General Information on eating out of house

On the Island of Chios there are many options to go out to eat and enjoy the typical Greek food. So, you can find a lot of restaurants, taverns and pita-diners. In all these locations the tip is included in the bill. Nevertheless it is common to leave a five percent tip on the table. Also, by choosing your meal, you should make sure you receive a menu, in which the ranges of food as well as the prices have to be stated. According to Greek law, this is mandatory, but in a few cases it is not observed unrequested.

 

In Chios it is also common to serve a glass of water for free to several drinks like coffee, wine or ice tea for example. On request, you will get a free refill.

 

Restaurants & Taverns

The main difference between a restaurant and a Greek tavern is the way how the food is served. In a restaurant each guest chooses a meal, which is served on a big plate. Contrarily, in a tavern you share a wide array of food (called mezedes) which is set up in the middle of the table, so everybody can reach his or her favoured food.

 

Besides the typical Greek meals like Greek salad, Saganaki, Souvlaki and Moussaka, you will be offered a wide range of fish in Chios, as it is typical for all the Aegean Islands.

 

Usually you will find restaurants in the tourist areas, like the port of Chios town for example. But there are also taverns in the little streets outside of the city centre, which cultivate the typical Greek food style. It is advised, to visit the restaurants or taverns, which are attended by a lot of Greek locals.

 

In Greek it is common to meet very late to go out for dinner in a tavern. Eating out of house is part of the Greek culture and it is just as important for the Greeks to enjoy the get together as well as the food. Story telling and laughing just belongs to the Greek eating habits and therefore a visit of a tavern might take several hours.

 

Pita-Diners

Especially in Chios town there are pita-diners on almost every street corner. These are frequented by Greeks at every time of the day. Served are several assortments of pita as well as salad, other Greek snacks and Souvlaki spits.

 

Specialties of Chios

The Island of Chios is famous for the growth of the Mastic and its further processing. Among other Mastic products, Chios is very popular for its Mastic sweets in the entire nation of Greece.

Also, you should try the chian specialty called spoon sweets. Spoon sweets are made of several fruits like grapes, apples, cherries and citrus fruits, which are preserved in syrup to give a very sweet taste to the fruits.