The Atlas · Nº 11 ·Greece

Most Popular Greek Food

Greek food is the Mediterranean at its brightest: païdakia charred over coals, octopus grilling by the sea, a table of meze built around olive oil, lemon, and oregano. It leans on lamb, phyllo pies, and garden vegetables, and finishes with honey-soaked sweets, deepest of all in Crete.

206 dishes ranked·65 in the global top 1,000 ·12,952 diner ratings·Best rank Nº 2

Plate I — The Origins

Fig. 1 Where 206 ranked greek dishes were born. Dish origin

Drag to pan · Double-click or +/− to zoom · Select a marker for its entry

The Signature Dishes

The twelve highest-ranked Greek dishes, by global position.

Païdakia, lamb dish from Greece
Plate IILamb Dish · Greece

1 Nº 2 worldwide

Païdakia

Lamb Dish · Παϊδάκια · Greek-Style Lamb Chops

Grilled lamb chops, and the highest-rated dish of any country on our map, simply seasoned with oregano, salt, lemon, and olive oil and cooked hard over charcoal until the fat crisps. The whole point is smoke and lamb, eaten with the fingers off the bone at a taverna.

★ 4.8|97% positive |132 ratings

Saganaki, appetizer from Greece
Plate IIIAppetizer · Greece

2 Nº 10 worldwide

Saganaki

Appetizer · σαγανάκι

Cheese fried in a small pan until the outside crisps and the inside softens, served sizzling with a squeeze of lemon. The name comes from the little two-handled pan it is cooked in, and at some tavernas it arrives flamed at the table with a shout of opa.

★ 4.7|93% positive |164 ratings

Giouvetsi, casserole from Greece

3GiouvetsiNº 17

Casserole · Also Youvetsi

A Greek one-pot bake of orzo pasta and meat, usually veal or lamb, braised together in a rich tomato sauce until the little rice-shaped pasta drinks up all the flavor. Named for the earthenware dish it cooks in, it is Sunday family food, finished with grated cheese.

★ 4.6|97 ratings

Dakos, appetizer from Greece

4DakosNº 51

Appetizer · Also Ντάκος

Crete's answer to bruschetta, a hard barley rusk softened with olive oil and piled with grated ripe tomato, crumbled myzithra cheese, oregano, and olives. Rustic, healthy, and vivid, it is the taste of a Cretan summer table.

★ 4.5|233 ratings

Bougatsa, sweet pastry from Greece

5BougatsaNº 88

Sweet Pastry · Also Μπουγάτσα

A Greek breakfast pastry of crackling phyllo wrapped around a warm semolina custard, baked, then cut up and dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon. A specialty of Thessaloniki and the north, it comes savory with cheese too, sold from dedicated bougatsa shops.

★ 4.4|192 ratings

Keftedakia, meatballs from Greece

6KeftedakiaNº 91

Meatballs

Small Greek meatballs of ground pork and beef bound with bread, egg, and plenty of mint and oregano, then floured and fried until crisp outside and soft within. A meze staple, they come piled on a plate with a squeeze of lemon, made for sharing over ouzo.

★ 4.4|190 ratings

Melomakarona, cookie from Greece

7MelomakaronaNº 92

Cookie

Greek Christmas cookies of semolina and olive oil, spiced with orange and cinnamon, baked, then soaked in honey syrup and scattered with crushed walnuts. Soft, sticky, and fragrant, they are made by the trayful through December across the country.

★ 4.4|142 ratings

Kleftiko, lamb dish from Greece

8KleftikoNº 107

Lamb Dish · Also Klephtiko

Lamb or goat slow-cooked wrapped in parchment or sealed in a clay pot with garlic, lemon, and herbs until it falls off the bone. The name means stolen, from the klephts who cooked pilfered meat in sealed pits so no smoke would give them away.

★ 4.4|101 ratings

Grilled Octopus (Chtapodi sti schara), octopus dish from Greece

9Grilled Octopus (Chtapodi sti schara)Nº 108

Octopus Dish · Also χταποδι στη σχαρα

Octopus tenderized, then grilled over coals until the edges char and curl, dressed simply with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano. Hung out to dry in the sun by seaside tavernas, it is the classic thing to order with an ouzo and a sea view.

