Christina Mouratoglou was born in Thessaloniki into a family of foodies. ‘Nobody in my family was from the restaurant industry, but we are a very typical Greek family in that we are obsessed with food. Everyone is a great cook: my father, my uncles, my brother. My grandmother is the queen of gemista and dolmades.’
After moving to Scotland and then London, she worked for a while in PR, but the lure of the family passion was impossible to resist. And so, on a mission to revolutionise the idea of Greek food in the UK, in 2012 she opened Mazi in Notting Hill to rave reviews. A smash-hit cookbook soon followed. And then more restaurants, including Suzi Tros, which is inspired by the cuisine of her hometown. Here are some of highlights in Thessaloniki.
Diavasi
The local speciality in Thessaloniki is soutzoukakia, which is a long, grilled meatball and something you have to try when you’re in the city. The best place to go for soutzoukakia is Diavasi, which opened in 1977 and is still fully booked every day. It’s not an expensive place to eat and the decor is simple: bentwood chairs and white linen. But it’s a point of reference in the city and everyone passes by at some point, from locals to famous Greek actors.
P. Mela 13, Thessaloniki; @diavasi1977
Iliopetra
Recently, there has been a new wave of Greek cuisine, starting in Thessaloniki, that has brought our food up to date, while retaining its taste and heritage. To get a sense of what it’s about, go to Iliopetra in Agios Dimitrios. Chef George Zanakis is there every day, and he mixes international touches with classic Greek cooking without being pretentious or trying too hard. It’s just a very clever modern take on exceptional ingredients. The Michelin Guide is coming to Thessaloniki for the first time this year and I think he will get a star.
Eschilou 5, Thessaloniki; @iliopetra_
Ellinikon
The best pâtisserie in town – and serving the city’s best ice-cream – Ellinikon opened in 1938. The original owner passed it down to his daughter Aspa, who is one of the great characters of Thessaloniki. When she was young, she moved to Rome and bumped into fashion designer Valentino. She was very tall and beautiful, and Valentino insisted that she work for him, so she ended up modelling for him and Gucci in the 1960s, before she came back to run Ellinikon. She’s still there every day to greet people.
Leof. Vasilissis Olgas 209, Thessaloniki; ellinikon1938.gr
Trigona Elenidis
Another of Thessaloniki’s local specialities is trigona – filo pastry triangles soaked in syrup and filled with crème pâtisserie. There are quite a few places that do them, but the most famous is Trigona Elenidis, which has a few branches around town. Wherever you go, you’ll see queues outside.
Dim. Gounari 13, Thessaloniki; elenidis.gr
Mavri Thalassa
Probably the closest to fine dining Thessaloniki has to offer, Mavri Thalassa serves incredible fish dishes in a lovely setting by the sea. The owner is an old fisherman, so he knows what to look for, and the fishermen call him first when they’ve got a good catch. It’s expensive for the city, but the service is exceptional.
Nik. Plastira 3, Kalamaria, Thessaloniki; mavri-thalassa.gr
To pantopolio tis Thessaloniki
This deli is like Ali Baba’s cave. It has the best cheese, the best meats, five different taramasalatas and five different smoked aubergines. It opened in the 1950s, but the original owner was a gambler and lost the business. His son ended up working in the shop and about 10 years ago, he had saved up enough money to buy it and has made it bigger and better than ever. It makes a few sandwiches every morning using its incredible products, but they’re all sold out by 12pm – they’re that good.
Komninon 12, Thessaloniki; @to_pantopolio_tis_thessaloniki
To try Christina’s food, head to Mazi, 12 Hillgate Street, London W8 7SR; mazi.co.uk
David Annand is editorial director of Secret Trips
