YOU ARE READING
Thessaloniki: beyond the city’s walls at Toixo Toixo
SAVE
MENU
Restaurant Reviews

Molly McConnell | 28 October 2018
Toixo Toixo
3.8
Food:
Service:
Ambience:
Value:
Specialises in:
Cuisine:
Price:
$$$
Best time to visit:

I’ll admit it: Toixo Toixo, is a taverna of nostalgia for me. It’s one of the first tavernas I went to in the city on my own, recommended to me by a colleague. It was October 1, my friend and I tried feta wrapped in filo for the first time, we were hooked on Greek food from then on. Now, a year later, I returned, the day cooler and more grey, but still to sit on the patio on a Sunday afternoon.

ToixoToixo2CThessaloniki.jpg
ToixoToixo2CThessaloniki-1.jpg

Beyond the city walls, from which the taverna draws its name — toixo means wall — Toixo Toixo is open all day, from morning coffee to late night cocktail. In between, at least on the weekends, the patio and interior are full of diners, kids running from the grassy area across the street back to the table, parents talking with friends. It’s loud, and bustling, in the way that family gatherings are.

The previous visit, my friend and I ordered the borek with pastourma, the tomato fritters, and feta melt, or feta wrapped in filo, fried, then drizzled with honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. This, plus some rosé. I remember them all being delicious, though again, it might be the taste of nostalgia.

ToixoToixo2CThessaloniki-2.jpg

Aubergine salad with feta cheese and olives

This time, though, I can say the food was delicious, as it is still fresh in my taste memory. The island salad with sundried tomatoes, croutons, cucumbers, and xynomizithra cheese was a light foil to some of the heavier dishes, and the croutons absorbed the dressing, softening their crunch. The aubergine salad was chunky with red peppers and feta. The aubergine itself was smoky and soft, but not overcooked, as some are. This one has body.

ToixoToixo2CThessaloniki-3.jpg
ToixoToixo2CThessaloniki-4.jpg

Our cheese of choice, aside from those in the salads, was the kunefe. Kunefe, a pastry made with kadaifi, is cooked in a small pan so it crisps, and the cheese, mild and white, melts between the two layers of the wisps of kadaifi. Served in quarters, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with pistachios, the crisped pastry is reminiscent of a grilled cheese sandwich, each wisp of pastry a tiny crunch. This, a contrast to the beef tongue, tender and flavorful, served alongside raw white onions. Its essence, the juices left on the plate, were soaked up in a swipe of bread and sprinkle of salt. Alongside all of this was a pitcher of Malagouzia.

Situated away from the crowds along Egnatia or Tsmiski, Toixo Toixo still bustles, but in a convivial way. It’s the place you take a newcomer for their first meal in Thessaloniki. It’s the place where you remember what it is you loved so much about Greek food from the beginning.

BACK TO TOP
Related Articles for Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki: local vibes and gourmet seafood treats at Kritamos
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: local vibes and gourmet seafood treats at Kritamos
Greece
4.0
Thessaloniki: scandi interiors and a creative brunch menu at Osten
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: scandi interiors and a creative brunch menu at Osten
Thessaloniki
4.3
Thessaloniki: modernism and gourmet vibes at Pelosof
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: modernism and gourmet vibes at Pelosof
Thessaloniki
4.1
Thessaloniki: casually elegant meat dining at L'Albero
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: casually elegant meat dining at L'Albero
Thessaloniki
4.3
Thessaloniki: a classy NY-style steakhouse and a great menu at 718
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: a classy NY-style steakhouse and a great menu at 718
Thessaloniki
4.1
Thessaloniki: freshly-baked French croissants and baguettes at Le Coq
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: freshly-baked French croissants and baguettes at Le Coq
Thessaloniki
4.4
Thessaloniki: creative Greek tapas at MeZen Salonica
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: creative Greek tapas at MeZen Salonica
Thessaloniki
4.0
Thessaloniki: premium cold cuts and much much more at Salumeria
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: premium cold cuts and much much more at Salumeria
Thessaloniki
4.0
Thessaloniki: Greek creative cuisine at Extravaganza
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: Greek creative cuisine at Extravaganza
Thessaloniki
4.3
Thessaloniki: Sidewalk Dining at To Tarti
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: Sidewalk Dining at To Tarti
Thessaloniki
3.8
Thessaloniki: hand-crafted gourmet meze at Nama
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: hand-crafted gourmet meze at Nama
Thessaloniki
4.0
Thessaloniki: street art and crumpled napkins at a Neighborhood Pita Shop Vlasti
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: street art and crumpled napkins at a Neighborhood Pita Shop Vlasti
Thessaloniki
4.0
Thessaloniki: a Radikal experience on the outskirts of Ano Poli
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: a Radikal experience on the outskirts of Ano Poli
Thessaloniki
4.3
Thessaloniki: Haroupi, Like Manna from Heaven
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: Haroupi, Like Manna from Heaven
Thessaloniki
4.0
Thessaloniki: artisanal pizza straight from the oven at Margherita
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: artisanal pizza straight from the oven at Margherita
Thessaloniki
3.8
Thessaloniki: Greek creative cuisine at Mourga
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: Greek creative cuisine at Mourga
Thessaloniki
4.3
Thessaloniki: Greek deli and a long communal table at Mia Feta feta bar
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: Greek deli and a long communal table at Mia Feta feta bar
Thessaloniki
4.0
The Weekly Getaway: A day or two in Thessaloniki
Travel Guides
The Weekly Getaway: A day or two in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
4.1
Thessaloniki: a journey of Greek memories and flavors in Maitr & Margarita
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: a journey of Greek memories and flavors in Maitr & Margarita
Thessaloniki
4.3
Thessaloniki: Cretan meze style at Allos Tropos
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: Cretan meze style at Allos Tropos
Thessaloniki
4.0
Thessaloniki: finally, an all-day art coffee space at Ypsilon
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: finally, an all-day art coffee space at Ypsilon
Thessaloniki
4.5
Neighbourhoods: the revival of Thessaloniki's Caravan Saray
Neighbourhood Guides
Neighbourhoods: the revival of Thessaloniki's Caravan Saray
Thessaloniki
3.9
Thessaloniki: meat lovers reunited at Opsopion Magganie
Restaurant Reviews
Thessaloniki: meat lovers reunited at Opsopion Magganie
Thessaloniki
4.0
Thessaloniki: beyond the city’s walls at Toixo Toixo
1 of 6
2 of 6
3 of 6
4 of 6
5 of 6
6 of 6
PREVIOUS
NEXT
CLOSE