I-Heart-Mykonos-tank-top.jpg
Greek-flag-socks.jpg
Santorini-luggage-tag.jpg
save-water-drink-ouzo-t-shirt.jpg

Thessaloniki: City of Gastronomy

UNESCO has made Thessaloniki a City of Gastronomy, under its Creative Cities network, the only city in Greece to be acknowledged for its unique food and drink.

Thessaloniki, City of GastronomyThessaloniki, City of Gastronomy

Thessaloniki is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Macedonia. In November 2021 it also became the first city in Greece to be declared a City of Gastronomy by UNESCO.

Creative Cities

As well as designating certain significant places as World Heritage Sites, UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) also has a series of Creative Cities. These are cities which are considered exceptional in one of seven creative fields, such as music, literature, crafts and folk art, film… and gastronomy.

A  Simple Greek Taverna in Thessaloniki, City of GastronomyA Simple Greek Taverna in Thessaloniki, City of Gastronomy

At the time of writing there are only thirteen Cities of Gastronomy in the world, including Parma in Italy, Tucson and San Antonio in the USA, Rouen in France… and now Thessaloniki in Greece. Thessaloniki also has fifteen UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and was already referred to as Greece’s unofficial culinary capital, or food city.

Thessaloniki: City of Gastronomy

So why has UNESCO made Thessaloniki the first City of Gastronomy in Greece? One reason is that Thessaloniki has long been at a crossroads of cultures. It was, for example, the second most important city of both the Byzantine and Ottoman vast empires. The Romans were here too. It also offered a safe haven to Sephardic Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition, which led to Thessaloniki at one time having Europe’s biggest Jewish community.

The Church of Agios Dimitrios in ThessalonikiThe Church of Agios Dimitrios in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is 500 km (311 miles) from Athens, but only 600 km (373 miles) from Istanbul, 300 km (186 miles) from Sofia in Bulgaria, and 240 km (149 miles) from Skopje in the Republic of North Macedonia. Its food and drink combines elements of native Greek cooking, Middle Eastern cuisine, and influences from various southern European nations.

Thessaloniki Street Food

Like all gastronomical centers, it isn’t only because of haute cuisine. Good food cities are also noted for good street food. In Thessaloniki this would include local specialities like koulouri (similar to bagels and topped with sesame seeds), or trigona Panoramatos. These are decadent cream-filled pastries with various possible toppings and are hyper-local, as they come specifically from the Thessaloniki suburb of Panorama.

Or try bougatsa for breakfast, which can be savoury or sweet depending on your taste or mood – it’s basically a filo pastry pie that can be filled with feta or some other cheese, or with a sweet custard cream. Another local specialty is soutzoukakia. These are meatballs but more Middle Eastern than Italian, with spices like cumin and cinnamon adding a spiciness to the mix.

Thessaloniki Cuisine

Thessaloniki may not have the several Michelin-starred restaurants that Athens has, including the acclaimed two-star Spondi, but it can more than hold its own when it comes to classy, contemporary, gourmet cuisine. Likewise, its cocktail scene is a thriving one, and there has been a renaissance in the Ladadika quarter, where down-at-heel shops have been converted into restaurants and bars, both smart and casual.

The Modiano Market in Thessaloniki, Greece's City of GastronomyThe Modiano Market in Thessaloniki, Greece's City of Gastronomy

The city’s historic Modiano Market is also getting a makeover, and while it won’t lose its traditional butchers and fishmongers, it’s being modernised and will add live music, food festivals and other events to bring it bouncing into the 21st century. This is where you’ll find all the best produce from the whole of Macedonia, one of Greece’s main food-producing regions. Look for deliciously sweet Florina red peppers, juicy Naoussa peaches, and olives from Halkidiki, showing that Kalamata isn’t the only place you can grow the best olives.

Thessaloniki Wine

In the last few years Greece has emerged as a leading wine destination, after previously being known for cheap table wines and the Greek speciality, retsina, which we love but not everyone develops a taste for. If you head southwest from Thessaloniki towards Athens, you’ll pass by some of the best wine-growing areas.

A glass of white wine at sunset in Greece

Don’t let the fact that many Greek grape varieties are not known outside Greece and have strange names like malagousia and assyrtiko. Any decent wine waiter will be able to tell you which one tastes like a chardonnay or which like a cabernet sauvignon, so that you have a reference point. Don’t miss the unique opportunity to try good Greek wines that you won’t find elsewhere…some not even outside of Thessaloniki.

Other Greek food and drink pages

  • The Greek city of Thessaloniki in Macedonia has an array of wonderful museums and art galleries, and here's twelve of the best.

    Museums of Thessaloniki

    The Greek city of Thessaloniki in Macedonia has an array of wonderful museums and art galleries, and here's twelve of the best.

  • Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Thessaloniki, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

    Best Time to Visit Thessaloniki

    Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Thessaloniki, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

  • The churches of Thessaloniki are remarkable and include UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, Byzantine masterpieces, and a church dating from the 5th century.

    The Churches of Thessaloniki

    The churches of Thessaloniki are remarkable and include UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, Byzantine masterpieces, and a church dating from the 5th century.

  • The ten best day trips from Thessaloniki include visits to Mount Athos and Mount Olympus, and to archaeological sites such as Dion, Pella, and Vergina

    Ten Best Day Trips from Thessaloniki

    The ten best day trips from Thessaloniki include visits to Mount Athos and Mount Olympus, and to archaeological sites such as Dion, Pella, and Vergina

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Latest Posts

  1. Best Time to Visit Kos

    bigstock-Kos-Island-24038195.jpg
    Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Kos, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

    Read More

  2. Best Time to Visit Samos

    bigstockphoto_Samos_3430252.jpg
    Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Samos, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

    Read More

  3. European Disability Card: Travel Across EU to Become Easier for Persons with Disabilities

    The Council of the European Union on Monday agreed on the directive establishing the European Disability Card and the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities. The announcement follows the…

    Read More

  4. Athenian Riviera: Deal Paves Way for Creation of Bicycle Lane, Walkway

    A coastal pedestrian-bicycle lane from Kallithea to Voula along the Athenian Riviera is the next big project to be implemented after an agreement signed this week between the Region of Attica and the…

    Read More

  5. Investments, Parthenon Marbles Top Greek PM’s London Visit

    Boosting investments and the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece are at the top of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ agenda for his visit this week to London.

    Read More

  6. Best Things to Do on Naxos

    naxos-pixabay-1.jpg
    Greece Travel Secrets picks some of the best things to do on Naxos in the Cyclades, including discovering the beaches, villages, and ancient ruins.

    Read More

  7. Best Time to Visit Naxos

    naxos-port-pixabay-2576235_1280.jpg
    Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Naxos, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

    Read More

  8. Best Time to Visit Kefalonia

    assos_kefalonia_ionian_islands_greece.jpg
    Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Kefalonia, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

    Read More

  9. Best Time to Visit Zakynthos

    zakynthos-town-pixabay-1583104_1280.jpg
    Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Zakynthos, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

    Read More

  10. Best Time to Visit Lesbos

    Molyvos_Lesbos_Lesvos_NE_Aegean_Islands_Greece.jpg
    Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Lesbos, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

    Read More