Greeks typically have 3 meals a day. Traditionally the largest meal of the day was lunch, but many habits have changed due to Greeks adapting a westernized way of living.
If you just moved to Greece, here are a few things to know about the dating scene in Greece. Greeks have a thing for foreigners While Greece may not be the most diverse nation in Europe, it is not rare to see mixed couples in the streets (i.e., a Greek with a non-Greek), because Greeks, whether men or women, have a thing for foreigners. Many translated example sentences containing 'dinner date' – Greek-English dictionary and search engine for Greek translations. Spanikopita or otherwise known as Greek spinach pie is a traditional yet delicious recipe. With its versatility the dish matches with every time of the day. Be it dinner, as a snack or starter Spanikopita will definitely satisfy your taste buds. Feta cheese, butter, olive oil all are mixed and baked until golden crispy perfection.
Proino-Breakfast
Not the most popular meal of the day, traditionally, Greeks ate a small and simple breakfast, such as herbal tea with bread or paximadi (dried bread). Coffee was more of a luxury item, but when it was available it was consumed alone or also with bread. Another simple breakfast consisted of soft-boiled eggs with bread. Farmers who needed a breakfast to sustain them consumed trahana, a type of grain/pasta made with milk. Today breakfast is much more westernized and Greeks may eat cereal with milk, bread with jam or honey, yogurt with honey. Many Greeks just have coffee and grab something on their way to work or school such as a cheese pie, spinach pie, the popular sesame bagel-style “koulouri” or even a croissant.
Kolatsio-Mid morning snack
Since most Greeks don’t really eat a huge breakfast they usually get hungry around 11 am, their preferred snack is again a savory pie such cheese pie “tyropita” or spinach pie “spanakopita”or a ham and cheese grilled sandwich.
Mesimeriano-Lunch
In the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s before the 9 to 5 workday came into force all Greek families ate their main meal of the day at home between 1.30pm and 2.30pm, when schools were out , shops closed and dad was home. Today however this type of meal will be consumed at work and only children will eat at home. Traditionally this meal consisted of a vegetable stew/casserole with cheese, bread, salad, and wine; for the more affluent, meat may have been on the menu. Farmers would consume anything they could carry with them, which was basically bread or paximadi with cheese, olives or tomatoes, or fruit. Today Greeks still may eat a traditional vegetable casserole for lunch, but in most cases pasta grilled meat, and sandwiches are also on the menu.
Afternoon coffee
In the old days, Greeks could take a nice nap after the mesimeriano and when they woke up which was around 5 in the afternoon they would drink a Greek coffee with a spoon sweet or some other small dessert or cookie as an accompaniment. Today, not many people have the time to take a nap, but the coffee habit still remains.
Vradino-Dinner
Greeks eat late. If you go to a restaurant before 9 pm, most likely it will be empty. Most Greeks will eat dinner around 9 to 10 pm. If they have had a substantial lunch then they will eat something lighter for dinner such as fruit with yogurt, a sandwich, salad or a small amount of leftovers from lunch. If they haven’t really eaten a good meal for lunch they may have a full meal or order pizza, souvlaki, hamburgers or even Chinese. Younger generations usually eat their main meal at this time. It’s also the time Greeks go out with friends.
Special thanks to my journalist/foodie sister Maria for her contribution.
Santorini is hands-down one of the most romantic places we have ever visited. The iconic white-washed buildings with bright blue domes, the expansive Aegean Sea, the uniquely dramatic caldera vistas…it’s enough to make anyone swoon.
On top of the picture-perfect views, Santorini also boasts world-renowned wineries and delectable local products—the perfect conditions for a wonderfully romantic five-course dinner.
It had been a while since we’d dressed to impress and enjoyed fine dining, so our first night in Santorini we decided to join Gastronomy Santorini for one of their five-course tasting menus. The experience turned out to be so delightful—and the food so delicious—that we opted to do it again our final night in Santorini, too! Both occasions with Gastronomy Santorini were absolute perfection, and easily some of the best food we indulged in during our entire thirty days in Greece.