★ 4.4|101 ratings

Bakaliaros, saltwater fish dish from Greece

10BakaliarosNº 144

Saltwater Fish Dish · Also Bakaliaros Skordalia

Golden, crisp cod fritters, salt or fresh cod dipped in a light batter and deep-fried, traditionally served with skordalia, a pungent garlic-and-potato purée. It is the dish Greeks eat on March 25th, and a taverna favorite the rest of the year.

★ 4.4|88 ratings

Souvlaki, meat dish from Greece

11SouvlakiNº 150

Meat Dish

Small cubes of pork, chicken, or lamb threaded onto skewers and grilled over coals, Greece's favorite fast food. Eaten straight off the stick or wrapped in a pita with tomato, onion, and tzatziki, it is the smell of a Greek street corner at night.

★ 4.4|431 ratings

Kalamarakia tiganita, squid dish from Greece

12Kalamarakia tiganitaNº 165

Squid Dish

Squid rings and tentacles seasoned, floured, and fried until crisp and golden, the Greek take on calamari. Served with just a wedge of lemon, they are a seaside meze classic, best eaten fresh from the fryer with the Aegean in view.

★ 4.3|216 ratings

The Departments

Every Greek dish in our ranking, grouped the way you'd order them.

The Complete Ledger

All 206 Greek dishes in the world ranking. Every entry, leaf by leaf.

