The North Aegean is Greece's most authentically Greek island region, a scattered archipelago of forested mountains, medieval stone villages, Byzantine monasteries, and crystalline bays stretching along Turkey's western coast. Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria, and Lemnos each carry distinct identities shaped by centuries of Greek, Byzantine, Ottoman, and ancient civilisation.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you North Aegean through its food.
Ouzo Distillery and Plomari Food Walk, Lesbos
Chios Mastic Village Food Tour
Samos Wine and Seafood Trail
Mytilini Harbour Mezedes and Ouzo Walk
Ikarian Blue Zone Food Experience
Tour formats
Different ways to experience North Aegean's food scene.
Items tours
Cooking classes
Take a piece of North Aegean home with you.
Lesbos Olive Oil and Mezedes Cooking Class
Hands-on class in a Mytilini home kitchen covering mezedes classics: taramosalata, tzatziki, stuffed vine leaves, and grilled fish. Includes local olive oil tasting.
Chios Mastic Cuisine Workshop
Workshop in a Pyrgi village home using mastic as a flavouring ingredient in savory and sweet dishes. Includes mastic tapping demonstration in season.
DIY self-guided food tour
Build your own food crawl through North Aegean.
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Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
The best ouzo is consumed slowly with ice water, not neat. Order a carafe of cold water alongside any ouzo.
On Chios, buy mastic directly from village producers or the official Mastihashop (Aplotaria 7, Chios Town) to guarantee authenticity.
Samos Muscat 'Nectar' wine: the top-tier golden dessert wine is available at the Samos Wine Cooperative shop in Malagari for €12–18 (~$13–20) per bottle — far cheaper than tourist shops.
Food tours on Ikaria are best arranged at least 1 week ahead — few formal operators exist and locals run experiences informally.
The best time for a mastic food experience is August–September when the harvest is in progress and the resin is being tapped.