Top Street Food in Greece

Bantis Bougatsa ★ 4.8 · Thessaloniki

Panagias Faneromenis 33, Thessaloniki 546 27

The city's best cream bougatsa eaten at the marble counter: fresh phyllo, cold pastry cream, cinnamon shaker, powdered sugar. Opens at 06:30.

Trigona Elenidis ★ 4.8 · Thessaloniki

Venizelou 12, Panorama, Thessaloniki 552 36

The trigona panoramatos is Thessaloniki's defining pastry: a crisp phyllo triangle filled to order with cold cream. At Venizelou 12. Booking recommended.

Kostas Souvlaki ★ 4.7 · Athens

monastiraki · Agia Irinis Square 2, Athina 105 60

Kostas Souvlaki on Agia Irini Square in Athens has fired the pork souvlaki pita with its house tomato sauce since 1946, a counter run by the same family.

Tip: Open weekdays until 17:00 or until the meat runs out; closed Saturday and Sunday and cash is preferred.

Ladadika Tsipouradika ★ 4.6 · Thessaloniki

Katouni Street, Thessaloniki

The tsipouradika of Katouni and Doxis Streets operate the Thessaloniki ritual: cold tsipouro arrives in a small carafe, meze plates follow in relay without.

O Telis ★ 4.5 · Athens

psyrri · 86 Evripidou str. & 20 Epikourou str., 10553

O Telis on Evripidou in central Athens has grilled pork chops over coals since the 1970s, the king-of-Evripidou-Street counter with chips, salad.

Tip: No menu; the order is pork chops with chips, salad, bread and red wine. Closed Sundays.

Ariston Pies ★ 4.5 · Athens

syntagma-historic-centre · Voulis 10, Athina 105 62

Ariston on Voulis behind Syntagma in Athens is the 1910 takeaway-pie counter where the spanakopita is the order and the bougatsa is the breakfast on the way.

Tip: Stand-up takeaway only; closed Sundays. Pies are warm out of the oven all morning.

Bougatsa Giannis ★ 4.5 · Thessaloniki

Mitropoleos 106, Thessaloniki

Bougatsa Giannis opens at 8pm and runs until 3pm the following day. The late-night cream or cheese phyllo fix for the bar crowd on Mitropoleos.

Falafellas ★ 4.4 · Athens

monastiraki · Aiolou 51, Athina 10551, Greece

Falafellas on Aiolou near Monastiraki in Athens is the central falafel pita counter, where the takeaway pita is built on order with tahini, salad and chilli.

Tip: Queue runs longest at lunchtime; the meatball pita is the variant the regulars order instead.

Stou Mitsou ★ 4.4 · Thessaloniki

Vlali 11, Kapani Market, Thessaloniki 546 24

Stou Mitsou opened inside Kapani Market in February 2014 and quickly became a reference address for the city's refugee dishes: Smyrna-style soutzoukakia.

Lukumades ★ 4.3 · Athens

monastiraki · Aiolou 21, Athina 105 51

Lukumades on Aiolou and Agia Irini Square in Athens is the modern loukoumades shop, where the classic Greek doughnut comes filled with cream or topped.

Tip: The injected loukoumades with cream are the order; queue runs longest on summer weekends.

Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani Deli ★ 4.3 · Athens

psyrri · Sokratous & Evripidou 1, 10552, Athina

Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani on Sokratous in Athens runs a takeaway deli alongside the mezedopoleio, with pastourma sandwiches and a cured-meat counter.

Tip: Closed Sundays. The deli counter at the front sells meats by the kilo to take home.

Tragano Navarinou ★ 4.3 · Thessaloniki

Dimitriou Gounari 32, Thessaloniki 546 21

Tragano on Dimitriou Gounari near Navarinou Square bakes some of the city's most reliable koulouri (sesame bread rings) on site. At Dimitriou Gounari 32.

Diagonios 1977 ★ 4.3 · Thessaloniki

Egnatia 159, Thessaloniki 546 21

Since 1977 on Egnatia Street, Diagonios has served the city's most consistent souvlaki until 3am on weekends. At Egnatia 159. Booking recommended.

Ariston Tyropita ★ 4.2 · Thessaloniki

Aristotelous 8, Thessaloniki 546 24

The Ariston counter near Aristotelous Square is the reference tyropita address in the city centre. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.

Loukoumania Navarinou ★ 4.2 · Thessaloniki

Gounari 24, Thessaloniki 546 22

Loukoumania near Navarinou Square fries fresh dough daily and serves the crisp, fluffy, honey-soaked loukoumades in dozens of combinations. At Gounari 24.

Xanthopoulos Kokoretsi ★ 4.2 · Thessaloniki

Ippokratous 26, Thessaloniki

Xanthopoulos on Ippokratous is the serious address for kokoretsi, the Easter and Sunday offal spit-roast of wrapped intestines, heart. At Ippokratous 26.

Modiano Market Stalls ★ 4.1 · Thessaloniki

Ermou 24, Thessaloniki 546 25

The Modiano Market reopened in December 2022 after full restoration and now houses food stalls, cheese and cured-meat counters, the Modiano Bahar spice shop.

Giotis Gyradiko ★ 4.0 · Thessaloniki

Vasileos Irakliou 40, Thessaloniki

The most consistent gyros counter in the city centre. Pork or chicken in soft pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki, and chips: the Thessaloniki formulation.

Pasatempas Nut Stalls ★ 4.0 · Thessaloniki

Kapani Market, Thessaloniki

The nut and seed stalls at Kapani Market selling pasatempas, the Thessaloniki term for roasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. Booking recommended.

Winter Corn and Chestnut Carts ★ 4.0 · Thessaloniki

Aristotelous Square, Thessaloniki 546 24

In winter, the roasted corn and chestnut carts appear around Aristotelous Square and the waterfront promenade. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.

Bairaktaris Pita Counter ★ 3.9 · Athens

monastiraki · Pl. Monastirakiou 5, 10555, Athina

Bairaktaris on Monastiraki Square is the long-running Athens souvlaki counter from the late 19th century, with a takeaway pita window onto the square open.

Tip: The pita window faces the square; the sit-down room behind is a separate tip and bill.

Seafront Corn Carts ★ 3.8 · Thessaloniki

Nikis Avenue, Thessaloniki 546 24

The roasted corn carts on Nikis Avenue operate from spring through autumn, positioned along the waterfront promenade between the White Tower and the port.