Food & Drink
Where Athens Eats
From Monastiraki souvlaki at dawn to Kolonaki cocktail bars at midnight.
Where to Eat
52 places
Diporto Agoras
No menu, no sign, no website. A subterranean marble-counter taverna in the Central Market that's been serving the same chickpea soup, grilled fish, and house wine since 1887. One of Athens' last genuine anachronisms.
Bairaktaris
The definitive Monastiraki souvlaki institution — pork skewers, gyros, and grilled lamb chops served with proper chips since 1879. Perpetually crowded, correctly so. Skip the tourist menu and order à la carte.
Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani
Part charcuterie shop, part meze restaurant — cured meats, aged cheeses, and Anatolian-Greek specialities in a beautifully tiled space. The taramosalata alone justifies the visit.
Strofi
A classic Athenian taverna on the south slope of the Acropolis — grilled meats, moussaka, and a rooftop terrace with unobstructed Parthenon views. The food is honest; the view is extraordinary.
Tzitzikas kai Mermigas
Modern Greek meze done properly — a long sharing menu of regional specialities, excellent grilled octopus, and creative twists on taverna classics. Two locations in central Athens; the Mitropoleos branch is easier for tourists.
Spondi
Athens' most acclaimed fine-dining restaurant — two Michelin stars, a French-influenced tasting menu using premium Greek ingredients, and a garden courtyard in a Pangrati neoclassical villa. Reserve a month ahead.
O Thanasis
The Monastiraki souvlaki counter that Athenians actually argue about — charcoal-grilled kebabs in flatbread, without fuss or ceremony. The kalamaki pork is the benchmark.
Hytra
One Michelin star, a one-of-a-kind rooftop Onassis Cultural Centre setting, and a menu that reinterprets Greek culinary history with technical precision. The most intellectually ambitious kitchen in Athens.
Kuzina
A converted neoclassical building in Thissio with a terrace overlooking the Ancient Agora and Acropolis — the setting is exceptional. The modern Greek menu lives up to it: grilled fish, creative starters, honest execution.
Kostas Souvlaki (Plateia Agia Irini)
A hole-in-the-wall souvlaki spot that opens at 6am and sells out by noon. Pork skewers in greaseproof paper on Agia Irini Square — the city's worst-kept secret. Go at 8am for zero queue.
EKIBEN KITCHEN
A Japanese ekiben concept transplanted to central Athens — bento boxes built on railway-station precision with seasonal Greek-Japanese combinations. One of the city's most original lunch destinations.
Alex The Fresh Pasta Bar
Fresh handmade pasta crafted daily in an intimate Athens setting. Simple, ingredient-led Italian–Greek hybrid cooking with a short, rotating menu.
Manari Taverna
Open-fire Greek taverna from the team behind Vezene — whole animals, live coals, and the kind of cooking that made you fall in love with Greek food in the first place.
Birdman
Athens' best yakitori bar — charcoal-grilled skewers, Japanese whisky highballs, and vinyl records since 2017. Walk-ins welcome; gets packed after 9pm.
Iodio
Chef Georgianna Hiliadaki's daily catch restaurant — whole fish, raw bar, and ultra-seasonal Greek seafood in a stripped-back dining room. The menu changes with the market.
Akra
All-day Athens spot combining a serious bakery, restaurant, and wine bar under one roof. Naturally leavened breads in the morning, sharing plates by night.
Koita
Microbakery and dining bar with natural wine, open-fire cooking, and a groove-forward playlist. Book ahead — it fills fast.
1OAM apotheke
A contemporary Greek lifestyle brand that blends ancient wellness rituals with modern all-day dining. Herbal teas, natural wines, and thoughtful sharing plates in a calm Syntagma-area setting.
AbraOvata
Honest, ingredient-forward Greek cooking rooted in tradition — the kind of place where the olive oil matters and the portions are generous.
