There is something magical about sitting at a taverna in Greece, the sea breeze blowing, and a menu full of incredible food in front of you. British holidaymakers have fallen head over heels for Greek cuisine, and it is easy to see why.
From creamy dips to smoky grilled meats, Greek food is bold, fresh, and absolutely delicious. Here are 18 dishes that Brits simply cannot resist ordering when they are soaking up the sun in Greece.
1. Moussaka
Ask any Brit what they ordered on their first night in Greece, and moussaka will come up again and again. This legendary baked dish layers tender aubergine, spiced minced meat, and a thick, velvety bechamel sauce on top.
It comes out of the oven golden and bubbling, smelling absolutely incredible. Moussaka is hearty, warming, and deeply satisfying.
It is essentially the Greek answer to lasagne, and once you have tried the real thing in Greece, nothing else compares.
2. Tzatziki
Cool, creamy, and refreshing, tzatziki is the dip that Brits cannot stop eating from the moment they land in Greece. Made from thick Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, and fresh dill, it is tangy and light all at once.
It pairs beautifully with warm pita bread, grilled meats, or just about anything else on the table. Many Brits try to recreate it back home but admit it never quite tastes the same without the Greek sunshine.
3. Souvlaki
Souvlaki is street food royalty in Greece, and Brits absolutely love it. Tender chunks of marinated pork or chicken are threaded onto skewers and grilled over hot coals until perfectly charred on the outside and juicy inside.
Served wrapped in warm pita with tzatziki, tomatoes, and onions, it is messy, delicious, and incredibly satisfying. You will spot Brits queuing at souvlaki stalls all over Greek resorts, often ordering a second one before they have even finished the first.
4. Greek Salad
Simple, vibrant, and bursting with freshness, the Greek salad is the dish that appears on almost every table at a Greek taverna. Ripe tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olives, and a generous slab of salty feta cheese are drizzled with golden olive oil.
There is no lettuce in sight, which surprises many first-timers. The quality of the ingredients makes all the difference here.
Brits often say the tomatoes in Greece taste like a completely different vegetable compared to the ones back home.
5. Spanakopita
Spanakopita is the kind of snack that stops you in your tracks the moment the smell hits you. This flaky, golden pastry pie is packed with a filling of spinach and crumbled feta cheese, all wrapped in delicate layers of crispy phyllo dough.
You will find it in Greek bakeries and tavernas alike, often sold by the slice. Brits tend to pick one up as a mid-morning snack while wandering through a Greek market, then end up buying another one for the walk back.
6. Dolmades
Rolled up in tender vine leaves, dolmades are little parcels of pure comfort. The filling is typically a mixture of rice, herbs, and sometimes minced meat, seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil to give them a bright, zesty flavour.
They are often served as a starter or part of a meze spread, and Brits tend to be slightly unsure about them at first glance. One bite usually changes everything.
They are soft, fragrant, and completely addictive once you get started.
7. Kleftiko
Legend has it that kleftiko was invented by Greek rebels who slow-cooked stolen lamb in underground pits to hide the smoke from their enemies. Whether or not the story is true, the result is extraordinary.
Lamb is sealed in parchment paper with garlic, lemon, and herbs, then slow-cooked until it falls off the bone in the most spectacular way. Brits who order kleftiko for the first time rarely order anything else for the rest of the holiday.
It is that good.
8. Saganaki
Fried cheese that arrives at your table still sizzling in its pan? Yes, please.
Saganaki is a thick slice of firm Greek cheese, usually kefalograviera or halloumi, pan-fried until the outside is gloriously golden and the inside is soft and melting.
A squeeze of lemon over the top is all it needs. Brits go absolutely wild for saganaki, largely because it feels like an indulgent treat that you simply would not find on a typical pub menu back home.
It is pure joy on a plate.
9. Taramasalata
Taramasalata divides opinion back in Britain, mostly because the supermarket version is a shocking shade of hot pink and tastes nothing like the real deal. In Greece, it is a pale, creamy, subtly smoky dip made from cured fish roe blended with olive oil and lemon.
It is silky smooth, gently salty, and completely different from what most Brits expect. Spread generously on warm bread, it quickly becomes a holiday staple.
