taverna

American  

[tuh-vur-nuh, -vair-, tah-ver-nah] / təˈvɜr nə, -ˈvɛər-, tɑˈvɛr nɑ /

noun

1. a small, unpretentious caf é or restaurant in Greece.

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taverna British  

/ təˈvɜːnə /

noun

1. (in Greece) a guesthouse that has its own bar

2. a Greek restaurant

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Etymology

Origin of taverna

1945–50; < Modern Greek tabérna (pronunciation taverna ), Medieval Greek, Late Greek < L. See tavern

Explanation

A small, casual Greek restaurant is called a taverna. You can order things including stuffed grape leaves and Greek salad with feta at a taverna. If you've never tried Greek food, you'll find many unfamiliar (but delicious) items on a taverna's menu, including moussaka, tzatziki, and souvlaki. In Greece, a traditional taverna is the ideal place to try fresh, local foods like fried squid and fish, not to mention homemade baklava for dessert. The word taverna comes from the Latin taberna, "shop, inn, or tavern."

Example Sentences

He plays the song and listens to it from a different room, imagining it is "playing faintly in the distance from a Greek taverna".

From BBC • Jul. 4, 2023

“We know about the pain of refugees,” said Dimosthenis Karavoltsos, an Alexandroupoli taverna waiter.

From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2022

Mr. Benno also said that it was difficult for Leonelli Restaurant and Bar, an Italian taverna, to establish its own personality.

From New York Times • Aug. 24, 2021

Otherwise, everything dressing up the tender kebab — crushed olives, crumbled feta, a drizzle of balsamic reduction — suggests you’re in a Greek taverna.

From Washington Post • Mar. 4, 2021

There were no shops in Bithynios, no post office or bank, only a church and one taverna.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides