Tomatoes, peppers and aubergines hollowed and stuffed with rice flavoured with herbs, pine nuts, raisins and tomato pulp, baked until the vegetables collapse and the rice absorbs the juice. The Thessaloniki summer table.
Gemista (the stuffed ones) belong to the Ottoman-rooted family of dolmades that runs across the Eastern Mediterranean. The Thessaloniki version leans heavily on Macedonian summer produce and is traditionally lathera, cooked in olive oil with no meat, eaten through the Lenten fasts and the August heat.
4 editor picks for Gemista in Thessaloniki, ranked by editorial score. All Thessaloniki signature dishes · Gemista across every city.
Olympos Naoussa ★ 4.6
waterfront · Leoforos Nikis 5, Thessaloniki 546 24
Olympos Naoussa reopened in 2022 after thirty years in a 1926 building on Nikis Avenue. Located in Waterfront. Priced at €€€. Kitchen leans modern greek.
Nea Folia ★ 4.3
ano-poli · Aristomenous 4, Thessaloniki
Operating since 1967 on the edge of Ano Poli, Nea Folia serves dishes that have largely vanished from city-centre menus: liver with cabbage.
Salonika Restaurant ★ 4.2
waterfront · Megalou Alexandrou 2, Thessaloniki 546 40
The Makedonia Palace Hotel restaurant on the waterfront holds panoramic views over the Thermaikos Gulf and Mount Olympus. Kitchen leans traditional greek.
Palia Athina ★ 3.8
centre · Proxenou Koromila 37, Thessaloniki
Palia Athina is the reliable large-format taverna for group dinners in the city centre, generous portions of grilled meats, village salads. Priced at €€.