Some people prefer to fly directly to the islands but I always like a day or two in Athens either side of a trip to Greece. A lot of people aren’t a fan of this city at first – it’s dirty, crazy hot in summer and has a very visible drug problem but once you scratch below the surface it has much to offer. There are so many good places to eat and drink (my hit-list is ever growing), beautiful neighbourhoods to explore, friendly people, plus cheap Airbnbs & hotels (with great rooftop pools). Athens is a great mix of past and present. There are new restaurants opening all the time amongst the decaying architecture. I’ve been a few times a year since 2020 and can honestly say it’s one of the best, most underrated cities in Europe.
📝 If you want to stay in the hotel I recommend The Stanley (although it has got a little too busy these days), Electra Metropolis Athens, Fresh Hotel, Wyndham Grand, Lighthouse of Athens or Melia Athens. They’re all in good locations for exploring and have rooftop pools. I always recommend getting a hotel with a pool as Athens gets incredibly hot in summer so you aren’t going to be walking round during the day.
📝 If you don’t care about tanning by the rooftop pool then an Airbnb is a cheaper option. You can get a modern central apartment for €40-€50 a night.
📝 Athens actually has a really beautiful coastline 35-45 minutes taxi or train from the city centre if you want to get away to the beach. Lake Vouliagmeni is also a great option to spend a day as well as the little coves nearby.
📝 Drinking; Brettos, Baba au Rum, Warehouse, Couleur Locale, Cantina Social. Heteroclito, The Clumsies, Barro Negro, Six D.O.G.S, Latraac Skate Cafe, 7 Jokers, Metaxa 2, Jazz in Jazz.
📝 The best way to explore the Greek islands is by ferry. In summer ferry tickets can sell out quick so I recommend buying them ahead of time. The best website to book your tickets is on ferryhopper.com. I also find it useful to check ferry routes here.
1. Karamanlidika – Τα Καραμανλίδικα του Φάνη
📍Plaka. An Athenian restaurant I’ve been visiting for ten years now. The name of the restaurant comes from ‘Karamanlides’ – Anatolian Greeks who were forced to leave their land as part of the mass immigration exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923. The menu is reflective of the food the Greeks ate in this region (Karaman and Cappadocia) which is why it might look more Turkish to you. Karamanlidika was originally just a deli, but when a space across the street became available they decided to take it over and start a restaurant with dishes focused around cured meat. Every dish I’ve had here has been great but this time I went for the soujuk & eggs, Greek salad, and fried beef and potatoes loaded with dill. At the end of the meal they always bring you a free dessert – Greek yogurt with marmalade.
2. Το Στέκι Του Ηλία (To Steki Tou Ilia)
📍Klima. A traditional Greek grill house serving some of the best barbecued lamb chops you’ve ever had. Try not to load up too much on the fries, horta, fava, Greek salad & tzatziki before. If you’re in a big group try some of the other grilled meats like the streaky pork (pork belly) too. The majority of the seating is set in hidden garden opposite the restaurant.
3. Diporto
📍Psyri. Diporto is a 150 year old cellar restaurant with no menu. They serve around 4-5 dishes each day. You basically eat what you’re given. There are no signs outside so you could easily miss it.This time we went early (around 10:30) so they only had three dishes ready; chickpeas, fava and grilled sardines. The rumour for the past year has been that the whole block has been sold to developers so the restaurant will be gone soon. If you’re in Athens anytime soon make sure to check it out whilst you can.
4. Taverna Oikonomou 1930
📍Ano Petralona. This is one of my favourite spots to come for slow-cooked vegetable and meat dishes. In 2023 it was taken over by a new owner but luckily the only things that have changes are some new art on the walls and beautiful new printed plates. It’s an incredibly chilled spot for a slow lunch or relaxing dinner (if you don’t have two year old with you, obviously). We went for the mixed vegetable plate which comes with courgette, okra, green beans, aubergine & tomatoes, rabbit stifado, meatballs with potatoes, gigantes and watermelon to finish. The stuffed cabbage and rooster with pasta are also popular choices here. Go in a group so you can order more.
5. Ouzeri Lesvos
📍 Exarcheia. I was drawn in by the painted window at Ouzeri Lesvos a few years ago and have been a fan ever since. The restaurant gets its name from the island of Lesvos, the third largest Greek island, and the menu is a reflection of food from the island too. The drink of choice here is obviously ouzo, given that it’s an ouzeri, and they have one of the largest selections I’ve seen at a restaurant (I count 17 different bottles in the last photo). I went for the red mullet, white beans, preserved mackerel (they have a lot of preserved fish), and fried peppers. I love all the dishes but the white beans and red mullet are favourites of mine. A lot of restaurants close between lunch and dinner in Athens but this spot stays open so great option if you need to eat at an odd hour.
