Thessaloniki Bites: 6 Fresh Culinary Gems to Savor Around the Film Festival

Days filled with films and strolls through the city make for the perfect opportunity to experience Thessaloniki’s evolving food scene. Whether you’re here for the festival or planning to visit in future, don’t miss out on these new venues  – or the chance to return to a few updated favorites. Offerings range from quality coffee, tasty snacks, and tapas to hearty meals and a wide selection of wines and cocktails.

Super Ioulios

One of the newest arrivals on Thessaloniki’s wine and culinary scene is Super Ioulios (6 Mitropolitou Gennadiou, Tel. (+30) 2310.276.562), a bar focused exclusively on natural and low-intervention wines. The space has a lofty, rectangular design reminiscent of a vintage train car, with minimalist decor, theatrical lighting, and an industrial-style duct that runs along the ceiling. As you enter, stools and counter tops line either side, followed by wine fridges, while in the back an open kitchen offers a view of the food being prepared.

The wine list features 66 selections of Greek varieties from across the country, with about a third available by the glass. Carefully selected accompaniments include Greek cheeses and cold cuts, like aeromanouro, a type of goat’s cheese from Vlasti in Kozani, and Lefkada salami from producer Delimari Bros – tasty pairings that perfectly complement the wines.

“We felt that Thessaloniki was missing a bar dedicated to natural wines. We started with this carefully curated list and hope to gradually expand it,” says Stergios Tekeridis, one of the three owners, known for his wine bar Tanini Agapi Mou in Athens, and as the co-organizer of a natural wine fair. “The most important thing for us is that we have dedicated the space to products harvested from Greek soil. Everything we use is produced in the country.”

Looking over the wine list, it seems quite bold – especially for a city that has only recently embraced wine culture. Yet, it’s a true pleasure to sit outside across from the Ottoman-era Bey Hamam sipping a Kakotrygi from Corfu or an Avgoustiati from Ilia in the Peloponnese. These are varieties unfamiliar to many, but Stergios and his team are bringing them to the fore.

Tzela Delta

Another recent addition is Tzela Delta (5 Spandoni, Tel. (+30) 2316.020.106), which opened this autumn, bringing a new vibe to Kapani, Thessaloniki’s oldest traditional market. Open from the morning for coffee, it serves snacks and sandwiches, transforming into a cocktail bar as the day progresses. Its menu features seven signature cocktails, including unique takes on the Negroni and Espresso Martini. The place pulses with good music – electronic, rock, and disco – with the tempo picking up on the days guest DJs take over the decks from Thursday through Sunday.

Estet

Lively music, beginning in the morning no less, is also a staple at Estet (78 Olympou, Tel. (+30) 693.710.3766), the new café by chef Vasilis Hamam and veteran bartender Dimitris Vlasios that launched in September. “We play it loud to bring energy to the neighborhood,” Dimitris says with a laugh as he prepares a double espresso. “We’re the first in the city to use this specific blend from Taf, the Competition Blend.” At that moment, his partner steps out of the kitchen. “I’m off to grab some ingredients for the chocolate log  – come along!” he suggests, and off we go down Filippou Street. This is a neighborhood with a human touch, as friendly greetings fill the air at the nearby nut shop, O Iraklis, where Vasilis searches for couverture chocolate and dried fruits (dehydrated osmotically without added sugar) for his dessert.

“It’s my first day in the kitchen; so far, I’ve been making everything out front. I’ll add some bergamot Turkish delight to the chocolate log for an extra kick of flavor and a unique texture,” he explains, a jar of pickled onions sitting in the background. He uses this ingredient in one of the four sandwiches on the menu, made with sourdough bread from the boutique Sourdough Microbakery, melted kaseri cheese from the Ecological Farm of Livadero in Kozani, and a spicy coffee-infused sauce (coffee sriracha) in place of traditional spices – a signature touch from Vasilis. He first created this sauce in 2016 while working in London and has incorporated it into every menu since. Another inventive sandwich on offer is the egg salad served on brioche bread. The drink list features select beers, a few low-intervention Greek wines, and a couple of cocktails like the Negroni.

MOMus Art Café

If Estet has truly livened up its spot on Olympou Street, then MOMus Art Café (TIF, 154 Egnatia) is on a similar mission within the grounds of the Thessaloniki International Fair. Located on the newly renovated ground floor of the MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art, the café first opened quietly in August and fully stepped into the spotlight in September during the Thessaloniki International Fair. Beyond museum visitors, here you’ll find digital nomads who come seeking an inspiring spot to work. The menu includes 100% Arabica coffee from the company Fiore, sandwiches, a few cold dishes like the tuna salad, and very tasty sweets prepared by chef and owner Chrysa Vasara. 

Since the café stays open until late afternoon, it also offers a variety of alcoholic beverages. Recently, it has begun hosting music and cultural events, further enriching the creative ambiance of this unique space.

Aristotél

Aiming to bring a fresh vibe to the lower side of Aristotelous Square, Aristotél (2 Aristotelous Square, Tel. (+30) 2310.222.202) has ambitious plans. Situated on the iconic square, Thessaloniki’s second most recognizable landmark after the White Tower, executive chef Alsi Sinanaj (with an impressive culinary background from establishments like Hakkasan, Wolves of Kitchen, and P. Box) faces a unique challenge: to prove that an all-day café-bar-restaurant located in one of the city’s most commercial areas, frequented by hundreds of visitors daily, can indeed offer high-quality cuisine, particularly in terms of raw ingredients and their preparation.

“We only buy water and flour – everything else, we make ourselves,” says Sinanaj, as he and his extensive team prepare everything from spice-infused oils to sourdough pita breads. “Our philosophy is based on three principles. First, everything is handmade; second, we carefully select the finest raw materials; and third, we prioritize meaningful recycling practices to reduce our environmental footprint. We make use of everything,” he explains. And while in this more mature phase he may not be doing gastronomic acrobatics, his dishes – largely crowd-pleasers – appear to be faithful to this philosophy. For example, their carbonara features real guanciale and egg yolks, and all of the pies are made with hand-rolled filo dough.

Galerie Des Morons 

Among the latest additions to Thessaloniki’s dining scene is Galerie Des Morons (17 Pavlou Mela, Tel. (+30) 2310.264.706), a Greek tapas bar with a focus on seasonal ingredients. This commitment to Greek products shines through in both the local spirits and cocktails on offer – for instance, their Margarita is made with tsipouro – as well as the other products. The menu primarily features small plates ideal for sharing, such as assortments of Greek cheeses and cured meats, complemented by a few main dishes like fresh pasta with pork cheeks.

Wine Hideout 

Older establishments have also had some fresh updates. Just up the same street from Galerie Des Morons, you’ll find Wine Hideout (38 Pavlou Mela, Tel. (+30) 2310.263.527), a refined wine bar that opens its doors at 6 p.m. Although it launched around two and a half years ago, this summer saw the food selection expand with the addition of pinsa and the wine list enriched. The latter now includes over 400 labels from Greek and international vineyards, with a remarkable selection of aged and fresh Santorini wines. Highlights include the rare Thalassitis Submerged by Gaia  – a 100% Assyrtiko wine aged for five years in waters of the Aegean – and a magnum of Sigalas Santorini 2018. Alongside the various pinsa options, there are well-crafted dishes to pair with the wine, like aged krasograviera cheese matured in wine lees.

Trizoni

The seafood restaurant Trizoni (1 Doxis & Salaminos, Tel. (+30) 2310.542.533) has also introduced changes as it celebrates three successful years in Thessaloniki and 41 years in Kryopigi, Halkidiki. Owner Asterios Sousouras recently launched a “Trizoni Comfort” menu  – a preview of the concept for a new restaurant with the same name, set to open in Kryopigi in the summer of 2025. While staying true to its core values of high-quality ingredients and a seafood-focused menu, Trizoni Comfort introduces a parallel menu with more affordable, everyday options like maroulodolmades (lettuce dolmades) with mussel pilaf, grilled sardine filets, and bruschetta with white fish in a savoro sauce. Beyond testing the waters for his newest venture, Sousouras provides those visiting the city center with the opportunity for a tasty meal.

Vregmeni Gata

Finally, Vregmeni Gata (4 Apollonos, Tel. (+30) 2310.909.999), which has been serving meals in the Toumba area for the past eight years recently began collaborating with chef Giannis Tsikondouras, a well-regarded figure in the city’s culinary scene from his time at Oinotopi-Kapnotopi. The new menu is decidedly more focused, given that the seventy-five dishes previously on offer have been reduced by about half, yet it remains true to the restaurant’s original approach, featuring both meat and fish options. Further, as Giannis explains, daily specials will be available depending on what fresh ingredients he finds. “We shop daily at Kapani market, partner with fishing boats in Lemnos, and grow our own organic vegetables in Langadas. The raw materials guide our recipes, but for winter we’ll have lots of hearty dishes like giouvetsi (orzo casserole) and fricassee (meat in a lemony herb sauce).”

In general terms, the menu is split into six distinct categories (appetizers, cheeses, salads, pasta, fish, and meat), and appears not to have unnecessary culinary frills. Most importantly, it provides clear and realistic descriptions of the dishes on offer. And how refreshing that is, to be able to sit at a restaurant and have a clear picture of what is about to land on your table, without the need to guess about what you just ordered.

This article was previously published in Greek at gastronomos.gr.