206 entries
  1. 2 Païdakia Lamb Dish Greece ★ 4.8
  2. 10 Saganaki Appetizer Greece ★ 4.7
  3. 17 Giouvetsi Casserole Greece ★ 4.6
  4. 51 Dakos Appetizer Crete ★ 4.5
  5. 88 Bougatsa Sweet Pastry Sérres ★ 4.4
  6. 91 Keftedakia Meatballs Greece ★ 4.4
  7. 92 Melomakarona Cookie Greece ★ 4.4
  8. 107 Kleftiko Lamb Dish Greece ★ 4.4
  9. 108 Grilled Octopus (Chtapodi sti schara) Octopus Dish Greece ★ 4.4
  10. 144 Bakaliaros Saltwater Fish Dish Greece ★ 4.4
  11. 150 Souvlaki Meat Dish Greece ★ 4.4
  12. 165 Kalamarakia tiganita Squid Dish Greece ★ 4.3
  13. 171 Kokkinisto Meat Dish Greece ★ 4.3
  14. 177 Gigandes plaki Vegetable Dish Greece ★ 4.3
  15. 185 Galaktoboureko Sweet Pastry Greece ★ 4.3
  16. 190 Yemista Vegetable Dish Greece ★ 4.3
  17. 199 Melopita Sweet Pie Sifnos ★ 4.3
  18. 204 Vasilopita Sweet Bread Greece ★ 4.3
  19. 241 Spetsofai Sausage Dish Thessaly ★ 4.3
  20. 253 Kouneli stifado Stew Skiathos ★ 4.3
  21. 270 Tzatziki Dip Greece ★ 4.3
  22. 271 Trigona panoramatos Sweet Pastry Thessaloniki ★ 4.3
  23. 279 K Kόkoras krasάtos Stew Greece ★ 4.3
  24. 336 Gyros Meat Dish Greece ★ 4.2
  25. 350 Tsoureki Sweet Bread Greece ★ 4.2
  26. 374 S Simiako garidaki Appetizer Symi ★ 4.2
  27. 375 Melekouni Snack Rhodes Island ★ 4.2
  28. 390 Biftekia Ground Meat Dish Greece ★ 4.2
  29. 407 Fava Dip Greece ★ 4.2
  30. 411 Mydia Mussel Dish Greece ★ 4.2
  31. 453 Greek Salad (Horiatiki salata) Salad Greece ★ 4.2
  32. 460 Astakomakaronada Lobster Dish Skyros ★ 4.2
  33. 468 Apáki Pork Dish Crete ★ 4.2
  34. 507 Marides tiganites Saltwater Fish Dish Greece ★ 4.2
  35. 508 Arni me patates sto fourno Lamb Dish Greece ★ 4.2
  36. 537 Ladenia Flatbread Kimolos ★ 4.1
  37. 571 Strapatsada Egg Dish Greece ★ 4.1
  38. 582 Tomatokeftedes Vegetable Dish Santorini ★ 4.1
  39. 590 Koulouri Thessalonikis Bread Thessaloniki ★ 4.1
  40. 605 Tirokafteri Dip Greece ★ 4.1
  41. 616 Moustokouloura Cookie Greece ★ 4.1
  42. 632 T Tsigaristo Lamb Dish Crete ★ 4.1
  43. 637 Pitarakia Savory Pastry Milos ★ 4.1
  44. 641 Spaghetti me anthotyro Pasta Crete ★ 4.1
  45. 694 Samsades Sweet Pastry Lemnos ★ 4.1
  46. 701 P Patatato Stew Amorgos ★ 4.1
  47. 712 Kolokithakia tiganita Vegetable Dish Greece ★ 4.1
  48. 733 Omeletta Egg Dish Greece ★ 4.1
  49. 752 Melitzanosalata Dip Greece ★ 4.1
  50. 761 Kritiko paximadi Rusk Crete ★ 4.1
  51. 762 Tiropita Savory Pastry Greece ★ 4.1
  52. 769 A Antzougia Appetizer Greece ★ 4.1
  53. 771 Gournopoula Pork Dish Messinia ★ 4.1
  54. 787 Galatopita Sweet Pie Greece ★ 4.1
  55. 810 Fylla Ground Meat Dish Kalymnos ★ 4.1
  56. 815 Spanakopita Savory Pastry Greece ★ 4.1
  57. 839 Tsouknidopita Savory Pastry Greece ★ 4.0
  58. 868 Lalagites Pancake Lemnos ★ 4.0
  59. 881 Stifado Stew Greece ★ 4.0
  60. 891 Milopita Sweet Pie Greece ★ 4.0
  61. 892 Avgolemono Soup Greece ★ 4.0
  62. 900 Tiropsomo Bread Greece ★ 4.0
  63. 950 M Makarounes me sitaka Pasta Dodecanese ★ 4.0
  64. 958 S Skopelitiki tiropita Savory Pastry Skopelos ★ 4.0
  65. 993 Kolokithopita Savory Pie Greece ★ 4.0
  66. 1,035 Pitaroudia Appetizer Rhodes Island ★ 4.0
  67. 1,037 R Roasted Chicken and Potatoes (Kotopoulo me patates sto fourno) Chicken Dish Greece ★ 4.0
  68. 1,107 Pastitsio Casserole Greece ★ 4.0
  69. 1,129 Sfougato Egg Dish Greece ★ 4.0
  70. 1,170 V Venizelika Dessert Lemnos ★ 4.0
