Terkenlis for world-famous tsoureki that flies on planes

Whenever you talk about food in Thessaloniki, Terkenlis is a name that is almost bound to come up. It feels like Terkenlis is absolutely everywhere in Thessaloniki, with its products also heavily stocked at airport duty free aisles and in Greek bakeries in and out of Greece, especially in cities like London. But the story officially started in 1948 when Stavros Terkenlis, a refugee from Asia Minor, opened the first spot on the corner of Tsimiski and Aristotelous (that original store is still there on your left, on Tsimiski, as you walk down Aristotelous heading towards the sea). In 1988, Stavros handed over the baton to his son Pavlos, who has since transformed the Terkenlis to one of Greece’s most successful chains, with 19 patisseries across Greece.

Aside from being a wholesome family-business success story, Terkenlis is still best known for its beloved tsourekia (think Greek brioche), which are also offered in various forms, such as dipped in chocolate and filled with chestnut cream. That said, it’s a fully fledged patisserie operation full of cakes and pastries, so take your pick and be warned that the melomakarona are also highly addictive.

📍 Original store: 30 Tsimiski, Thessaloniki 546 36, Greece