6. Aster
📍Ano Petralona. A modern Cretan restaurant in Petralona. I like that the dishes are very different from your typical Athenian taverna. My favourite dish is the Cretan carbonara. All the salad dishes are great too, as is the service.
7. Seychelles
📍Metaxourgeio. The name might sound a little confusing for a Greek restaurant, but I think before they opened in 2014, the building was previously occupied by another Greek restaurant called Bahamas, so in sticking with tradition named the new spot after another tropical island. This place is great during spring & summer when the tables spill into the square across the street. Although everything is good, the pappardelle with “kavourna” beef and galomyzithra cheese is the must-order dish. We also went for the pork chops with fig honey which were incredible, green beans with garlic, tomatoes and pickled grapes as well as fries.
8. The Traditional
📍Syntagma. Το Παραδοσιακό in Greek. This place serve incredible fall-off-the-bone meats cooked on the spit. Served with fries. I tried the lamb but the pork, chicken & kontosouvli look great too.
9. Atlantikos
📍Psyri. The best and cheapest spot for seafood in central Athens. We went for fried shrimp, potatoes, seabass, dorado, green beans in garlic, lentils and anchovies, spicy peppers, a Greek salad & portokalopita to finish. The whole order with half a litre of wine, beer and ouzo came to €80 between four. You can’t go wrong.
10. O Tsombanakos
📍Kaisariani. O Tsombanakos (est 1954), a popular taverna in the Athenian neighbourhood of Kaisariani, and home to the only working jukebox in the the city. The restaurant is often visited by Olympiacos football and basketball players. The staff are super welcoming and generous with the free drinks. The prices are cheap with a lot of dishes starting at €3. All the food was great but the lamb chops are the must-get dish. The whole meal came to €100 (€25 per person). Incredible value for money.
11. Klimataria
📍Psyri. A traditional Greek taverna doing all the classics very well. The yemista (stuffed pepper & tomato) & lamb kleftiko were incredible. They often have live music too. Book ahead as it gets very busy.
12. Avli
📍Psyri. Avli (Εστιατόριο Αυλή), a makeshift taverna in a hidden courtyard, started in the 80’s serving workers in the area. Avli (meaning courtyard) has a small kitchen serving simple but delicious dishes. I went for fries & eggs, keftedes (which are supposed to be some of the best in town) and fried peppers. Closed on Tuesdays.
13. Pharaoh
📍Exarcheia. One of the hottest new restaurants in Athens. It’s a buzzing space on a dark street with a long bar and DJ right in the middle. The crowd is bougie. Despite the very modern look and feel, all the food is traditional. Exactly what I want. No bullshit. Highlights for me were the horta, stifado & rabbit. We also tried lambs liver, slow-cooked lamb, taramasalata, and smoked aubergine dip (we definitely over-ordered). All the dishes were delicious, service was great and the place is a vibe. The only thing pulling it back a little were the prices – they charge more than average for Athens, especially the area (Exarcheia). You have Rosalia just down the road which is obscenely cheap. The alcohol stood out as especially expensive – they only served small bottles of Mikonu from €6-€8 a bottle. Overall you’re looking at around €50 a head.
14. Lukumades
📍Monastiraki. The best spot in town for loukoumades (Greek doughnuts). I like mine with Nutella, ice cream and nuts.
15. O Elvis
📍Multiple Locations. Another great souvlakia spot with multiple locations across the city open 24-hours.
16. Manari Taverna
I heard mixed things about this spot but my experience was entirely good. Portions are Greek size so it’s better to go in a four instead of a 2.5 like we did. We went for the frigadeli with liver (like sheftalia but with liver) on peppers, linguine in smoked meat broth for two, tomato in its juices with samphire & olives, as well as the keftedes (not photographed). The liver wrapped in caul fat were so delicious but incredibly rich – you’re not going to want more than one or two to yourself and you get five in a portion. The linguine was so delicious even it reminded of Nigella’s marmite spaghetti slightly. The tomatoes were 10/10. Also the prices are great.
