If you are a dessert lover planning to spend your holidays in Greece, then Greece’s gastronomic capital, Thessaloniki, should be your first stop. The city is not only famous for its coffee shops, restaurants and nightlife, but also for the plentiful pastry shops offering a great variety of desserts, from the traditional tsoureki to the well-know profiterole. All different types of Greek sweets can be found in town, and here are some of our favourite pastry shops and what to order at each. Whatever you do, do not leave Thessaloniki without tasting the delights at all of them!
The most famous dessert in Thessaloniki must be on your to-eat list | Photo via Terkenlis, used with permission
If you are passing by Aristotelous Square or Agias Sofias Street and craving dessert, then make a sweet stop in Terkenlis, founded in 1948 and one of the most famous bakeries in Thessaloniki. You should definitely try the delicious and traditional sweet tsoureki (a sweet, soft bread similar to the French brioche) with white chocolate and chestnut cream filling — you will quickly understand why it’s the most famous sweet of Thessaloniki.
#localsknow where to find these treats that are still prepared using the original recipe | Photo via Elenidis, used with permission
Another favourite place and another favourite dessert, which goes back to the 1960s when Giorgos Elenidis came up with the recipe for trigona (literally meaning ‘triangles’). These delicious crunchy triangular cones filled with cream have become one of the main trademarks of the city, as well as an overall symbol of Thessaloniki’s food culture. Today, the family at Elenidis still bakes trigona following the original recipe created by Giorgos.
Some of the best desserts in town are at this stylish shop | Photo via Choureál, used with permission
Profiterole (cream puff) is a dessert that almost everyone loves, right? The combination of chocolate, cream and the soft choux makes it an absolute sweet paradise. And Thessaloniki has its very own pastry shop dedicated to profiterole at Choureál, which serves fresh and delicious profiterole every day. The unique element of this place is that the profiterole is prepared in front of your eyes, so you can watch the magic of creation before you dig in.
Breakfast meets dessert in this popular street food treat | Photo via Estrella, used with permission
Estrella is a rather new entry compared to the previous recommendations, but it has nothing to be jealous of. Currently, it’s one of the most popular street food places in Thessaloniki, where you can taste one of the most famous hybrid desserts in the world, mpougatsan. This delight is the ultimate combination of a dessert: a freshly baked croissant, filled with mpougatsa custard cream and served with strawberries and raspberries. Even the most demanding foodies will fall in love with the taste of mpougatsan.
