Greece Travel Guide

Descriptions of Greek food and the dining experience can -- and do -- fill entire books. Here, we've focused on distinctive highlights of dining in Greece. Greek meals, for instance, usually start off with appetizers known as mezedes -- small plates of hot and cold selections shared from the center of the table. A notable aspect of restaurants in Greece is that you can make a meal out of as little or as much as you want from any section of the menu -- all mezedes, if you wish.

In most restaurants, the fresh fish entree is priced "per kilo." Remember that a kilo is 2.21 pounds -- so although expensive, it's a lot of fish! In the case of a smallish fish that you intend to order grilled, you can do nothing about the weight except ask for a smaller (or larger) one; realize, too, that with grilled fish, the weight includes the whole fish. If your portion is being cut from a really large fish, you can ask for the approximate weight. (A 1/2-lb. serving would be about a quarter of a kilo.)

Another distinction of Greek restaurants is that you can order at almost any hour of the day. Not in every little village and not in the more stylish restaurants, but many will start serving meal courses by late morning and on through the day to late at night. Greeks eat their evening meal quite late -- usually not before 8pm -- but restaurants are prepared to accommodate foreigners who like to sit down as early as 5:30pm. Room rates at most hotels now include satisfying buffet breakfasts. If you miss the buffet, you can usually find an outside cafe that can come up with the basics. Don't expect fresh orange juice, though. And if you have definite preferences for tea -- especially herbal -- consider bringing your own tea bags.

Most restaurants now have a "cover charge" that includes the table setting and a small basket of bread. (In some city cafes, you can pick up your drinks and snacks and eat them standing up at a table and avoid a cover charge.) It used to be that Greek waiters brought ice-cold pitchers of fresh water to each table without being asked to, but this custom has pretty much vanished. If you request "natural water," they may bring tap water to your table, but if you ask for "water," you will be brought a plastic bottle of water -- and charged for it. (By Greek law, they are supposed to open the sealed top in your presence.)

Only the rare expensive restaurant in Athens and a few resorts expect advance reservations. During the height of the tourist season, however, anyone with a tight schedule should try to secure reservations.

Greek Siesta -- The combination of hot climate, heavy lunches, and plain old tradition means that most Greeks take siestas. So keep siesta hours, about 2 to 5pm, in mind when planning your own day. Even in Athens, you should be considerate about contacting friends or acquaintances at home during these hours.