Voulkanizater
A beloved Athens institution — HiFi sound system, a serious kitchen, and a convivial bar that stays open late. Somewhere between a restaurant and a club for regulars.
Kora Bakery
Kolonaki's standout sourdough bakery — naturally leavened loaves, exceptional croissants, and dangerously good pastries. Weekday mornings only; sell out before noon.
Ithaki Restaurant Bar
Fine dining perched above the Athenian Riviera at Kavouri — one of Athens' most dramatic settings, with a terrace over the sea and a kitchen that matches the view.
ERGON House Athens
Ergon House is Athens' most ambitious food destination — a Michelin Key market, café, deli, and restaurant all under one roof. Come for breakfast provisions; stay for dinner.
Cinapos
Greek table cooking at its most considered — seasonal ingredients, regional recipes, and a strong commitment to the country's food culture.
Pharaoh
Wood-fire cooking and natural wines in a Exarchia loft, with vinyl sets from rotating DJs. Pharaoh made open-flame cooking Athens' most interesting dining movement.
Taverna Oikonomou
A family taverna since 1930 — barrel wine, grilled meats, and the kind of unchanged menu that takes 90 years to perfect. One of Athens' last working-class classics.
Klimataria
A Psirri institution since 1927 — barrel wine, slow-cooked stews, and live rebetiko music most evenings. The accordion starts around 9pm and the room fills fast. Order the lamb fricassee and stay late.
To Steki tou Ilia
The definitive destination for paidakia — enormous charcoal-grilled lamb chops served by the kilo with nothing but chips and bread. No pretension, no menu, just one of the great Greek eating experiences. The Thissio branch has a terrace.
Nolan
The most exciting kitchen in Athens right now — chef Sotiris Contizas fuses Japanese technique with Greek ingredients across a tight, precise menu. The wagyu gyoza with aged feta and the miso-glazed local pork are standouts. Book weeks ahead.
Seychelles
A low-key natural wine bar and kitchen in working-class Kypseli that became a pilgrimage spot for Athens' food crowd. The list leans Georgian and Greek; the food is seasonal, market-led, and unfussy. Feels like eating at a well-travelled friend's apartment.
Krinos
Athens' oldest loukoumades shop, open since 1923 on the edge of the Central Market. Hot honey-soaked Greek donuts fried to order — crisp outside, cloud-soft inside. Queue moves fast. Best eaten standing at the counter with a coffee.
Little Kook
A wildly theatrical café in Psirri that transforms its entire interior — and the alley outside — for each season. Think fairy-tale costumes, elaborate décor, and excellent cakes. Absurdly photogenic and genuinely fun. Queues form early on weekends.
Zigoala
A deeply personal tavern on Lykourgou Street, halfway between Omonia and Kotzia Square, that arrived as Athens' big hit of the season. Zigoala weaves food, music, memory and companionship into something hard to categorise — part modern tavern, part tapas bar, entirely its own thing. The aesthetic is warm and disarming, the cooking rooted in Greek tradition with a contemporary lightness. One of the more quietly special rooms in the city right now.
Focu Sauvage
After eight years of pioneering open-fire outdoor dining under the Nomade et Sauvage banner, chefs Iordanis Tseneklidis and Panagiotis Siafakas finally have a permanent home in Rouf. 'Focu' is Sardinian for fire — and fire is the heart of everything here. Modern Greek cuisine cooked over flame, with an unapologetically wild philosophy and a cult following earned one pop-up at a time. Open daily for lunch and dinner next to Rouf station.
The Black Salami Microbakery
A tiny, much-loved microbakery on Zoodochou Pigis in Exarcheia where serious sandwiches meet artisan bread. The Black Salami keeps things simple and very good — quality ingredients, bold fillings, and a neighbourhood cult following. A daytime-only spot (mornings through early afternoon) that rewards an early visit.
