Fabulous patisserie in northern Greece

It is a little known fact outside Greece that Thessaloniki has a great tradition of patisserie. Perhaps the locals want to keep all the lovely cakes to themselves!

This springs from the fact that it was such a cosmopolitan mixture of cultures. It has always been the melting pot of Greece, with strong influences from the baking traditions of Paris and Vienna of the 19^th century. Also important was the Turkish style of cake making. In the early part of the 20^th century some innovative pastry chefs in Thessaloniki developed their own school of patisserie. Now the city has a zaxaroplasteio (cake shop) on every corner and luscious chocolate and cream confections are displayed in mouthwatering arrays in their windows. Indeed the huge variety of cakes and the beautiful designs are one of the trademarks of Thessaloniki. Many award winning zaxaroplasteio have branches in Halkidiki as well as in the city. To name just a few, Agapitos, Plaisir, Nikos and Terkenlis. With such expertise in luxurious patisserie, any kind of celebration or wedding cake can be made to order.