Best Spots in Athens for The Gourmet Explorers
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For food lovers
From the classic Kalamakia O Elvis and GB Roof Garden, to lesser-known spots worth adding to your trip.
★ 4.6 · 4,320 reviews
Join the queue at Kalamakia O Elvis, the open-grill souvlaki stop near Monastiraki Square. Grab skewers of smoky lamb or pork and eat them on a stool among the crowd.
★ 4.7 · 2,727 reviews
Discover GB Roof Garden, the rooftop address where Athens' skyline and the Acropolis take centre stage. Settle in for refined Mediterranean plates or cocktails as the ancient hill lights up after dark.
★ 4.7 · 14,372 reviews
Pull up a table at Karamanlidika, where a counter of cured meats and cheeses anchors a cosy farmhouse-style room. Share charcuterie and Greek plates in a spot that Athens diners keep recommending.
★ 4.4 · 6,467 reviews
Find Avli Taverne down a Monastiraki side street, where a line at the door leads to a backyard taverna. Order saganaki, Greek salad and other traditional plates in a relaxed, unpretentious setting.
★ 4.9 · 3,547 reviews
Start your Athens trip with the Original Athens Food Tour, a guided walk through markets, bakeries and tavernas. Taste pastries, cheeses, olives and honey, wander Evripidou Street, and finish with souvlaki in pita.
★ 4.4 · 10,221 reviews
Step into Tavern Klimataria, a stone-walled Athens classic with live Greek music. Share home-style dishes in a warm, vibrant room that reviewers say captures traditional Athens.
★ 4.6 · 5,192 reviews
Treat yourself to Varoulko Seaside, Lefteris Lazarou's seafood restaurant on the Piraeus waterfront. Enjoy beautifully plated seafood dishes, each explained by attentive staff, over an unhurried lunch or dinner.
★ 4.9 · 4,072 reviews
Grab a quick, flavour-packed taste of the city on the Street Food Tasting Tour, a short guided walk around central Athens. Try savoury pies, souvlaki and honey-drizzled loukoumades while passing through Psyrri's street art and cafés.
★ 4.6 · 8,124 reviews
Discover Ama Lachei, a former school turned garden restaurant where locals and visitors share the courtyard. Order a spread of modern Greek meze and mains and linger under the open sky.
★ 4.4 · 2,952 reviews
Stop by Souvlaki O Kostas, a long-running Athens counter that keeps its menu short and its prices low. Order pork souvlaki or beef kalamaki and eat them in the park next door.
★ 4.7 · 3,544 reviews
Stop at Lefteris O Politis, the souvlaki counter that has been grilling since 1951. Eat a skewer with fresh tomato and onion amid the lively lunchtime crowd.
★ 4.5 · 9,186 reviews
Discover Ristorante Atlantikos, the Athens seafood address visitors keep calling their best meal in the city. Share grilled calamari, crisp fried cod and steamed mussels over a leisurely lunch or late dinner.
★ 4.7 · 1,457 reviews
Discover CTC Urban Gastronomy, the Michelin-starred Athens restaurant known for its blind tasting menu. Surrender the choices to the kitchen and work through a surprise-led dinner in a trendy, design-minded room.
★ 4.5 · 4,718 reviews
Sit down at Opos Palia, a lively Athens restaurant with street-side tables and traditional Greek cooking. Dig into sofrito, braised beef and crisp sardines as the neighbourhood passes by.
★ 4.6 · 4,637 reviews
Pull up a chair at Mavro Provato of Press Café, a restaurant Athens regulars keep returning to. Order the lamb and relax at an outdoor table.
★ 4.6 · 629 reviews
Climb to Makris, a rooftop restaurant that looks straight at the Acropolis. Linger over creative plates and inventive cocktails as the evening light shifts.
★ 4.3 · 3,213 reviews
Pull up a seat at Diporto, an old-school Athens taverna that locals treat as their own. Take whatever the kitchen brings and eat simple, traditional Greek food without frills.
