Must-see restaurants in Athens

  • Ergon House Agora

    Syntagma & Plaka

    A superb addition to Athens' culinary landscape is this deli, cafe and restaurant occupying a gorgeously designed atrium space flooded with light. There…

  • Karamanlidika tou Fani

    Athens

    At this modern-day pastomageireio (combo tavern-deli) tables are set alongside the deli cases, and staff offer complimentary tasty morsels while you're…

  • Steki tou Ilia

    Athens

    If there's a line to dine at this no-frills psistaria (restaurant serving grilled food), it's worth joining. The payoff is succulent lamb and pork chops,…

  • Yiantes organic restaurant in Exharia.

    Yiantes

    Athens

    This lovely restaurant with a central courtyard garden is upmarket for Exarhia, but the food is superb and made with largely organic produce. Expect…

  • Oikeio

    Athens

    With excellent homestyle cooking, this modern taverna lives up to its name (meaning ‘homey’). It’s decorated like a cosy bistro, and tables on the…

  • Philos Athens

    Athens

    Distressed walls, a beautiful old tiled floor and a cascade of paper cranes dangling from the tall ceiling set the shabby-chic tone for this delightful…

  • Mavro Provato

    Athens

    Book ahead for this wildly popular modern mezedhopoleio (mezedhes restaurant) in Pangrati, where tables line the footpath and delicious small (well, small…

  • Sushimou

    Syntagma & Plaka

    Sushi in Athens doesn't get any better than this. Tell Antonis Drakoularakos, the Tokyo-trained chef who holds court behind the counter, your budget and…

  • Benaki Museum Cafe

    Athens

    Traditional Greek food gets dressed up to match the museum setting, with an open dining room and terrace with a view of the National Garden and the…

  • Akordeon

    Athens

    Slide into this charming butter-yellow house across from a church in a quiet Psyrri side street for a warm welcome by musician-chefs Pepi and Achilleas …

  • Feyrouz

    Athens

    Lahmajoun (flatbread topped with spiced meat and rolled up with vegetables) is the focus at this jewel box of a Turkish-Lebanese snack shop. The…

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    I Kriti

    Athens

    There is no shortage of Cretan restaurants in Athens, but this is the one that Cretans themselves recommend, especially for rare seasonal treats such as…

  • Nancy's Sweethome

    Athens

    Get your sugar fix at this place on a bustling square. It's famous for its extra-large cakes swimming in melted chocolate and giant dollops of ice cream…

  • Avocado

    Syntagma & Plaka

    This popular cafe offers a full array of vegan, gluten-free and organic treats with an international spin. Next to an organic market, and with a tiny…

  • Kalderimi

    Syntagma & Plaka

    This downtown taverna offers Greek food at its most authentic. Everything is freshly cooked and delicious: you can't go wrong. Hand-painted tables edge a…

  • Spondi

    Athens

    Athenians frequently vote two-Michelin-starred Spondi the city's best restaurant, and its Mediterranean haute cuisine, with a strong French influence, is…

  • Kostas

    Athens

    On a pleasant square opposite Agia Irini church, this old-style virtual hole-in-the-wall joint grills up tasty souvlaki and bifteki (Greek-seasoned…

  • Cremino

    Syntagma & Plaka

    The lovely proprietress at Cremino makes gelato and sorbet that's both intensely flavoured and incredibly light, using cow and buffalo milk. Flavours…

  • Outdoor tables at Thanasis restaurant in Athens.

    O Thanasis

    Athens

    In the heart of Athens' souvlaki hub, just off Plateia Monastirakiou, O Thanasis is a good place to settle in and watch the street parade. It's known…

  • Hytra

    Athens

    Hytra offers exquisitely presented Greek food with a hypermodern twist. Though portions can be small, the flavours and cooking techniques are spot on,…

  • Veneti

    Athens

    Legendary cafe Neon, famous haunt of Athens literati, fell victim to the crisis. But the cavernous space got a decent new tenant in Veneti (aka Beneth, if…

  • Diporto Agoras

    Athens

    This charming old taverna is an Athens gem. There's no signage – look for two sets of doors leading to a rustic cellar. There's no printed menu, just a…

  • Ama Lachei stis Nefelis

    Athens

    This modern mezedhopoleio (restaurant specialising in mezedhes) is a minor hike up Exarhia's hill, but you're rewarded with a lovely setting – an old…

  • Oikonomou

    Athens

    As typical, no-frills neighbourhood tavernas are slowly disappearing, it's worth making a trip to this stalwart, which excels in homestyle stews cooked…

  • Damigos

    Syntagma & Plaka

    Hidden away and with an intimate feel, this traditional place, in business since 1865, specialises in bakaliaros, toothsome cod fried in pillow-light…

  • Bougatsadiko Thessaloniki

    Athens

    Unexpected for its location on a key nightlife square in Psyrri, this place makes excellent pites (pies), with filo crust that's 'opened' (rolled out by…

  • Dos Gardenias

    Athens

    This place is authentically decorated with coloured tiles, skeleton murals and Virgin Mary icons. Margaritas and various cocktails accompanied by…

  • Hoocut

    Athens

    The five Athenian chefs behind this upmarket snack joint have focused on the quality of the ingredients to create ‘haute cuisine’ souvlaki with a choice…

  • Fouar

    Athens

    Fouar is a central meeting point for Athens' fashionable crowd. The casual-stylish restaurant serves international cuisine with a strong Asian influence…

  • Vezené

    Athens

    One of Athens' best modern Greek bistros, Vezené is a relaxed affair where the waiters will bring to the table the catch of the day and glistening cuts of…

  • Birdman

    Syntagma & Plaka

    This part of Syntagma offers a cluster of Japanese restaurants, among which Birdman, which specialises in yakitori (charcoal-grilled skewers of meat) is a…

  • Ohh Boy

    Athens

    Whitewashed tables and chairs nestle beneath olive trees at this cool cafe that has plenty of healthy eating options, including vegan cakes. It's a great…

  • Kallimarmaro

    Athens

    Exceptionally good spanakopita (spinach pie) and other pies at this neighbourhood bakery – it's the breakfast go-to for many locals. Fills all your cream…

  • Kimatothrafstis

    Athens

    This great-value, bright and casual little cafe dishes out a range of homestyle Greek cooking and alternative fare. Choose from the day's offerings at the…

  • Atlantikos

    Athens

    Tucked down a little lane, this small, hip fish restaurant is easy to miss – look for happy people chatting over heaps of shrimp shells. The atmosphere is…

  • Veneti

    Athens

    Branch of the very good bakery and pastry shop, which also sells ice cream.

  • Café Avissinia

    Athens

    This antiques-bedecked place on Plateia Avyssinias, in the middle of the antique dealers, has been legendary since the 1980s for its live music and varied…

  • Avli

    Athens

    Cheap, cheerful and borderline chaotic on weekend nights, Avli requires you to squeeze down a narrow hall to get in; you'll probably wait for service if…

  • 2 Mazi

    Syntagma & Plaka

    Inside a neoclassical mansion, this elegant dining room with white linen and proper crystal is the venue for inventive creations by chef Elias Gogos…

  • Colibri

    Athens

    Locals go here for the alleged best pizza in Athens. The pies range from classic Italian to creative vegetarian (seriously, the yoghurt works). Burgers…

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