What to order at a Greek restaurant: a guide to traditional dishes

A Greek meal can begin with tzatziki and continue with golden cheese, fragrant vegetables, grilled meat or stuffed squid. If names such as bouyourdi and kolokithokeftedes are unfamiliar, this guide helps you choose by flavour, texture and how you want to share your meal.

Cook with me brings together home recipes and ideas for your next visit to a Greek restaurant. The dishes below introduce Greek cooking; check the current EL GRECO menu for availability.

Start with meze: small dishes to share

Meze are small dishes that let you explore several flavours. For two people, start with two or three starters and then decide whether you each want a main course. Check portion weights and order according to your appetite.

Tzatziki combines refreshing yogurt and cucumber with garlic. Skordalia is more assertive: our version blends potato, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and lemon. Choose it if you enjoy bold garlic flavour.

Make Skordalia: Greek potato and garlic dip →

Bouyourdi or feta saganaki?

Both put cheese centre stage, but their textures differ. Bouyourdi combines baked feta, tomatoes and peppers in a juicy dish that pairs well with pita. Heat depends on the chilli used, so ask how spicy it is. At EL GRECO, we also serve it in an individual clay pot.

Feta saganaki contrasts a golden exterior with the cheese inside. Our home recipe coats and fries the feta. Choose bouyourdi for baked vegetables and juices, or feta saganaki for a crisp crust.

Make Bouyourdi: baked feta with tomatoes and peppers →

Make Feta saganaki: Greek cheese in a golden crust →

Kolokithokeftedes: zucchini, herbs and a crisp crust

The long name describes zucchini fritters. Our recipe adds feta and herbs, then fries the mixture until golden. Enjoy them as a starter or alongside a salad and yogurt dip.

Meat-free does not automatically mean vegan: these fritters may contain egg and cheese. Check the ingredients of the version being served if you have dietary requirements.

Make Kolokithokeftedes: zucchini and feta fritters →

Souvlaki, gyros or bifteki: what is the difference?

Souvlaki is made with pieces of meat grilled on skewers. Gyros is associated with meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie and sliced into strips; a gyros plate serves it with sides and sauce. Our home chicken gyros recipe adapts the idea for a frying pan.

Bifteki uses seasoned minced meat. The feta-stuffed version has a salty cheese centre. Choose souvlaki for grilled chunks, gyros for seasoned strips or bifteki for the combination of meat and feta.

Make Chicken gyros plate: a home-style recipe →

Make Feta-stuffed bifteki: Greek beef patties →

Moussaka: take your time over a baked classic

Moussaka is a layered oven dish. Our version combines eggplant, potatoes, minced meat and béchamel, with a creamy texture and a golden surface.

It is a substantial main course. After starters, a simple salad may be enough alongside it; you do not need to add another side automatically.

Make Moussaka: eggplant, beef and béchamel →

Kalamari gemisto: feta-stuffed squid

Kalamari gemisto means stuffed squid. Our recipe fills it with feta, tomatoes and peppers, bringing together seafood, salty cheese and vegetables.

Ask how it is cooked and which sides come with it. Stuffed squid has a different texture and presentation from breaded squid rings.

Make Kalamari Gemisto: squid stuffed with feta →

Pikilia: a selection for the table

Pikilia means variety. Check what the menu includes: it may describe a selection of starters or mixed meats. Our Pikilia Mix Grill recipe brings several meats and sides together for sharing.

Before ordering a platter, check the recommended number of diners, total weight and included sides. This helps avoid ordering potatoes, pita or sauces twice.

Make Pikilia: Greek mixed grill for four →

Build a meal with contrasting flavours

For a first taste of Greek cooking, combine a refreshing starter, a warm starter and a main: for example, tzatziki, bouyourdi and souvlaki. If you enjoy vegetables, look for skordalia, zucchini fritters and salad, checking each dish’s ingredients.

Finish with a dessert such as portokalopita, an orange syrup cake. Ask about the portion size if you want to share. These combinations are ordering ideas, not restaurant packages or special offers.

A Greek meal in Bucharest at EL GRECO

Find us at 72 Bulevardul Basarabia, Sector 2, Bucharest. Choose a table in the dining room or on the covered terrace. Explore the current menu before your visit and book ahead for a group meal.

If a dish has caught your attention, try its home recipe in Cook with me. At the restaurant, tell our team which flavours you enjoy and ask about ingredients, allergens and availability.

Explore the EL GRECO menu →

Discover the covered terrace →

Sources and further reading

• Visit Greece · Traditional cuisine