle. Their wine list is just as “delicious” and interesting, making this a great place for a wine night out. (61, Polidorou Stergiou St., Old City, tel. +30 2310 0202007)
Faliro - Kalamaria – Nea Krini
Salonica
The main restaurant of restored Makedonia Palace Hotel run by the talented executive chef Sotiris Evangelou. This place, with a beautifully room and a large outdoor waterfront seating area, attracts both hotel guests and locals. (Makedonia Palace Hotel, 2, M. Alexandrou Av., tel. +30 2310 897197)
Thria
Located in city’s eastern coast, Thria was opened by chef Dimitris Tassioulas and partners. The industrial interior and the outdoor patio is hip, but this really feels like a neighbourhood joint. Thria is known for their Mediterranean cuisine. (1, Maria Kallas St., tel. +30 231 0821120)
Mavri Thalassa [Black Sea]
Very popular fish restaurant, Mavri Thalassa has moved along the lines of the classic tavernas in Nea Krini. The menu features fresh fish, shellfish and other seafood dishes. (3, N. Plastira St., Kalamaria, tel. +30 2310 932542)
To koutouki tou kavouri [The crab’s shell]
Ouzeri and fish taverna, with superb fresh fish, seafood and delicious mezedes. Every aspect of the venue contributes to a warm and friendly ambiance. (71, M. Kallidou St. & Xifilinon St., tel. +30 2310 419051)
The Aficionados
A fine dining destination, spreads over three levels in an Art Deco neoclassic building on the beautiful seafront area in Nea Krini. Modern and stylish Greek and Mediterranean cuisine from chef Dimitris Pamporis. During summer you can live the gastronomic experience in the garden while enjoying a fine wine from the excellent cellar.
(105, N. Plastira St., Kalamaria, tel. +30 2310 434290)
Hamodrakas
Well-known fish taverna, founded in 1926. Specializing in seafood, the business has been handed down from father to son in the Gofas family. (13, Μ. Gagyli St., Aretsou waterfront, tel. +30 2310 447943)
Airport
Alfredo’s Garden
Open air restaurant in the lush gardens of the Regency Casino. The summer location of Alfredo's is one of the best restaurants in Thessaloniki. Executive chef Apostolos Altanis features modern Greek cuisine. (12th kilometre on Thessaloniki-airport road, tel. +30 2310 491199)
Ambrosia
Sunny, spacious, comfortably casual, this is the restaurant of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. You will mostly sample Greek cuisine characterized by good taste. Chef: Apostolos Altanis. (13th kilometre on Thessaloniki-airport road, tel. +30 2310 401234)
Duck Private Cheffing
Chef Ioanna Theodorakaki recreates classic Greek and Mediterranean dishes with true authenticity. Menus change daily, where you’ll come across parts of fish, vegetables, and meats you’d never known to be delicious before. (3 Halkis St., Patriarhika Pylaia, tel. +30 2315 519333)
Dome Real Cuisine Dome
Helmed by chef Stefanos Stamidis, this airy, modern restaurant at Nikopolis Hotel is a temple to unique meat-heavy plates as well as inventive, seasonal, and local cooking sourced from nearby farms and cooperatives. The space is cool and minimal. Bring your meat-loving friends and prepare to share. (Nikopolis Hotel, 16-18, Asklipiou St., Pylaia, tel. +30 2310 401000)
Kasai
A food spot by the pool of Nikopolis Hotel, Kasai is dedicated to well-prepared teppanyaki & sushi. The location has a sophisticated air to it that’s perfect for a date night when you want to break out the heels. (Nikopolis Hotel, 16-18, Asklipiou St., Pylaia, tel. +30 2310 401000)
