One of the best things about traveling to Greece is the divine cuisine, but when traveling on a budget, food will often be one of your biggest expenses, yet also the one you really don’t want to skimp on (for the sake of actually enjoying your destination and not getting food poisoning).
Always look at the menu. As travelers, we may tend to order something without checking the menu, especially if we ask for something standard, like a hamburger. However, this makes it easy for restaurants to cheat on the bill. Always ask for the menu before you order, and take the time to scan it carefully.
Avoid fresh fish and order the mixed platter. Seafood tavernas in tourist areas tend to be a bit steep in price. Avoid fresh fish, such as sea bass (lavraki) or bream (tsipoura), which tend to be the most expensive items on the menu, and go instead for the mixed platter (poikilia or poikilia thalassinon). They’ll give you a mountain of seafood delights, such as shrimps, octopus, squid, and more, usually for about 15 euros a person. You’ll probably have leftovers to take back with you.
At a beach bar? Order a sandwich. If you’re swimming at an organized beach and want a bite to eat, avoid ordering plates of food and opt instead for a sandwich, such as a grilled cheese (tost), club sandwich, or hamburger. They’re cheaper and just as filling.
Check menus online before you go. This is especially important if you discovered a place online before going in person, or have been recommended a restaurant or other eatery by someone else. You can find menus with items and prices on the restaurant’s website, social media page, Google Maps (where users often upload photos of the menu), and TripAdvisor.
Don’t over-order. It’s tempting when we’re traveling to order every wonderful dish we see, especially if we’re trying a new cuisine—but when your eyes are bigger than your belly, your wallet pays the price, too. Stick to ordering only one dish per person, plus one appetizer or salad everyone can share. Remember that restaurant portions can be twice as big as normal portions, so you and your travel companion may be able to share a dish.
If you’re at a hotel, eat the complimentary breakfast. Even if it means getting up earlier than you’d like to on vacation, it’s worth it not to have to go out and buy breakfast, where you’ll have to pay as much as if you were getting lunch or dinner. (Greek trick: Get up and have your hotel’s breakfast, then go back up to your room and go back to sleep for as long as you want).
Eat like a Greek. Greeks don’t have large, elaborate meals three times a day. A Greek breakfast is often some combination of yogurt, a rusk, and fruit, while lunch during the hot summer days can be just a tost, salata horiatiki (Greek salad), or tilihto (wrapped souvlaki or gyros). Save your big meal for dinner, when you can eat comfortably during the cooler summer nights (and remember that during Greek summer, dinner can be around midnight).
Happy trails for your summer getaways!
The Inquiring Traveler's Notebook 