Thessaloniki street food: From brunch to lunchtime bites till nightlife
Thessaloniki, since its foundation in 315 BC., has always been a cosmopolitan center, a crossroad of people and cultures. And so is its gastronomy, a mixture of the traditions of all populations, that coexisted in the city, with the gastronomy of the Greek refugees from Asia Minor, who arrived in the city in the early 20th century.
Nowadays, Thessaloniki gathers of a multitude of cuisines from all over the world. A walk through the alleys of the city gives you countless possibilities and choices from Lebanese, Asian, Authentic Greek and Latin American cuisine.
Delicious street food options are made with passion and lots of love. Just because it' s street food doesn't necessarily mean it's sloppily made with no nutrients and loaded with calories. While walking down the streets of Thessaloniki you will be surprised to notice an abundance of delicious looking street food.
No visit to Thessaloniki is complete without trying bougatsa, the traditional cream-filled phyllo wrapped parcels sprinkled with icing sugar and cinnamon. In every corner of Thessaloniki, you will find “bougatsadika”- places that sell freshly made bougatsa- that usually work in the morning and serve delicious bougatsa.
Very few places make hand-stretched phyllo anymore, but Bantis does and it’s worth the trip a few blocks north of the center if you want to start your day just right with the best street food of Thessaloniki.
Nea Paralia, one of the most beautiful European landmarks, gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy desserts, cocktail drinks and fast food while combining dazzling views that soothe body and soul. Here you will find multi flavor ice cream, cotton candies, hot dogs and many more delicacies that will fill your stomach and mind with experiences.
There you can also find koulouri, the all-time favorite snack for Thessalonians. Whether you like it filled with raisins, multigrain, thin and crisp or chubby and chewy, be sure that you will find your favorite one from street vendors all over the promenade.
Greek pies, known as pites in Greek, is another option and perhaps the ultimate street food to kickstart your day throughout Greece, with many regional variations, both sweet and savory. You can get great pie anywhere in Greece, but especially in Thessaloniki, this particular street food comes directly from the people of Asia Minor who settled here in the 1920s and is known for its delicate yet tasty dough.
Souvlaki, gyros and tzatziki are of those words that immediately come to mind when you think about Greece, right? Thessaloniki is no exception when it comes to these delicacies!
Gyros is a dish made of meat, either pork or chicken, served wrapped in a pita or bread with French fries, tomatoes, onions and that delicious tzatziki sauce. Thessaloniki’s gyros are the most famous all-around Greece mainly because of the size and price. As you can imagine, our gyros are huge, cheap, but most importantly, delicious. On the other hand, souvlaki consisting of small pieces of meat, either pork or chicken is a “healthier” version of street food – or maybe not!
Besides the classics, the good thing about Thessaloniki is the fact that everyone can find options for their cravings, without excluding groups with special preferences. There are options that combine oriental cuisine with a veganism mentality. Demanding vegetarian trends in fast food genre can be found a few steps away from you in salads with lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, avocado, falafel salads that satisfy and satiate even the most difficult food enthusiasts.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, but only because it’s true: Thessaloniki is a marvelous city, and its street food definitely lives up to its name. There is an atmosphere that offers you a landscape in which you can gaze at the endless sea horizon while enjoying your food. Savor every bite!