  71. 1,201 Staka me ayga Egg Dish Chania ★ 4.0
  72. 1,214 Koulourakia Sweet Pastry Greece ★ 4.0
  73. 1,242 Psarosoupa Fish Soup Greece ★ 4.0
  74. 1,244 Roxakia Sweet Pastry Greece ★ 4.0
  75. 1,317 Briám Vegetable Dish Greece ★ 4.0
  76. 1,327 Karpouzopita Sweet Pie Milos ★ 3.9
  77. 1,356 Yiaourti me meli Dessert Greece ★ 3.9
  78. 1,363 Tiganopsomo Bread Greece ★ 3.9
  79. 1,396 Makaronia me kima Pasta Greece ★ 3.9
  80. 1,524 Paximathakia Cookie Greece ★ 3.9
  81. 1,541 Youvarlakia Meat Soup Greece ★ 3.9
  82. 1,547 M Masourakia Sweet Pastry Chios ★ 3.9
  83. 1,555 Kotosoupa Chicken Soup Greece ★ 3.9
  84. 1,566 Kolokythoanthoi Vegetable Dish Greece ★ 3.9
  85. 1,596 Portokalopita Cake Crete ★ 3.9
  86. 1,621 Patatosalata Salad Greece ★ 3.9
  87. 1,661 Cauliflower Kapama (Kounoupidi kapama) Vegan Dish Messinia ★ 3.9
  88. 1,754 Skordalia Spread Greece ★ 3.9
  89. 1,775 H Hirino me Selino Stew Greece ★ 3.9
  90. 1,778 Hortopita Savory Pastry Greece ★ 3.9
  91. 1,835 Magiritsa Offal Soup Greece ★ 3.9
  92. 1,855 Tirokroketes Appetizer Greece ★ 3.9
  93. 1,861 S Skordopsomo Snack Greece ★ 3.9
  94. 1,938 P Perek Savory Pastry Greece ★ 3.9
  95. 1,980 Kreatopita Savory Pie Greece ★ 3.9
  96. 1,997 Kokoretsi Offal Dish Greece ★ 3.9
  97. 2,011 Antikristo Barbecue Crete ★ 3.9
  98. 2,080 Garides saganaki Shrimp/Prawn Dish Greece ★ 3.8
  99. 2,103 Fakes Vegetable Soup Greece ★ 3.8
  100. 2,121 Kourabiedes Cookie Greece ★ 3.8
  101. 2,230 Petoules Pancake Messinia ★ 3.8
  102. 2,359 Diples Sweet Pastry Greece ★ 3.8
  103. 2,399 Riganada Appetizer Cephalonia ★ 3.8
  104. 2,429 F Fourtalia Egg Dish Andros ★ 3.8
  105. 2,453 Lakerda Pickling Greece ★ 3.8
  106. 2,520 K Kreatosoupa Meat Soup Greece ★ 3.8
  107. 2,550 E Eptazimo Rusk Kalymnos ★ 3.8
  108. 2,555 M Mavragani Bread Bread Lemnos ★ 3.8
  109. 2,601 Kontosouvli Pork Dish Greece ★ 3.8
  110. 2,973 Bourdeto Saltwater Fish Dish Corfu ★ 3.8
  111. 2,998 Greek Sofrito Beef Dish Corfu ★ 3.8
  112. 3,023 Moussaka Casserole Greece ★ 3.8
  113. 3,434 Horta Salad Greece ★ 3.8
  114. 3,458 K Kaparosalata Spread Cyclades ★ 3.8
  115. 3,523 T Tirenia Savory Pie Kimolos ★ 3.8
  116. 3,530 Greek Manestra Stew Greece ★ 3.8
  117. 3,538 Fetoydia Breakfast Greece ★ 3.8
  118. 3,542 Soufiko Vegetable Dish Icaria ★ 3.8
  119. 3,570 M Misokofti Pudding Symi ★ 3.7
  120. 3,599 Avgato Dessert Skopelos ★ 3.7
  121. 3,619 Lagana Flatbread Greece ★ 3.7
  122. 3,801 B Bianco Saltwater Fish Dish Corfu ★ 3.7
  123. 4,268 Gamopilafo Rice Dish Crete ★ 3.7
  124. 4,283 Amygdalotá Cookie Greece ★ 3.7
  125. 4,291 Pasta flora Tart Greece ★ 3.7
  126. 4,326 Maidanosalata Spread Syros ★ 3.7
  127. 4,329 A Amygdalopita Cake Cephalonia ★ 3.7
  128. 4,338 M Manitaropita Savory Pie Kastoria ★ 3.7
  129. 4,441 Sfakianopita Sweet Pie Chania ★ 3.7
  130. 4,508 Pastitsada Meat Dish Corfu ★ 3.7
  131. 4,598 Revithia Vegetable Soup Greece ★ 3.7
  132. 4,616 R Rengosalata Spread Greece ★ 3.7
  133. 4,678 P Potato Stew with Olives (Patates yahni me elies) Stew Zakynthos ★ 3.7
  134. 4,682 B Boiled Goat (Gida vrasti) Goat Dish Greece ★ 3.7
  135. 4,755 K Kapamas Goat Dish Rhodes Island ★ 3.7
  136. 4,756 B Bourou-bourou Vegetable Soup Corfu ★ 3.7
  137. 4,757 P Pseftopetinos Pasta Lemnos ★ 3.7
  138. 4,771 T Tsigareli Vegetable Dish Corfu ★ 3.7
