If any city can indeed be considered a crossroads where the West meets the East, it is Xanthi. Hundreds of kilometres from the urban centres, it can be proud of its culture, the Old Town, the lively nightlife, and the complex and exciting culinary scene.
These are the best suggestions for dining in Xanthi.
Pigasos
Inside the municipal market, you'll taste the tastiest rotisserie chicken, handcrafted appetisers, and impeccable service.
The spit in the early morning also includes pancetta, neck steak and more. All meats are grilled, from skewers and biftekia, to steak and sausages.
Try the handmade cheese salad and the fried potatoes with eggs and feta cheese.
Address: Municipal Market 1A, Xanthi, Tel . 25410 29680, facebook.com
Kookoovaya Urban Gastronomy
In a super stylish space painted in pastel colours, you will taste international cuisine, well-crafted cocktails, and wines from all over Greece.
Don't miss the salty kunefe with kadaifi with traditional Xanthi feta and sour cherry yogurt parfait, the carbonara they make here with skioufichta, staca cream and graviera, smoked pork fillet and 8-month-aged graviera, and the ajem pilaf with chicken, almonds and raisins in the cast iron.
Address: Maletsidou 2, Xanthi, Tel . 25410 21223, facebook.com
Palaia Polis
Here, you will come to try all the local flavors of the region, such as kavoorma baked with tomato and egg, traditional "patsaga" pittas with pastourma and feta, kebabs, jigerosarmades and hunkiar beyendi.
You will also find many more delicious options on the menu, such as the mushroom risotto or the grilled burger with a truffle béchamel crust and gruyere sauce.
Quiet and well-kept space, it is ideal for evening outings.
Address: Hasirtzoglou 7, Xanthi, Tel . 25410 68685, facebook.com
Fanarakia
Ideal for appetisers, it serves a wide variety of appetisers, many of which are made with local ingredients. Try the traditional kaseri Xanthi saganaki with handmade beetroot jam, eggs with pastourma and fresh tomato and peneyrli with local cheeses and cured meats.
The fries and biftekia are also delicious—good wine list with Greek vineyard labels.
Address: 18 G. Stavrou, Xanthi, Tel . 25410 73606, facebook.com
Pirounies
You will find well-cooked meats and handmade appetisers here. We singled out the ribs, the pancetta, the Thracian horseshoe sausage, the eggplant salad and baby potatoes. In the wine list, we selected labels from Greece and abroad.
Address: 25 Hydras, Xanthi, Tel . 25413 03454, facebook.com
READ MORE: Festive trip to Xanthi, a crossroads of cultures.