Any vegetarians who have been to Greece?

Question

I'm going there in a couple of weeks, and I'm a vegetarian. Is it going to be difficult for me to find dishes without meat or fish? Is Greece "vegeterian-friendly"?

Answer 1

Of course sweety!
Don't worry!
Here we have many dishes without fish or meat!
Have a nice trip!
Kisses from Greece!!!

Answer 2

There are many traditional meals in Greece which are vegetarian anyway (stuffed tomatoes, pies, etc). Not many Greeks are vegetarian, so you shouldn't expect to find "vegetarian" menus or something, but definitely many dishes. In addition, the time you are coming is traditionally fasting period for Greeks, so many Greeks don't eat meat or fish at that time. So, what you need to do is ask for "nistisima" (fasting foods) at the waiter. It is pronounced with the accent on the second i, and all "i"s are pronounced like the letter e (as in be). Oh, nistisima include dishes with seafood, not fish but shrimps, octopus etc. And they don't include cheese, so you'd better say you eat cheese.

Answer 3

As most people already said, there are few vegetarians in Greece, despite the fact that the cuisine is mainly based on vegetables and legumes. It is also true that especially the week before Easter, restaurants include more vegetarian food in their menus, but this also means fish and varieties of sea food.
If you try the stuffed tomatoes or wineleaves, make sure they are really without minced meat - we have 2 varieties. And don't eat moussaka (with aubergines, but with minced meat as well) unless it has soya minced meat. In general, it will not be veeery easy, but it will be a good chance to try different kind of starters (beans "gigantes", "chorta" boiled grass, meatballs made of courgettes "kolokithokeftedes", croquettes of cheese "tyrokroketes" and of course canelloni comes sometimes with spinach or different varieties of pasta. In any case, avoid restaurants where you see many tourists (i.e. in the area of Plaka if you come to Athens). Follow the locals.

Answer 4

I wouldn't say we are particularly "vegetarian-friendly" because many Greek dishes have red meat, chicken or fish as the basis.

It won't be too difficult to find vegetarian dishes, but you may need to move around different restaurants, or you may get bored.

The Greeks make many dishes with aubergines and courgettes, you can get stuffed tomatoes, stuffed vine leaves, spinach pie, cheese pie, many different salads and so on.

If you are going to Athens, try the Eden vegetarian restaurant in the Plaka and see my link below for others.

Answer 5

Not many vegetarians in the country, but there are plenty of good dishes based on cheese, courgettes, tomatoes, aubergines etc.
you might find meat free pizza and pasta sauces as well.

Answer 6

To tell you the truth there are very few Greeks that are vegetarians! The best dishes in Greece have to do with meat!
But, don't worry! Greece is also famous for the salads and the delicious cheese! You'll love every kind of them and especially the famous Greek-salad!

Answer 7

They do lovely salads,cos lettuce, cucumber, tomato and feta cheese, is a Greek salad, with olives, I forgot about them. And you can get pizza's or omelette's everywhere. I remember ordering an aubergine dish, can't remember what is was called, but it was a chopped aubergine cooked on a skillet in the oven. It was on flambeed, and delicious.
So read the menu and ask, but they do have a lot of aubergine based foods.

Answer 8

because of the easter you will find easily many dishes without meat or fish.

Answer 9

No problem. Plenty for you to eat. Best option is to stay in a hotel with buffet meals where you help yourself.

Answer 10

everywhere you go there are great salads and dishes without meat