History

The modern Greek moussaka was codified by chef Nikolaos Tselementes in the 1920s, who added the French bechamel to an Ottoman-era layered aubergine dish. The result became a fixture of the Athens taverna by the 1950s. Today every mageirio in the city, from Diporto in the central market to Karavitis in Pangrati, runs a daily moussaka from the pan. Best eaten at lunch, when the bechamel is still warm and the layers hold.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 1 hrTotal 2 hr 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 kg aubergines, sliced 1 cm thick
  • 500g floury potatoes, sliced 5 mm thick
  • Olive oil for frying
  • 600g lamb mince
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 400g tinned plum tomatoes, crushed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • For the bechamel: 80g butter
  • 80g flour
  • 800ml milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 100g grated kefalotyri or parmesan
  • pinch of nutmeg

Method

  1. Salt aubergine slices and rest 30 minutes. Pat dry. Fry in batches in olive oil until golden, drain on paper.
  2. Fry potato slices 4 minutes a side until lightly golden. Drain.
  3. In a saucepan, soften onion in olive oil. Add garlic, then lamb mince, breaking it up. Brown 8 minutes.
  4. Add tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer 25 minutes until thick.
  5. Make bechamel: melt butter, whisk in flour, then slowly whisk in warm milk. Cook 5 minutes until thick. Off heat, whisk in egg yolks, cheese and nutmeg.
  6. Layer in a baking dish: potatoes, half the aubergine, all the lamb, remaining aubergine. Pour bechamel over the top. Bake at 180 C for 45 minutes until golden. Rest 15 minutes before cutting.

Tip from the editors. The 15-minute rest is non-negotiable; cut too soon and the layers slide. Reheats well the next day.

Where to eat moussaka

Moussaka in Athens

Taverna tou Oikonomou ★ 4.7

Greek€€petralona

Taverna tou Oikonomou is a greek room in Petralona. No microwave and no menu; you point at the trays. Closes when the pans run out, often by 22:00.

Why locals love it: Petralona mageirio that has cooked from the same pans since 1930, far from the centre, with locals at every table and no menu offered.

Tip: No microwave and no menu; you point at the trays. Closes when the pans run out, often by 22:00.

Kydantidon 32, Athina 118 51

Karavitis Tavern ★ 4.5

Greek€€pangrati

Karavitis Tavern on Pausaniou in Pangrati is the 1926 neighbourhood taverna with a rustic courtyard, barrels of house wine and a point-at-trays system.

Why locals love it: Pangrati neighbourhood taverna since 1926 with a rustic courtyard, barrels of house wine, and an order-by-pointing system that keeps the tourist trade away.

Tip: No reservations are taken; arrive before 21:00 on weeknights and before 20:30 on Saturdays.

Pausaniou 4 Pangrati, Athina 11635, Greece

Klimataria ★ 4.3

Greek€€psyrriDaily 12:00-00:30Until Daily until 02:00

Klimataria on Theatre Square in Athens runs until past midnight every night, the Psyrri institution since 1927 where rebetiko plays live and the wine comes.

Try: Slow-cooked lamb with house red from barrels

Order: Gigandes plaki, slow-cooked lamb and a half-kilo of the house red from the barrel.

Tip: Live music runs most evenings from around 22:00; book a fortnight ahead for the weekend seatings.

Plateia Theatrou 2, Athina 105 52 Book →

More cities are in research. Want moussaka covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →