Greek cuisine is one of the most identifiably unique in the world. And what better place to taste it than Athens itself? You could dedicate your entire holiday to finding the best restaurants in Athens and, while that would be immensely pleasurable, it could take a lot of time. So we’ve found the culinary jewels of the city for you.
The best restaurants in Athens for a memorable culinary journey
You can get virtually any kind of food in Athens, along with traditional Greek dishes. The city has some splendid seafood restaurants and is known for its fine dining – it contains its fair share of Michelin-starred restaurants. The historic surroundings add an ambience you can’t get anywhere else – there’s only one city where you can dine out with views of some of the world’s most celebrated ancient ruins and monuments.
Eating is taken seriously in Athens; it’s not something to be done before getting on with your day. Mealtimes are extended and later than we’re used to in the UK. Breakfast is usually skipped, with Greeks preferring to eat their first full meal as a late lunch. Dinner service often only starts between 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm. You won’t usually have to make reservations, and if you prefer, there’s always plenty of delicious street food available.
Best restaurants in Athens overall
If you were given only a week in the city, here are some of the best restaurants in Athens, neatly categorised for you. Whether you’re after fine dining or frugal, authentic Greek taverna food, there’s a local favourite for all palates.
Best restaurant for Greek food
You’ll certainly have no trouble finding authentic Greek food in Athens. One that stands out is Klimataria, on Athens Theatre Square, not least because it’s been open since 1927. You’ll find the whole shebang here: traditional Greek dishes, bouzouki music and the world-famous Greek dancing. Plates tend to be spared these days, however. It serves all the favourite Greek food combinations, with the grilled meat platter, tis oras, being the standout.
Top-notch seafood with a sea view
Varoulko is one of at least four Michelin-starred restaurants in the city and certainly one of the very best restaurants in Athens; it’s on Akti Koumoundourou. It specialises in traditional Greek food, with a slant towards fresh seafood dishes. This results in some curiously delicious meals, like traditional Greek moussaka made with crayfish instead of minced meat. You’ll dine with a wonderful view of Mikrolimano Harbour.
The most scenic restaurant in Athens
One of the best restaurants in Athens earns its place not only for its food but also for its unrivalled views. Orizontes sits atop one of the highest hills overlooking the city, Lycabettus Hill. Eating here while watching the sunset over the Aegean Sea is an indescribable experience. The house specialities are Mediterranean dishes made with fresh local produce.
Best restaurants in Athens for traditional Greek food
It’s not hard to find the best restaurants in Athens for authentic Greek food, as so many of the city’s tavernas are family-run operations based on home recipes handed down through the generations. Some are a bit more special than others, of course, and one that can’t go unmentioned is Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani, at Sokratous 1 in central Athens. It serves regional dishes, along with locally produced cold cuts and cheeses.
The hidden traditional taverna
To Kati Allo is exactly the kind of taverna described above. It’s been owned by two generations of the same family, serving meals made from handed-down recipes for decades. Don’t be surprised by the lack of a menu – you simply choose what you want as it comes out of the oven, and the open kitchen lets you see the whole family at work cooking your meal. This charming place is on a small street near the Acropolis Museum.
Upmarket traditional Greek food
Hytra, on Leof. Andrea Siggrou, offers a more upmarket but no less authentic tasting experience. Traditional Greek dishes are presented in a multi-course menu that’s a veritable tour of the cuisine. There are some delicious creations at this Michelin-starred restaurant, like orange-scented pork and sea bass carpaccio. The desserts are worth skipping a course or two for – they alone could make this one of the best restaurants in Athens.
An affordable historic taverna
Geros tou Moria has been serving traditional food to denizens of Athens for almost a century. Naturally, it’s a family-owned establishment, where you can sample authentic Greek meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. It’s become so popular over the years that it’s taken over the next-door building on Mnisikleous. If you go for dinner, you’ll be treated to traditional live music, too.
Hearty rustic food in the city
Visit Diporto if you’re looking for more simple, rustic food in the heart of Athens, at Sokratous 9. It’s been open since 1887 and not much has changed since, from the old-style, working-class Greek food to wine that is still poured into your glass from old wooden barrels. Only a few dishes are cooked each day, so there’s no menu, but you won’t find much to quibble about with the daily selection.
Best restaurants in Athens for casual eating
There’s a myth that Greek food is best eaten with one’s hands and, while that’s not true, street food and casual eating are almost national traditions in the country. You’ll be glad of it, too, as this kind of food is not only some of the most affordable, it’s also extremely tasty. Most tourists find that if you stay long enough, you’ll miss it when you’re back home. So let’s discover the best restaurants in Athens for casual meals and snacks.
Easy eating from farm to table
You’d probably overlook a bistro called Nice n Easy in Athens for a variety of reasons, but you shouldn’t. It’s an authentic little place at Omirou 60 that serves traditional dishes made exclusively with local organic produce, going straight from the farm to your table. The ambience is extremely laid-back, as you drink Greek beer, waiting for your skewered meat or chicken to slowly cook to perfection.
Authentic farmworker fare
One of the best restaurants in Athens isn’t designed to cater for tourists, but if you know about it, you’ll enjoy some of the most delicious food in the city. Tis Theatrou to Steki, on Theatre Square, serves humble, down-to-earth food in generous portions, making it hugely popular with local farmworkers. It’s served on sharing plates containing local staples, like pan-fried battered anchovies with traditional fava dip made from chickpeas. Plates aren’t provided – simply eat whatever takes your fancy from the platters.
Gritty but hip eating spots
As is true with any city, sometimes the best eating is to be found in what looks like less salubrious establishments. Seasoned tourists look past this, but if you’re not used to it, don’t walk past the small, perhaps slightly seedy-looking, bistros. They offer wonderful local food at very cheap prices. Avli is one such place, on Agiou Dimitriou. Originally a worker’s cafe, it still serves simple and delicious fare – go there for the meatballs (keftedes).
Best restaurants in Athens for modern Greek food
The chefs in Athens aren’t all focused on traditional Greek food. Many restaurants offer modern twists on these dishes or have completely reinvented them.
Eating at some of these will be the cherry on the top of your exploration of the best restaurants in Athens. There’s a diverse range of food on offer, allowing for lots of gastronomic discoveries. Here are some of the most rewarding places to eat modern Greek cuisine.
Urban Greek gastronomy
Feedel is your first stop for inventive variations on traditional Greek dishes, at Ktena 1. The beloved marinated sardines are served with a variety of imaginative dips, and you can order entire pies to share. The twisted cheese pie is generally rated as the one to try. These dishes are served with Greek wines from a very well-curated cellar.
Mediterranean seafood creations
Barbounaki, at Charitos 39B, is named after the house speciality dish, which is small pan-fried or baked red mullet. Order it with almira, a stringy green vegetable that’s indigenous to the area served with a warm lemon and olive oil dressing. You can choose a local wine from the list or just order the house wine in a carafe, the traditional way.
Polishing off meze dishes
Athinaikon was one of the original meze eateries established in 1930s Athens. It has since evolved into quite a special place that now serves upmarket versions of these beloved casual dishes. Moussaka comes in small clay pots, and the restaurant’s eponymous fish soup is a big favourite among regulars. You’ll find it at Mitropoleos 34.