  139. 4,780 P Pythia Appetizer Nisyros ★ 3.7
  140. 4,785 A Akoumia Deep-fried Dessert Symi ★ 3.7
  141. 4,819 K Kalogeros Stew Naxos Island ★ 3.7
  142. 4,832 Daktyla Corn Bread Greece ★ 3.7
  143. 4,851 F Frygadeli Offal Dish Ionian Islands ★ 3.7
  144. 4,854 S Spinialo Appetizer Kalymnos ★ 3.7
  145. 4,862 Paximadi Rusk Greece ★ 3.7
  146. 5,071 M Mermizeli Salad Kalymnos ★ 3.6
  147. 5,301 Loukaniko Sausage Greece ★ 3.6
  148. 5,338 Alevropita Savory Pie Epirus ★ 3.6
  149. 5,598 F Fritoura Deep-fried Dessert Zakynthos ★ 3.6
  150. 5,745 Karydopita Cake Greece ★ 3.6
  151. 5,769 Taramasalata Dip Greece ★ 3.6
  152. 5,782 M Malathropita Savory Pie Chios ★ 3.6
  153. 5,784 Bourbourelia Vegetable Soup Cephalonia ★ 3.6
  154. 5,917 Kalitsounia Snack Crete ★ 3.6
  155. 5,928 Eliopsomo Bread Greece ★ 3.6
  156. 6,121 M Moshari lemonato me patates Veal Dish Greece ★ 3.6
  157. 6,152 S Sofegada Stew Crete ★ 3.6
  158. 6,155 H Hamalia Sweet Pastry Skopelos ★ 3.6
  159. 6,187 Mamoulia Cookie Chios ★ 3.6
  160. 6,203 P Petimezopita Cake Greece ★ 3.6
  161. 6,210 B Byzanti Lamb Dish Karpathos ★ 3.6
  162. 6,223 O Omathies Sausage Sitia Municipality ★ 3.6
  163. 6,271 A Askordoulakous Salad Crete ★ 3.5
  164. 6,276 Kakavia Fish Soup Greece ★ 3.5
  165. 6,513 S Sofigado Stew Lefkada ★ 3.5
  166. 6,539 Akanés Dessert Sérres ★ 3.5
  167. 6,596 M Maouri Lamb Dish Kalymnos ★ 3.5
  168. 6,603 K Kordelia Pasta Chios ★ 3.5
  169. 6,604 K Karydopsomo Bread Greece ★ 3.5
  170. 6,679 Fouskakia Sweet Pastry Alonissos ★ 3.5
  171. 6,753 Tonosalata Salad Greece ★ 3.5
  172. 6,789 P Pantzarosalata Salad Greece ★ 3.5
  173. 6,817 Pasteli Snack Greece ★ 3.5
  174. 6,824 M Melintzanopita Savory Pie Greece ★ 3.5
  175. 6,844 Tsigaridia Vegetable Dish Cephalonia ★ 3.5
  176. 6,849 T Tsouvras Vegetable Soup Tilos ★ 3.5
  177. 6,850 Lazarakia Sweet Bread Greece ★ 3.5
  178. 6,875 Koufeto Dessert Milos ★ 3.5
  179. 7,041 Frigania Dessert Zakynthos ★ 3.5
  180. 7,125 Moustalevria Pudding Greece ★ 3.4
  181. 7,168 Fasolada Vegetable Soup Greece ★ 3.4
  182. 7,340 Rizogalo Pudding Greece ★ 3.4
  183. 7,355 Arakas me aginares Vegetable Dish Greece ★ 3.4
  184. 7,360 Prasorizo Rice Dish Greece ★ 3.4
  185. 7,384 E Elenia Bread Kimolos ★ 3.4
  186. 7,486 Kohli bourbouristi Snail Dish Crete ★ 3.4
  187. 7,521 B Boutridia Stew Zakynthos ★ 3.4
  188. 7,525 K Kinteata Soup Greece ★ 3.4
  189. 7,572 Revani Dessert Greece ★ 3.3
  190. 7,625 Kotopoulo me ryzi Chicken Dish Greece ★ 3.3
  191. 7,640 A Aginares salata Appetizer Crete ★ 3.3
  192. 7,666 Fasolakia Vegetable Dish Greece ★ 3.3
  193. 7,679 H Hortosoupa Vegetable Soup Greece ★ 3.3
  194. 7,764 Spanakorizo Rice Dish Greece ★ 3.3
  195. 7,803 P Psilokomeni salata Salad Greece ★ 3.3
  196. 7,929 Anginares a la Polita Stew Greece ★ 3.3
  197. 8,007 Lachanorizo Rice Dish Greece ★ 3.2
  198. 8,180 Fanouropita Cake Greece ★ 3.2
  199. 8,220 Lahanosalata Salad Greece ★ 3.1
  200. 8,256 Mandolato Dessert Ionian Islands ★ 3.1
  201. 8,446 Z Zoumero Cake Chania ★ 3.0
  202. 8,447 P Patouda Cookie Crete ★ 3.0
  203. 8,728 Patsas Offal Soup Greece ★ 2.6
  204. 8,768 Bamies Vegetable Dish Greece ★ 2.4
  205. 9,809 M Mussels saganaki (Mydia saganaki) Mussel Dish Greece
  206. 10,439 F Fig pie (Sykomaida) Dessert Corfu
Leaf 1 of 6

