Ladadika

Ladadika takes its name from the oil trade, ladi, and the low warehouses here stored and sold oil, spices and other goods brought through the port. The quarter survived the great fire of 1917 that destroyed most of central Thessaloniki, which left it as one of the few areas of pre-fire building still standing, but by the 1980s it had declined badly. Protection in 1985 and restoration through the 1990s turned it into a pedestrian district of tavernas, ouzeries, bars and music venues occupying the old ground-floor warehouse spaces, with painted facades in ochre and red along narrow flagstone streets. It is busy from evening onward, especially at weekends, and remains a place where the city itself eats rather than a purely visitor zone.

What you actually see

• The warehouse buildings - restored pre-1917 commercial architecture.
• The pedestrian streets - flagstone lanes closed to traffic at night.
• The tavernas and ouzeries - ground-floor eating and drinking spaces.
• The painted facades - ochre, red and yellow fronts along the lanes.

When to go

Evening any season; the quarter is quiet by day and comes alive after nine. Summer puts tables outside in the streets; winter moves everything indoors, which is cosier but louder.

Honest expectations

Prices are higher than in the university district, and some places trade on the location rather than the food. Weekend nights are crowded and noisy well past midnight. By daylight the quarter looks tired.

Nearby

The port and the Thessaloniki photography museum are alongside; Aristotelous Square is a short walk east.