Waterfront

The grand stretch of the Nikis seafront, where Thessaloniki has always put its best face to the gulf, is the address for the city's formal, special-occasion dining. These are the long-established rooms — white tablecloths, attentive service, a kitchen that does classic Greek and continental cooking with polish — looking straight out at the water and the curve toward the White Tower. It is dressier and more deliberate than the rest of the city, the sort of place booked for an anniversary or a deal closed well. The sunset over the gulf is, frankly, half the menu.