Pithari Taverna is a traditional Greek restaurant located in Highland Park, New Jersey. The taverna-style restaurant was founded in 2006 and is owned by Giannis (John) Leontarakis. Growing up in Thessaloniki, Greece, Giannis strives to bring the traditions and taste of his home country to each guest’s plate. Each dish is homemade as if it came right from yiagyia’s kitchen. In addition to BYOB dining, Pitharri offers take-out, catering and can accommodate parties including wedding showers, baptisms, birthdays and more.
Reception of the restaurant included multiple favorable reviews in The Star-Ledger, the New Jersey section of The New York Times, and New Jersey Monthly. Most recently, Pithari Taverna was named to one of “NJ’s Best Greek Restaurants” by NJ.com food critic Peter Genovese.

So what does “pithari” mean? A pithari is a small narrow-necked vessel or bottle shaped like a sphere, that people used in ancient Greece to store oil or wine – two products we love and use today.