Careful shopping when eating out is rewarded in Greece, where restaurant quality and prices run the gamut from exorbitant oily slop to heavenly delicacies served cheaper than you could make them.
Restaurant menus should be examined closely before seating yourself. Are taxes included in the prices? Designation of an establishment as “Category A” or “B” says more about the decor and waiters’ outfits than about food quality, and guarantees stiff prices. There’s a dependable, inverse relationship between swank and excellence; a little mangali (counter barbecue) and rickety tables joint wins every time. Eateries without written menus occasion many misunderstandings and attempted gougings. Settle the price for the most expensive items (entrees, wine) and hope for the best on the small dishes—you’ll lose your appetite itemizing charges down to the kouver (place-setting fee).
Vegetable fans will be happy in Greece, where produce is regularly transformed into appetizing (lardless) dishes. The seafood also should not be missed.