Gazetteer

A Regional Tour of Greek Food

Where Greece's ranked dishes were born, and what to order there.

Questions, Answered

Greek food, frequently asked. Answered from the data.

What is the most popular Greek food?
By ratings, the icons: Gyros, the stacked rotisserie meat in a pita, leads, then the Greek Salad of tomato, cucumber, and feta, and Moussaka, the layered eggplant-and-meat bake. Our best-ranked Greek dish is Païdakia, char-grilled lamb chops, the top-rated dish of any country on our map. All 28 Greek meat dishes →
What food is Greece known for?
Lamb, meze, and phyllo. Greece over-indexes on lamb, from char-grilled Païdakia to slow-cooked Kleftiko, and on savory pies wrapped in phyllo like Spanakopita and Tiropita. Add a table of meze, Saganaki, Dakos, and grilled octopus, with honey-drenched sweets to finish.
What is Greece's national dish?
Moussaka, the baked casserole of eggplant, spiced minced meat, and béchamel, is the dish most often named Greece's national plate. Souvlaki and Gyros are the everyday street icons. In our data the top-ranked Greek dish is Païdakia, the simple char-grilled lamb chops.
What is the most famous Greek dessert?
Baklava, the layered phyllo-and-nut pastry soaked in honey syrup, is the icon Greece shares across the region. Our top-ranked Greek sweet is Bougatsa, warm semolina custard in crisp phyllo, and at Christmas everyone bakes Melomakarona, honey-soaked spiced cookies. All 49 Greek desserts & sweets →
What should I eat in Crete?
Crete is Greece's deepest food region and the home of a famously healthy diet. Start with Dakos, a barley rusk piled with tomato and myzithra cheese, and Apáki, cold-smoked pork. Cretan cooking leans hard on olive oil, wild greens, and its own cheeses.
What Greek dishes do locals love that tourists miss?
Home cooking beyond the taverna grill. Gigandes plaki bakes giant butter beans in a tomato-and-herb sauce, a meze that eats like a meal. Spetsofai stews village sausage with peppers, and Melopita, a Cretan honey-and-cheese pie, is the island's gentle answer to cheesecake.