Since 1957, Dorkada Dairy & Patisserie has kept a family tradition of flavour alive. Its legendary yoghurt, fragrant dondurma ice cream and old-fashioned sweets from the Gavvalinis family have been passed down from one generation to the next, reaching the present day at the new premises at 66 Kassandrou Street. With a host of new products now on offer, the shop is also looking firmly towards the future.

It all began with yoghurt

The story began with yoghurt in the mid-1950s, initially in Tsinari and, from 1961 onwards, at number 91 Kassandrou Street — the shop that introduced generations of Thessalonians to the flavours of Dorkada.

Yoghurt with generations of history

The famous sheep’s-milk yoghurt was the business’s very first product and remains its defining speciality — and its best-seller — to this day. Once served in traditional earthenware pots and now presented in its instantly recognisable tubs, it has stood out for decades for its wonderfully thick texture, rich flavour and distinctive creamy skin.

Made exclusively with sheep’s milk, it is now available in 300g and 500g tubs, as well as one-kilogram portions. It remains the star of the refrigerators at Dorkada’s new premises, which have been operating for the past four years directly opposite the old shop, at 66 Kassandrou Street.

Ice cream that tastes of tradition

Exceptional in texture and aroma, with every mouthful melting effortlessly on the tongue, ice cream is Dorkada’s other enduring classic.

Its traditional dondurma, made with sheep’s milk and known for its distinctive chewy texture, is produced throughout the year. It is one of the shop’s most recognisable flavours — a taste that has raised generations, evokes memories of our grandparents and belongs to that much-loved culinary heritage of old Thessaloniki that has survived into the present day.

In recent years, the range of ice-cream flavours has grown from eight to 18. New additions include salted caramel, pomegranate, pistachio, stracciatella, cinnamon biscuit, Armenoville and touloumba cream, creating an abundance of choices rarely found elsewhere in the city.

Sweets that never became “old-fashioned“

Around the yoghurt and ice cream, an entire world of desserts has grown over the years.

There are creamy desserts, fragrant rizogalorice pudding, ekmek kataifi, chocolate cakes, traybakes and a wide selection of traditional Constantinopolitan-style sweets: babas, touloumbes, trigona, revani, walnut cake, galaktoboureko, ekmek kataifi, saragli, roksakia and syrup-soaked loukoumades.

Alongside these are more internationally inspired favourites, such as strawberry and sour-cherry cheesecake and crème brûlée finished with caramel syrup — all of which remain permanent fixtures on the shop’s menu.

And then there are the flavours that take us straight back to childhood: kok, mille-feuille, individual pastries, celebration cakes, profiteroles, orange pie, filo pastries filled with lemon cream or praline, galatopita, lemon and chocolate tarts, and the much-loved ‘little mouse’, which has made a comeback in the display cabinet in recent years.

The shop also stocks carefully selected honey and tahini.

Entering a new era

In 2022, after more than six decades at 91 Kassandrou Street, Dorkada moved premises. Not far — just across the road, to number 66, directly opposite the Alatza Imaret. It stayed on the very same street where generations had come to know and love it, but moved into a larger, more comfortable space better suited to the demands of modern production and the day-to-day running of the shop.

The new premises are brighter and more spacious, with a larger display counter and greater scope for both production and presentation. The move has also made it possible for the many newer products to find their place alongside the traditional favourites.

Yet the mosaic flooring, aesthetic and atmosphere of the old shop remain. At Dorkada, after all, the new was never intended to replace the old — only to give it room to carry on.

Tradition by choice

Today, the tradition is in the hands of cousins Giannis and Giannis Gavvalinis, the family’s third generation. For them, keeping the business going is a conscious choice, accompanied by a deep sense of responsibility towards everything they inherited from those who came before them.

In their early years, they benefited from the invaluable guidance and support of their parents. Today, the two cousins are hands-on every day, working in the workshop and overseeing the production process from 6.30am until the early evening hours, putting their heart and soul into what they do.

Their philosophy remains refreshingly simple: good-quality ingredients, faith in the old recipes, personal care and evolution without ever compromising on quality.

Dorkada continues to keep a family tradition of flavour alive, without leaving either its recipes or its identity behind. After all, it is not trying to become something else. It remains what Thessaloniki fell in love with — simply with more space to keep going.

Tip: The shop is open Monday to Saturday, 7.30am–10.30pm, and Sunday, 9am–10pm.