Taverna (in
Greek ταβέρνα), is a word taken from the
Latintaberna (in plural tabernae), meaning “shop” (see Roman
taberna). The Latin word derived from tabula, meaning “table”.
The earliest evidence of a Greek restaurant was discovered at the
Agora of Athens during excavations conducted by the
American School of Classical Studies in the early 1970s.[1] Large quantities of cooking and eating utensils were found at the taverna such as plates, mixing bowls, lidded casseroles, spits for broiling meat, mortars for chopping and grinding, as well as a cooking bell and a variety of jugs.[1] Large amounts of fish bones and shellfish remains were also found, revealing the restaurant's offerings of
oysters,
mussels,
murex, and large fish.[1] A nearby wine shop, possibly in association with the restaurant, served local
Attic wine, as well as a wide variety of wines imported from
Chios,
Mende,
Corinth,
Samos and
Lesbos.[1]
Establishments serving wine were also present in the
Byzantine Empire, as evidenced by a 10th-century CE ordinance setting a
curfew to prevent alcohol-induced "violence and rioting".[2]
Cuisine
A typical menu for a modern taverna often includes:
Appetizers or entrées like
tzatziki (yogurt, garlic and cucumber dip),
melitzanosalata (eggplant dip),
tirokafteri (whipped feta cheese, with hot peppers and olive oil dip),
spanakopita and
dolmades or dolmadakia - (rice mixture with fresh herbs such as mint and parsley and sometimes pine nuts-and in some regions minced meat is added-tightly wrapped with tender grape leaves and served with a thick and creamy, lemony sauce)
Baked dishes (magirefta) including a wide variety of seasonal vegetable dishes such as
moussaka (eggplant or zucchini, minced meat, and béchamel sauce)
Tavernes usually open at noon, with dinner hours starting at 20:00 and reaching a peak around 22:00.[3] As tourism has grown in Greece, many tavernes have attempted to cater to foreign visitors with English menus and touts or "shills" being employed in many tavernes to attract passing tourists. Similarly, tavernes in tourist areas pay commissions to tour guides who send business their way.[4]
In literature and art
The lead character in the play and film Shirley Valentine written by
Willy Russell leaves her husband and family in
Liverpool for a vacation where she has an affair with a waiter at the taverna and ends up working in the taverna.[5]
Gallery
A taverna in the Anemomilos district of
Corfu town.
Choriatiki, a Greek salad typically served at a taverna.