Delightful Greek Street Food: 13 Dishes You Must Try (2024)

There’s always a place that offers souvlaki wherever you go in Greece. Also known as Kalamaki, these little chunks of pork, chicken, lamb or beef are often served on a skewer. You can also enjoy it over salad or with a slice of warm pita bread with onions, sliced tomatoes and lemon sauce for additional flavour.

Souvlaki took the capital’s gastronomic scene by storm, making it one of the all-time favourites and best street food in Athens. Make sure to grab a serving when you arrive to get an introduction to the delicious cuisine that awaits you.

Gyros are another popular street food in the country that’s often confused with souvlaki. But how can you tell them apart? While souvlaki is marinated protein on a skewer or pita, gyros are stacked meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, similar to how shawarma meat is stacked. It is also wrapped in pita and served with other ingredients, such as red onions, tomatoes and French fries. Don’t forget to get yours with a healthy dose of tzatziki, velvety sauce made of yoghurt, cucumber and garlic for that extra burst of flavour.

Before you go and explore what Greek has to offer, kickstart your day with a delicious serving of bougatsa partnered with a hot cup of coffee.

Bougatsa is a pie consisting of semolina custard cream filling and flaky phyllo pastry. You can also have a savoury version of this pie that has minced meat and cheese. Prepare yourself for a textural sensation because you are in for a treat. Know why bougatsa has become a hit for locals and many foodie travellers with your first bite.

Loukoumades are balls of fried dough that are often alluded to as Greek doughnuts. They make a delicious sweet treat to balance out a savoury meal. Dessert lovers will enjoy the many ways loukoumades can be enjoyed. You can sprinkle it with cinnamon, partner it with chopped walnuts or eat it with a generous amount of Nutella chocolate dipping sauce.

Next on our list of best Greek street food is something you can get from both bakeries and street vendors. Koulouri is a ring-shaped wheat bread coated with sesame seeds — essentially a Greek bagel. This staple pastry is often soft and fluffy with a crispy crust. Other bakers choose to make a denser and crunchier version of koulouri for a different experience.

Koulouri can be eaten by kids during their school break or by adults while on their way to work, which has become a tradition in Greece. It can be sweet or savoury, depending on your choice of filling.

Our list just goes on and on with more delicious Greek pastries! Next on our list is tiropita, a crispy phyllo with a creamy cheese filling. It comes in many variations depending on the type of cheese used, such as feta, ricotta, parmesan, gouda, kasseri and gouda.

Indulge in the juicy and exotic flavours of this Greek spinach pie. A crowd pleaser and favourite among children, spanakopita consists of phyllo pastry, spinach filling, feta cheese, lemon juice and the occasional dill. This street food can be enjoyed as a light snack, appetiser, or main course.

First-time travellers unfamiliar with the local food scene might confuse tiropita and spanakopita with each other. Just remember that tiropita uses cheese, while spanakopita contains spinach and herbs.

Revithokeftedes is a vegetarian dish originating from the island of Sifnos and known as Greek falafels or deep-fried balls of chickpea fritters. This street food primarily uses chickpeas, an ingredient Sifnos is known for. This dish is high in fibre and protein in order to help fill the gap of meat scarcity on the island.

While the origin of dolmades is up for debate, several middle eastern countries claim it has been around for many centuries. Its name comes from the Turkish word “dolma”, which means “stuffed,” and is a perfect way to describe how it is filled with various vegetables.

Dolmades are vegetarian or vegan dishes made with grapevine leaves. These are wrapped into small rolls and stuffed with sauteed onions, rice, pine nuts, parsley and mint. Dolmades are either served cold or at room temperature. It’s best eaten with a squeeze of lemon juice or a side of Greek yoghurt.

Dakos, also known as koukouvagia, is a traditional Cretan meze dish similar to the Italian bruschetta. It uses dried bread or barley rusk and diced tomatoes garnished with dried oregano and fresh olives. It also has a splash of olive oil on top for more depth of flavour.

What makes dakos unique is mizithra, a Cretan soft cheese made from goat or sheep milk. Its soft and creamy texture is a little salty but balances perfectly with the nutty bread, fresh tomatoes and peppery olive oil.

Try kokoretsi if you have a strong and adventurous appetite. This unique dish is not for the faint of heart since it uses seasoned lamb or goat intestines wrapped around offal. Travellers can enjoy kokoretsi with flatbread and ketchup or tzatziki. Your trip to Greece won’t be complete without trying kokoretsi. I may look unappetising at first, but it’s unbelievably tasty and nutritious.

Tiropsomo is similar to spanakopita and tiropita as they use cheese as their main ingredient. But what differentiates this Greek street food is that the cheese is baked into light bread instead of filo pastry.

Apart from feta cheese, tiropsomo uses unkneaded dough made from flour and milk. It is also often finished off with herbs and olives. You can partner it with a Greek bean soup or eat it on the go as a quick snack.

While Greece isn’t known for their chestnuts, they are a beloved snack among the locals and make a great winter delicacy, especially during October. You can have roasted chestnuts or have them boiled or baked in an oven. As travellers explore Greece’s many destinations, they can easily find vendors selling them in stalls. Just look for a cloud of smoke along the streets or its irresistible aroma.