Talking Breads
Athens' favourite street-food chain done right — handmade brioche buns, 100% beef burgers, pizza rolls, and fried chicken with bold international flavours. The Syntagma branch (Apollonos 3-5) brings the underground Exarcheia spirit to the city centre. Casual, quick, and consistently excellent. Also on Spirou Trikoupi 11 in Exarcheia if you want the original edge.
Yphes
A quiet culinary escape in Psyrri with a refined Mediterranean soul. Yphes plates clean, honest ingredients with a modern sensibility — beautifully presented dishes in a stylish, intimate space next to the Emerald Hotel. A serious dining option between Syntagma and Monastiraki that punches well above its foot-traffic location.
Anthes
A modern bar-restaurant on Skoufou Street where Greek identity meets Japanese finesse. 'Anthes' is both an anagram of Athens and the Greek word for flowers — a fitting name for award-winning chef Ippokrates Anagnostopoulos's kitchen, where local ingredients are treated with precision and flair. Earthy colours, contemporary design, and a menu that surprises.
LS & Sia
A bright, dual-aspect space in the historic centre of Athens — part simple restaurant, part office, part candle shop. The name combines its two creators' initials. LS & Sia strips dining back to its essentials: honest Greek cooking, a relaxed atmosphere, and candlelit tables in a beautifully worn-in interior off Psyrri.
Lukumades
The go-to spot for loukoumades in central Athens — light, crispy Greek donuts fried to order and served with honey and cinnamon, praline chocolate, or creative seasonal toppings. The counter on Agias Irinis Square has a modern, minimal vibe and is perfect for a quick sweet break between sightseeing.
Pax Burgers
Award-winning burger joint on pedestrian Aiolou Street, a Athens institution since 2018. Every burger is made with 100% fresh Greek beef, grilled to order and served in daily-baked buns — twice crowned Best Burger House at Burger Fest (2023 & 2024). Great fries, quick service, and right in the thick of the city centre.
Hoocut
A next-level souvlaki spot from the Cookoovaya team, housed in an interwar building on lively Plateia Agias Irinis. The theatrical open kitchen — bakery on one side, butcher in the centre — produces house-baked pitta stuffed with premium diced cuts of lamb, pork, chicken or beef. One of the most talked-about souvlaki addresses in the city.
The Makers Athens
A relaxed all-day café on a quiet Monastiraki street, beloved for its morning bowls — acai, coconut yogurt, overnight oats — alongside proper specialty coffee and a laid-back weekend brunch. Vegan-friendly, unhurried, and exactly what you need before a day of sightseeing.
Bougatsadiko Psirri
Hand-rolled filo around warm semolina custard, sliced to order with cinnamon and icing sugar. Thessaloniki-style bougatsa in an open kitchen on Plateia Iroon — round the clock on weekends.
Atlantikos
A hidden alley seafood spot in Psirri — grilled sardines, fried calamari, and horta on paper tablecloths at half the price of the harbour tavernas. No reservations; arrive early.
Sarri's Souvlaki
A cozy corner grill on Psirri's street-art street, serving some of the best-value pork kalamaki in the old city until 1am. 4.8 stars from over a thousand reviews — still mostly locals.
Dolce Far Niente
A small Koukaki gelateria near the Acropolis Museum, making fresh-milk gelato with a traditional Italian recipe alongside classic Greek sweets such as touloumpakia. Look for the Greek-yoghurt and pistachio flavours.
Abuelo
A busy all-day stop near Syntagma for carefully made coffee, soft-serve ice cream and generous street-food sandwiches. It works for an early caffeine run, a quick lunch, or a casual central-Athens pause between sights.
Ryōtei 118
A Japanese gastro-pub on Dimitriou Gounari in Glyfada. Check the official site and Instagram for the current menu, reservations and ordering details.
Yogu Lab
A Greek frozen-yogurt shop on Mitropoleos in central Athens. Check the latest Instagram posts for the current flavours and service details.
