taverna

[ tuh-vur-nuh, -vair-; Greek tah-ver-nah ]

noun

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

taverna

/ təˈvɜːnə /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of taverna¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of taverna¹

C20: Modern Greek, from Latin taberna

Example Sentences

“We don’t want the Cycladic food to disappear because the younger generations sell the family taverna and it becomes a sushi bar,” she said.

From New York Times

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

At the time Ms Hanlon died she had been living in Crete for several years, working in bars and tavernas.

From BBC

Desserts are, of course, the ones you see in tavernas and cafes all over Spain: flan, rice pudding, torrijas with berries.

From New York Times

Normally busy restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and traditional tavernas in Athens remained closed with chairs flipped onto outdoor tables, including in the Greek capital’s historic Plaka district.

From Washington Times