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Menus at tavernas in Greece |
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I hope that more people will discover the new Greek cuisine, the one that exists on the other side of moussaka and souvlaki. I often meet people who are afraid to order food they don't recognise. Therefore, they usually order dishes that often go under the term Greek specialties, such as moussaka and souvlaki, or saganaki, tzatziki and stuffed tomatoes.
Typical Greek food. (Picture from Naxos town.)
I understand why people don't order things they don't recognise. When I travel in other countries (it actually happens), I also don't always dare to choose things that I don't know. Even though you read the menu, and there is an explanation after each dish, it is still not certain that you understand.
A picture menu makes it easier to choose, but then you miss on many good dishes. (Picture from Lindos.)
Not everyone knows the English words for food, and even fewer can read Greek. Therefore, it is not surprising that in large tourist resorts there are menus with pictures. Then you get an idea of what kind of dishes are on offer. Unfortunately, such restaurants almost without exception only serve Greek specialties.
A picture menu can be this pretty too. (Picture from Skiathos town.) |
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It's easy for me, having travelled in Greece for 45 years, to say: but why don't you order something other than moussaka, when there is so much to choose from. But I understand. When my brother travelled to Greece for the first time in probably twenty years, the picture menus were a great help, not least for the kids who could choose for themselves what they thought looked good.
Most often the menus are in Greek and English. (Picture from Livadia in Tilos.)
In Greece, of course, there are not only menus with pictures. Greece is the promised land of menus. The most common is a classical menu folder. In addition, there are, among other things, the go-out-into-the-kitchen-and-look-into-the-pots menu, the look-in-the-window menu, point-menu and the speak menu.
I like point menus. (Picture from Finikas in Koufonissi.)
Personally, I like to go into the kitchen and lift the lids to see what's on the menu. I can also appreciate window menus, but it depends on what kind of food it is. I don't like speak menus because I can never remember what they say. For those of you who don't know what speak menu is, it is a person who rattles off what the taverna has to offer. Usually only Greeks order via speak menus.
I also like to go into the kitchen and lift the lids. (Picture from Pylos in Peloponnese.) |
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Sometimes it can be difficult if you don't know the language. (Picture from Milia in Crete.)
While we're on the subject of menus, there are a few other things
that might be good to know. Firstly, what is on the menu is not
always available. If there is a price after the dish, the dish is usually,
but not always, available. We usually always have a plan B, and sometimes
even a plan C. It can also be the other way around: the restaurant offers
dishes that are not on the menu.
A so-called talk menu where the dishes are rattles off. (Picture from Ktikados in Tinos.)
Therefore, it can be good to ask if the restaurant has anything special to offer for the day. Many times it is less common traditional home cooked food that offers, and almost always it is delicious. Such dishes can also be marketed on chalkboards outside the taverna. We usually always take advantage when something is offered in addition to the menu. You never know when that particular dish will be available again.
When I see menus like this, my mouth waters and the dinner choice is made. (Picture from Livadia.)
Something that many, but far from all, know is that a service charge is added to the bill. You pay for the bread that is placed on the table. It is usually around €1. Actually, the person taking the order should ask if you want bread with the meal, but this rarely happens. (Actually, I have experienced another type of fee: change-table fee! It was a restaurant with a very nice view, but only from the front tables. When someone at the front tables finished eating and paid, of course everyone else wanted to move there. It cost €2 to change tables.)
Fish-window-menu. (Picture from Chania in Crete.)
One more thing: if there is an asterisk next to a dish on the menu, it means that the ingredient has been frozen. That's how it should be, but not everyone cares to inform about it.
Read about Greek main dishes here »
Read about Greek starters and meze here »Read more about Greek food here »Read about Greek beverages here » |