Many visitors admit they had written it off before trying the authentic version.
10. Pastitsio
Think of pastitsio as moussaka's pasta-loving cousin. This baked dish layers thick tubular pasta with a rich, cinnamon-spiced meat sauce, all topped with a generous blanket of creamy bechamel that bakes to a perfect golden finish.
It is comforting, filling, and has a warmth to it that makes it feel like a proper home-cooked meal, even when you are eating it on a sun-drenched terrace. Brits who discover pastitsio often say it deserves just as much international fame as its more well-known relative.
11. Horiatiki Bread
Nobody talks enough about the bread in Greece, and that is a genuine shame. Village bread, or horiatiki psomi, is crusty on the outside and wonderfully soft and chewy inside.
It arrives at the table before your food and disappears almost immediately.
Dunked in good olive oil or used to scoop up every last bit of tzatziki, it is one of those simple pleasures that Brits quietly obsess over. Some holidaymakers have admitted to filling their suitcases with Greek bread to take home.
12. Grilled Octopus
Hanging from a line in the sunshine outside a Greek taverna, drying octopus is one of the most iconic sights of a Greek holiday. Once grilled over charcoal, those tentacles become tender, slightly smoky, and beautifully charred at the edges.
A drizzle of lemon and olive oil is the only accompaniment needed. Many Brits are nervous about ordering octopus for the first time, but very few regret it.
It has a mild, sweet flavour that pairs perfectly with a cold glass of ouzo.
13. Loukoumades
Hot, golden, and drenched in honey, loukoumades are the Greek answer to doughnuts, and they are dangerously good. These small fried dough balls are crispy on the outside, pillowy soft inside, and typically finished with a generous pour of warm honey and a dusting of cinnamon.
They are sold at festivals, street stalls, and dessert cafes all over Greece. Brits tend to order a small portion and then immediately wish they had ordered the large.
Sharing is technically an option, but rarely happens in practice.
14. Fasolada
Fasolada might not sound glamorous, but Greeks consider it their national dish for good reason. This hearty white bean soup is slow-cooked with tomatoes, carrots, celery, and a generous pour of olive oil until everything melts into a thick, nourishing bowl of goodness.
It is the kind of food that warms you from the inside out. Brits who stumble across it on a menu, often on cooler evenings on the islands, are frequently surprised by just how deeply satisfying a simple bean soup can be.
15. Gyros
Gyros is the undisputed king of Greek street food. Layers of seasoned pork or chicken are stacked onto a vertical rotisserie and slowly cooked, then carved into thin, juicy slices and stuffed into warm pita bread with tzatziki, tomatoes, onions, and chips inside.
Yes, chips inside the wrap. It sounds chaotic, and it absolutely is, in the best possible way.
Brits discover gyros on their first evening and then find themselves hunting one down every single night for the rest of the trip.
16. Baklava
Sweet, sticky, and layered with enough nuts and honey to make your eyes widen, baklava is the dessert that ends every great Greek meal. Thin sheets of phyllo pastry are layered with crushed pistachios or walnuts, baked until golden, and then soaked in a fragrant honey syrup.
The result is crunchy, chewy, and intensely sweet all at once. Brits often pick up a box from a local pastry shop as a gift for family back home, then quietly eat half of it before boarding the flight.
17. Gemista
Gemista are one of those dishes that look almost too pretty to eat. Ripe tomatoes and vibrant peppers are hollowed out and packed with a fragrant mixture of rice, herbs, and sometimes a little minced meat, then roasted in the oven until soft and caramelised.
The vegetables release their juices into the rice as they cook, creating something deeply flavourful and satisfying. Brits who order gemista expecting something ordinary are consistently caught off guard by how much flavour a stuffed tomato can carry.
18. Skordalia
Skordalia is not for the faint-hearted, and that is exactly what makes it brilliant. This thick, garlicky dip is made from mashed potatoes or bread blended with a truly fearless amount of raw garlic and good olive oil until it becomes a pale, creamy spread with serious punch.
It is traditionally served alongside fried cod or beetroot, but Brits tend to eat it straight off the bread. Fair warning: it is pungent enough to keep vampires and fellow passengers on your return flight at a safe distance.
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