★ 4.4 · 712 reviews
Experience Delta, the two-Michelin-star dinner address in Athens. Work through an inventive multi-course menu and a cocktail pairing in an evening that feels carefully staged.
★ 4.9 · 639 reviews
Go deep on Greek flavours with the Ultimate Food Walking Tour with 15 Tastings, a four-hour guided route starting near Syntagma. Taste spinach pie, cured meats, olives and orange pie while visiting family-run shops and the central market.
★ 4.7 · 6,708 reviews
Start the day at Picky Brunch & Specialty Coffee, a perennial favourite among Athens brunch seekers. Choose between eggs Benedict with smoked salmon or a white omelette, paired with a carefully made coffee.
★ 4.2 · 2,218 reviews
Discover Akra, an Athens restaurant reimagining Greek classics with locally sourced ingredients. Share modern plates served on local earthenware in a pleasant dining room, with live music adding to the late-evening mood.
★ 4.8 · 6,095 reviews
Walk into Feyrouz, the Lebanese spot in Athens people return to again and again. Order the daily special or a pie, and finish with dessert or a coffee.
★ 4.3 · 3,574 reviews
Pull up a chair at Zisis for classic Athenian seafood without the fuss. Order the crispy fried calamari with a Greek salad and a glass of local wine.
★ 4.7 · 2,599 reviews
Settle in at Fine Mess Smokehouse, an Athens restaurant built around wood-fired, slow-cooked cooking. Choose a tasting menu or à la carte, and pair it with a cocktail.
★ 4.9 · 1,282 reviews
Cook your way into Athens with the Food Market Visit and Cooking Class with Wine, a morning or afternoon built around fresh Greek ingredients. Shop at Varvakios Agora, prepare dolmades, spanakopita and tzatziki, then share the meal with wine.
★ 4.5 · 1,444 reviews
Discover Spondi, a long-standing Athens favourite with a vaulted stone dining room and a courtyard. Linger over contemporary Mediterranean dishes, finger foods and wine chosen with the sommelier.
★ 4.7 · 1,697 reviews
Step into Aleria, a neoclassical villa where inventive Mediterranean cooking meets a stylish courtyard setting. Settle in for an unhurried multi-course dinner with attentive service, ideal for a celebration or a romantic last night in Athens.
★ 4.3 · 4,771 reviews
Join the crowd at Hoocut, the busy Athens favourite built around its much-talked-about pita. Order the spiced meat and soak up the energetic, late-night atmosphere.
★ 4.4 · 3,355 reviews
Step into Cookoovaya, a polished Athens restaurant with a loyal following since 2010. Share small plates like taramas and cheese pie before moving on to fish or meat, paired with wine.
★ 4.4 · 2,016 reviews
Settle into Manári Taverna, a warmly decorated Athens spot known for honest value. Share a fresh cheese dip, tomato salad and the steak tartare over an unhurried meal.
Athens · 🍽️ Food
Kalamakia O Elvis
1h
GB Roof Garden
1h30
Karamanlidika
1h15
Avli Taverne
Original Athens Food Tour
3h30
Tavern Klimataria
Varoulko Seaside Restaurant
1h45
Street Food Tasting Tour
2h30
Ama Lachei
SOUVLAKI O KOSTAS
30 min
Lefteris O Politis (est. 1951)
45 min
Ristorante Atlantikos
CTC Urban Gastronomy
Opos Palia
Mavro Provato of Press Café
Makris Athens Restaurant
2h
Diporto
Delta Restaurant
Ultimate Food Walking Tour with 15 Tastings
4h
Athens · 🥐 Breakfast
Picky Brunch & Specialty Coffee
Akra
Feyrouz
Zisis
Fine Mess Smokehouse
Food Market Visit and Cooking Class with Wine
Spondi Restaurant
Aleria Restaurant
hoocut
Cookoovaya
Manári Taverna
