Vegetarian Food in Greek: Ask What a Dish Contains

At a restaurant, knowing the name of a dish is only the first step. Explain what you do not eat, then ask about the ingredients that matter to you. This fictional exchange practises those questions. The replies describe this example dish, not every restaurant’s version of it.

Read the conversation

State your own preference

Δεν τρώω means “I do not eat”. Κρέας is meat and ψάρι is fish. In Δεν τρώω κρέας ούτε ψάρι, ούτε adds “nor” or “or” after the negative statement. You can say Είμαι χορτοφάγος, “I am vegetarian”, and then explain your choices. Specific food words make the conversation more precise than a label alone.

Ask about ingredients separately

Περιέχει; means “Does it contain?” and έχει; can mean “Does it have?”. Τυρί is cheese, αυγά are eggs, γάλα is milk and βούτυρο is butter. For a plant-based preference, Δεν τρώω κρέας, ψάρι, αυγά ή γαλακτοκομικά means “I do not eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy products”. Add any other ingredient you wish to ask about rather than assuming this sentence lists everything.

Listen to both halves of the answer

Αλλά means “but”. The answer Έχει τυρί, αλλά δεν έχει αυγά contains one positive statement and one negative statement. Hearing δεν does not mean both ingredients are absent. The customer accepts cheese and orders one piece; someone avoiding dairy would need a different option. Έχετε κάτι άλλο; asks “Do you have something else?”.

Check your understanding

1. Which two foods does the customer exclude at the start?
2. Does the example pie contain cheese?
3. Does it contain eggs, according to the reply?
4. Does the customer order a whole pie?

Change the conversation

Replace the last reply with Δεν τρώω τυρί. Έχετε κάτι άλλο; — “I do not eat cheese. Do you have something else?”. Say it aloud, then practise asking separately about milk and butter with Περιέχει γάλα; and Περιέχει βούτυρο;.

Learn to read Greek menu sections or practise booking a table.