17. Mourouzis Taverna
Not technically Athens but had to include this on the list. Mourouzis had been on my hit-list for a while now but I’d never got round to visiting. It’s about 50 minutes from the city or 35 minutes south of the airport. The food, portion size and hospitality is amazing. I tried the kontosouvli (pork cooked on the spit), giant beef burger with feta & lamb on the spit. All amazing. For dessert they bring you a tray of Greek yogurt with different marmalades & liqueurs. This is a great spot to visit if you have a car or before getting your flight back.
18. O Telis Mprizoladiko
📍Psyri. This spot serve some of the best pork chops in Athens served with an unreal dish of fresh tomatoes, peppers, olive oil and feta. It’s good to be back.
19. Ama Laxei
📍Exarcheia. A beautiful open courtyard restaurant in Exarcheia, serving modern Greek dishes. This is a great area if you’re looking for somewhere a little more laidback with less tourists. Ama Lachei is one that pops up on a lot of ‘best of Athen’s’ lists so been on my hit-list for years and it delivered. All the dishes were great and with plenty of ouzo & wine between three the meal only came to around €20 a person.
20. Tis Theatrou Steki
📍Psyri. All you need to know about this place is it opens at 06:00am and it’s entirely acceptable to order beer, ouzo and tsipouro (un-aged brandy) from opening time. Aye yo! ‘Tis theatrou to steki’ in English. A favourite with workers at the local markets for slinging small sharing plates at around €3 a dish. Open for breakfast/lunch only. Closed Sundays.
21. Lefteris O Polis
📍 Omonoia. Lefteris O Polis in English. Not your typical souvlaki spot. Here they serve minced beef kebabs in a fluffy hot pita with tomato, chilli powder & onion.
20. Achilleas
📍Neos Kosmos. A lot of Athenians will tell you this is the best gyros/souvlaki spot in the city. The gyros is made up of thick cuts of pork and looks very different to a the mainstream type you see all over Greece. It will set you back €3.50 a pita. The pork was nice and tender, but crispy on the outside. It’s worth noting that this place is open during the week only. They open at 16:30 and have often sold out by 20:00.
21. Warehouse
📍Exarcheia. A great spot to try Greek wine. They also serve some well put together dishes. The croaker (fish) carpaccio was delicious.
22. O Thanasis
📍Monastiraki. A kebab spot in the famous Monastariki area. Try the yogurtlu kebab.
23. Rosalia
📍Exarcheia. A good traditional Greek taverna in Exarchia serving all the classic meat and fish dishes. They have a big garden & lots of seating in the street here too. Good for large groups.
24. ΛΙΝΟΥ ΣΟΥΜΠΑΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΣΙΑ
Linou Soumpasis & Sia in English. This is another popular modern Greek spot in Athens. I’m a big fan of the simple look and stainless steel tables and chairs. We went for the sourdough pita and tarama, fresh cheese and honeycomb, Horta and tomato, wreckfish & mussels vermicelli, and courgette pasta. My favourite dishes were the three starters. All the food was delicious but it was expensive for Athens. More what I’d expect to pay in London and double the bill at Manari Taverna last night where we couldn’t even finish all our food.
25. Falafellas
📍Syntagma. One of the best falafel wraps I’ve had and only €2.80. The chilli sauce is unreal.
26. Feyrouz
📍Syntagma. A Lebanese restaurant with two location on either side of the street. One side does traditional Lebanese flat breads and the other side does desserts. They do an amazing knefeh with ice cream.
27. Kokkion
📍Psyri. The best ice cream spot in Athens. Single scoop cones or multi scoop tubs & specialty desserts.
28. MAM
📍Multiple Locations. I’ve read a few lists saying this street bakery does the best pastries in Athens. I tried the spanikopita and it was pretty elite.
29. Oinomageireio Epirus
📍Syntagma. Oinomageireio Epirus, located inside Athens Central Market has been popular with market workers since 1898. If you fancy goat stew and a beer for breakfast then this is your place to go.
30. Zisis
📍Syntagma. A good quick eat-in/takeout seafood spot in Monastiraki. The octopus in vinegar was my favourite dish.
31. Kostas
📍Syntagma. One of the two Kostas. Here they serve pork and chicken souvlaki in a spongey pita with onions, tomato, fries and house-made tomato sauce. It’s good but I prefer tzatziki instead.
32. O Kostas
📍Syntagma. Battle of the two Kostas! There are two souvlakia spots in central Athens, both called Kosta, that people have claimed to be the best souvalki in town in the past. Here they serve pork souvlaki only. Yogurt, parsley, onions and tomato is added. The pita is a little on the crispy-side. I used to have this spot higher on the list but it since moved from the original location and I do not think it is as good as it used to be.
James Dimitri 