The five-course dinner is set at the restaurant of Above Blue Suites in Imervigoli. Imervigoli, in our opinion, is the absolute best place to watch the sun set in Santorini; a dinner here is worth it for the breathtaking views alone. If you head to Oia, Santorini’s most famous (and, as a result, most touristy) neighborhood to watch the sun go down, you’ll be dodging selfie sticks. At Above Blue Suites, we had nothing but tranquility, mouth-watering food, and, of course, a few glasses of wine to accompany our sweeping view.
Since we did the Santorini Five Courses Menu twice, we were able to indulge in a variety of different menu items. We don’t want to spoil all the details, but here were a few of our personal favorites:
Gastronomy Santorini Five Course Menu Highlights:
Olive Paste and Traditional Santorini Tomato Paste
It seems so simple, but these fresh dips became my favorite thing to chow down on in Santorini. The Tomato Paste, in particular, is actually unique to Santorini as it is made from cherry tomatoes only produced on the island. These Santorini tomatoes have a full flavor and bright sweetness to them, especially delicious when combined with garlic, capers, oregano and oil for the iconic Santorini Tomato Paste.
Santorini Salad
A local spin on the classic Greek salad, the Santorini salad consists of chloro cheese, Santorini tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, red onion and capers.
Santorini Tomato Balls
Tomato balls are a Santorini specialty, and no visit to the island is complete without giving them a try. I’m typically not a huge fan of deep-fried foods, and unfortunately, many of the tomato balls we had at other restaurants around Santorini left something to be desired. But I was utterly obsessed with the tomato balls we had during our Gastronomy Five Courses Dinner. Light, crunchy and jam-packed with flavor, these fried critters were as delicious as could be—without the greasy, heavy feel that frequently accompanies fried food.
Shrimp Saganaki
Saganaki refers specifically to the small frying pan that the dish is cooked in. This shrimp saganaki was delightful, surprisingly fresh and light.
Shrimp Orzo
Orzo has always been a favorite dish of mine, especially when it is rich and creamy. I had two particularly memorable orzo dishes in Greece. One was a mushroom and truffle oil orzo in Athens. The other was the shrimp orzo at our second five-course dinner. None of the other orzo dishes I had in Greece were bursting with nearly as much flavor as these.
Pork With Vinsanto Sauce and Fava Bean Dip
A brilliant combination of sweet and savory, this glazed pork was one of Dan’s favorite dishes. Fava bean dip is a typical Greek menu item and an absolute must-try. Similar to a yellow split-pea or hummus, fava dip is creamy dipping perfection.
Baklava and Ice Cream
Greece Dinner Dating Service
Layers of filo dough, delicious local honey and chopped nuts…need we even say more? Baklava paired with ice cream must be one of the most fabulous ways to end any meal.
The Santorini Wine Pairing
Of course, local Santorini wine is an absolute essential for any meal. Our dishes were paired with generous glasses of a white, a rose and a red wine. We’ll be writing an entire post that details the unique Greek wine making process. But for a sneak peek, Santorini wines are so delicious because of the unique volcanic ash and rock in the soil where the vines grow. The white Santorini wines were typically our favorite, but we enjoyed trying the different varieties throughout the duration of the dinner.
Greece Dinner Dating Websites
After the three dry wines, a small glass of Vinsanto was served. Vinsanto is a sweet dessert wine made from the sun-dried Assyrtiko and Aidani grapes of Santorini. A good Vinsanto is superb. A bad Vinsanto…not so much. Luckily, the Vinsanto that ended our five-course dining experience was wonderful.
If you’re headed to Santorini, we highly recommend making a reservation with Gastronomy Santorini. Not only is it a delicious and romantic experience, but it’s the perfect way to sample some of the most traditional, must-try Santorini dishes all in one spot.
Have you been to Santorini? What has been your most memorable dining experience while traveling?
We were guests of Gastonomy Santorini. As always, all thoughts and opinions remain our own.
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