Athens Restaurants and Places to Eat in Athens

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Best places to eat and drink in Athens

Linou Soumpasis & Sia, Psiri

Open since 2022, Linou Soumpasis & Sia is one of the best examples of Athens’ neo-gastronomy. It's a love letter to Greek produce and wines, including some brilliant pet nats, and most of its offerings are made from scratch. An all-white space is perked up with metal tables and chairs and wooden counters (a great option for solo diners), and warmed with skinny beeswax church candles — apt for a former candle shop. Choose from top quality dishes with a pescatarian leaning such as hot wild greens, tuna carpaccio in watermelon oil and grilled John Dory. New for 2025, it now serves breakfast — including a delicious schnitzel bun.

Seychelles, Keramikos

Located in the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Keramikos, Seychelles is an older favourite on the neo-taverna scene. Always packed, this relaxed spot works just as well for a long lunch with friends as it does perching at the small bar for a late dinner à deux. The menu, inspired by small producers around Greece, changes regularly, but make sure to try its stalwart beef pappardelle, topped with soft mizithra cheese.

Taverna Ton Filon, Kolonos

Drawing a loyal crowd to scruffy Kolonos, Taverna Ton Filon is a co-venture from chef Yiannis Mousios and sommelier Giorgos Kontorizos. Charmingly decorated in homage to its 1950s origins, this modern taverna riffs on traditional Greek dishes, paired with good value Greek wines. The menu changes daily, but you can expect plates such as roasted beetroot with walnut skordalia, grilled sardines and some excellent wedges of potato — plus, for dessert, an addictive chocolate mousse laced with salt. In summer, the softly lit courtyard space is one of the loveliest alfresco spots in Athens. instagram.com/tavernatonfilon

Oikonomou, Ano Petralona

Opposite the much loved Zefyros outdoor cinema in the leafy neighbourhood of Ano Petralona, Oikonomou has been serving up comforting family recipes since 1930. With its chequered tile floor and joyful primrose yellow walls, it is a simple, homely taverna that nourishes stomach and soul. Alongside pitchers of hyma (house wine), order traditional dishes such as fava, rooster with spaghetti and roast lamb, which falls off the bone. On sunnier days, sit at one of its pavement tables under the shade of olive trees.

Manari Taverna, Monastiraki

A newcomer to the Athenian scene at the end of 2024, Manari has quickly cemented itself as one of the hottest tables in town. From the founder of Birdman and Nolan, it focuses heavily on meat, with a hefty chunk of its menu cooked over fire. Come with a big group and order a pile of the oregano-marinated chicken or mutton paidakia and the melt-in-the-mouth lamb giouvetsi, alongside its cabbage salad and top-notch patates. Make sure to book ahead. manaritaverna.com

Ta Kanaria, Moschato

An idyllic option for Sunday lunch, you will be surrounded by Greek families in the sun-dappled courtyard of Ta Kanaria. Run by the Argyropoulos family since the 1950s, this fish taverna has no menu, which only makes it more delightful. Dark olives, thick slices of olive oil-drenched feta and a perfect tomato salad (with grated onion) are served ahead of platters of plump prawns and excellent whole fish such as bream or red mullet sold by the kilo.

Pharaoh, Exarchia

Don’t let its location on a dodgy street between Exarchia and Omonia put you off. Once inside, Pharoah always delivers on a sexy vibe. The proud owner of a Michelin Bib Gourmand, it combines village-style dishes cooked the old fashioned way (over fire and in wood ovens), an extensive natural wine list from Greece and beyond, and vinyl. Once the kitchen closes, it transforms into a late-night bar, soundtracked by the city’s finest DJs. pharaoh.gr

Di Porto, Monastiraki

Another Athenian institution, you will find Di Porto down a few stairs in a nondescript basement opposite the Varvakeios fish market. Workers and visitors mingle at this no-menu joint that has been in operation since the late 1800s. Retsina is served in aluminium jugs, bread is plonked straight onto butcher’s paper stretched across its few tables and plates (made with ingredients from the market) include simple things such as chickpeas, meat stews and Greek salad. No-frills authenticity.

Black Salami, Exarchia

The Black Salami micro-bakery makes the best sandwiches in Athens, with its chewy yet crispy focaccia-style bread. It sells out every day by closing time at 5pm, so get there early to choose the best fillings — including my favourite with mortadella, tomato, feta and pistachios. instagram.com/the_black_salami_microbakery

Materia Prima, Pagrati

Occupying a gorgeous spot on the edge of Mesolongiou Square in Pagrati, this is the second wine bistro from the Materia Prima team. A changing menu of dishes such as potato cakes, pasta with lemon and wild mushrooms, and short ribs with celeriac are married with an impressive wine list that changes monthly — and runs the gamut from Greek Assyrtikos and Xinomavros to Pinot Noirs from Chile. materiaprima.gr

Dexamenes, Kolonaki

An all-day spot leading up the pedestrianised street from Dexameni Square, this is a winner for a sunny weekend lunch in elegant Kolonaki. Informal and walk-in only — there is often a queue but it moves quickly — Dexamenes sets up its dark green tables on the pavement and serves up a reasonably priced menu of mezze-style dishes such as dakos salad and fried calamari, with jugs of white or tall glasses of cloudy ouzo. Afterwards, you can climb nearby Lycabettus Hill for a spectacular view of the Acropolis and the wider sprawl of Athens below.

Kennedy Vins, Syntagma

Self-styled as a ‘sans sulphite listening bar’, Kennedy Vins is one of the best-looking spaces in Athens, and the latest project from photographer and magazine founder Chris Kontos. Small but perfectly formed, the bar has a thoughtful list of wines from small French producers — with a focus on the Alsace region — simple plates of cheese and charcuterie and a high-end sound system for records, which Kontos personally selects each evening. instagram.com/kennedyvins

Kora Bakery, Kolonaki

Near the bottom of Lycabettus Hill, Kora is a contemporary Athenian bakery specialising in sourdough and viennoiserie. Stop by for a high quality loaf, a pain au chocolat or one of its famous salted cookies. Look out for its fleeting offerings, including hot cross buns at Easter (a nod to co-founder Ianthi Michalaki’s time in London) or melomakarona (small honey cakes) at Christmas. korabakery.com

KORA Bakery, Mariana Bisti photo (3) copy

Tanini Agapi Mou, Exarchia

One of the pioneers of Athens’ natural wine scene, Tanini Agapi Mou (which translates as ‘Tanin my love’) has an impressive cellar of 100 all-Greek natural wines — most of which are available by the glass. Its knowledgeable, friendly staff are on hand to guide you through the vast menu (helpful ruler included), which roams from Serifos to Crete to Thessaly. Plus, look out for its regular tasting nights. taniniagapimou.gr

Wine is Fine, Monastiraki

A hit since it opened in 2023, this Gallo-Greek wine bar and restaurant puts a relaxed spin on white-tablecloth drinking and dining. Settle in at one of its pavement tables, and make your way through its white, orange, rosé and red glasses of the day — soaked up with a bowl of its much loved cacio e pepe. Walk-ins only. wineisfine.gr

A Foodie Day Trip Outside of Athens

An hour’s drive from central Athens, just over the Corinth Canal, lies the Peloponnese. Book in for lunch at Kavos 1964, an iconic family-run taverna known for its fish and shellfish dishes. After a quick dip on the tiny beach nearby, order some taramasalata, kalamaraki and horta (wild greens) to start, before sharing a vast platter of spaghetti with clams. After a long lunch, you can visit the ancient theatre in Epidaurus, which is only a short drive away and one of Greece’s most important archaeological sites.