Athens Restaurants

Whether you sample octopus and ouzo near the sea, roasted goat in a 100-year-old taverna, or cutting-edge cuisine in a trendy restaurant, dining in the city is just as relaxing as it is elsewhere in Greece: waiters never rush you, reservations are often unnecessary, and no matter how crowded, the establishment can always make room for another table.

Athens's dining scene is experiencing a renaissance, with a particular focus on the intense flavors of regional Greek cooking. Quality has improved, both in preparation and presentation. International options such as classic Italian and French still abound—and a recent Greek fascination with all things Japanese means that sushi is served in every happening bar in town—but today, traditional and nouvelle Greek are the leading contenders for the Athenian palate.

The most exciting new, upscale restaurants are contemporary playgrounds for innovative chefs offering a sophisticated mélange of dishes that pay homage to Greek cooking fused with other cuisines. Some of these have also incorporated sleek design, late-night hours, DJs, and adjoining lounges full of beautiful people, forming all-in-one bar-restaurants, renowned for both star Greek chefs and glitterati customers.

Traditional restaurants serve cuisine a little closer to what a Greek grandmother would make, but more formal, and with a wider selection than the neighborhood tavernas. Truly authentic tavernas have wicker chairs that inevitably pinch your bottom, checkered tablecloths covered with butcher paper, wobbly tables that need coins under one leg, and wine drawn from the barrel and served in small metal carafes. The popular hybrid—the modern taverna—serves traditional fare in more stylish surrounds; most are in the up-and-coming industrial-cum-artsy districts. If a place looks inviting and is filled with Greeks, give it a try. Mezedopoleia, sometimes called ouzeri, serve plates of appetizers—basically Levantine tapas—to feast on while sipping ouzo, though many now serve barrel and bottled wine as well.

In the last three weeks of August, when the city empties out and most residents head for the seaside, more than 75% of the restaurants and tavernas popular among the locals close, though bar-restaurants may reopen in different summer locations by the sea. Hotel restaurants, seafood restaurants in Piraeus, and tavernas in Plaka usually remain open. Most places serve lunch from about noon to 4 (and sometimes as late as 6) and dinner from about 9 to at least midnight.

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