Topa
A restaurant on Fokionos Negri in Kypseli where Cretan and Basque flavours meet. Check the official site and Instagram for the current menu and visit details.
Tylixto
A premium meatery and souvlaki spot with locations in Monastiraki and Vouliagmeni. Check the official site and Instagram for the current menu, service and location details.
Food Guides
6 guidesBest Restaurants in Athens: 12 Places Locals Actually Book
Looking for the best restaurants in Athens? Use this local guide to choose traditional tavernas, modern Greek cooking, rooftop views, late dinners, and special-occasion tables.
Athens Food Guide 2026: Where Locals Actually Eat
From Monastiraki souvlaki at 8am to Kolonaki cocktail bars at midnight — the essential Athens eating guide.
The Athens Souvlaki Guide: Where to Go, What to Order
Souvlaki is not one thing. This guide breaks down the differences — pork skewer, gyros, kalamaki — and maps the best spots in Athens by neighbourhood.
Greek Coffee Culture: From Kafeneion to Third Wave
Greek coffee is not one drink. This guide covers freddo espresso, ellinikos kafes, frappe, and the kafeneion tradition — and where to find the best of each in Athens.
Athens Food Markets: Varvakeios Central Market & Where Locals Shop
The Varvakeios central market is Athens' most unfiltered food experience — fish, meat, spice, and noise in equal measure. This guide covers what to see, buy, and eat, plus the weekly neighbourhood produce markets.
Athens Bakeries for an Early Breakfast: Koulouri, Bougatsa & Tiropita
The best Athens bakeries for an early breakfast — koulouri, bougatsa, tiropita, fresh bread, and coffee before the museums and ancient sites open.
On Instagram
17 accountsA bakery worth following
72H Artisanal Bakery
72-hour-rested sourdough, bread and pastries from two central Athens locations.
For the sweet stop
Ugly Rolls
Fresh handmade cinnamon rolls from central Athens, best visited early before they sell out.
For dinner with a view
Dionysos Zonar's
A timeless restaurant and café beneath the Acropolis, pairing Mediterranean dining with one of Athens' most iconic settings.
For the bakery stop
Varia Bakery
Check Varia Bakery's latest bakes and opening information before you go.
For the wine stop
Wine Is Fine
See Wine Is Fine's latest posts and programme before your evening visit.
For a neighbourhood meal
Alouatou
Check Alouatou's latest posts for current details before you go.
For a slower coffee stop
Allios Kafeneio
Check Allios Kafeneio's latest posts for the current programme and opening details.
A food account to check
Bluefish Restaurant
Check Bluefish Restaurant's latest posts before you visit.
Another food account to check
Nalu Athens
See Nalu Athens's latest posts before you go.
For Italian coffee and pastry
Gran Caffè Italiano
An Athens account for Italian coffee, pastry and aperitivo planning. Check recent posts before you go.
For coffee, bakes and brunch
Queen Bee
Browse Queen Bee’s latest posts as an additional reference for an Athens coffee, bakery or brunch stop.
A restaurant account to check
Domenico Trattoria
Check @domenicostrattoria’s latest posts before planning a restaurant stop.
For a Greek street-food reference
Feta Me Meli
Browse @feta_me_meli as an additional reference when planning a Greek food stop in Athens.
An account to browse before eating out
Ryotei 118
Browse @ryotei118’s latest posts as an additional reference while planning a food stop in Athens.
Another food reference to check
Yogu Greece
Browse @yogu_greece’s latest posts as an additional reference for Athens food and café planning.
A local reference for food planning
Topa Athens
Browse @topa.athens’s latest posts for another perspective when planning where to eat in Athens.
For a souvlaki stop
Tylixto
Browse @tylixto for the latest menu and visit updates from its Monastiraki and Vouliagmeni locations.
Book an Experience
Eat With a Local
Athens' food scene is best navigated with someone who knows which stall to skip, which taverna doesn't have a tourist menu, and where to get the best loukoumades in the city.