53 Best Restaurants in Athens, Greece

Restaurants, including this multiple-award-winning Michelin-starred gem of Neoclassical design and inventive Mediterranean cuisine, are the reason Metaxourgeio's profile is on the rise. As soon as you arrive in the beautiful garden, lit with fairy lights and scattered with creative decor details, you'll want to stay for hours; the winter dining area indoors is very elegant, too, if less uplifting. Chef Gikas Xenakis's cooking is a serious candidate for notoriety, with two tasting menus, "earth & sea" or "garden & nature," with a choice of five or six dishes. There is also an excellent wine pairing alongside a wide-ranging wine list. 

Here you'll find contemporary, flavor-packed, and elegant Greek dishes you'll want to linger over for hours. Housed in a Neoclassical building where in 1915 wine and coal was sold, and which in the 1950s turned into the classic Barbagiannis taverna, Cafe Boheme moved from its former base on Omirou Street and opened here during the quiet pandemic years and has quickly developed a loyal clientele. Using fresh, seasonal, and high-quality ingredients inspired by recipes from around Greece with a touch of artistic inspiration, the cuisine at this friendly restaurant is fresh, unpretentious yet sophisticated and worth returning to try more of. Don't miss out on the succulent grilled sea bream with crispy skin that's served with horta (wild) greens, the goat cheese and dried fig salad, or the turkey meatballs with a cumin-tomato dip. 

A stupendous, 17-course gastronomic journey based on the European, Middle Eastern, and Asian culinary endeavors of awarded owner-chef Herve Ponzato awaits you at this restaurant. You'll arrive to a place that looks closed because all the windows are curtained and entrance can only be achieved by punching in a code that's sent to your phone when you book. The set menu changes every season and is based on exotic as well as local, mostly organic and wild-growing ingredients sourced from organic farmers around Greece. You can sit in the dark and intimately lit interiors at the chef's table or outdoors in a pretty yard. The chef's mottos are #blessed, #grateful and #expecttheunexpected. One thing you can surely expect is to be delighted repeatedly, to spend at least three hours on a memorable tasting adventure and to feel incredibly satisfied after a series of tiny gourmet dishes. There is also an excellent wine pairing menu offered (optional).

An ice-cream workshop (dare we say laboratory) and store, Kokkion is the brainchild of a Cordon Bleu patissiere and serves ice cream like no other in Athens. The parlor uses only superfresh ingredients like cow's milk from a small farm in northern Greece, high-quality French chocolate, and homemade caramel, seasonings, and flavorings. Most exciting of all are the unique flavors, like milk chocolate with orange and pepper and coconut sorbet with chocolate steamed biscuit and chocolate pieces, as well as classics like bitter chocolate, salted caramel, and vanilla. Lactose-free vegan options are available, too.

Try (and probably get addicted to) one of Greece's most popular and traditional desserts—loukoumades. These doughnutlike balls are deep-fried, then stuffed and slathered with an impressively enormous variety of delicious fillings and toppings. You can sit at the bench outside to feast on your selected sweets, or take them to go. The dough is freshly prepared every day using quality ingredients, as are the sauces and toppings that are sprinkled over them.

With one of the most refreshingly simple menus in Athens (it's limited to fried, crispy crayfish or shrimps and red mullet with a side of Greek salad and house wine), this taverna is always busy. On weekends lines form, as there is a no-reservation policy and because it's become an institution. Although located next to the seafront Naval Academy, there is no view to speak of—all the more reason to focus on the fresh flavors. Eating the shrimps with your hands will only add to the pleasure.

This is a refreshing addition to the Athenian dinner scene created by the Greek-Japanese owner-chef of (also very hip) Nolan. Diners keep returning to delight in an inventive, improvisational, and experimental menu based on the season's best-quality ingredients from small producers as well as the restaurant's incredibly fluffy, crunchy, and mouthwatering homemade sourdough and "lactic" cheese. There is nothing predictable about this low-profile, affordably priced yet gourmet restaurant, where tables sprawl along a pedestrian road surrounded by graffiti-covered Neoclassical mansions. Try the marinated seafood, wild buffalo tartare, ceviche, and pizza cooked in a wood fire oven, and don't overlook the cocktail menu.

With an original style of cuisine that the restaurant describes as being imbued with an "earthy philosophy" because all of its fresh ingredients are organically grown in chef Tassos Mandis's garden in Aleopochori village just outside of Athens, this new restaurant certainly offers a unique dining experience. Set in a beautiful 1920s mansion with a warmly lit two-level garden, Soil serves a gourmet set menu of 14 dishes that changes every season and takes diners from the ground up to ethereal space and then back down again, but with a gentle and indulgently pleasant landing.

An unassuming yet high-profile and recently renovated taverna, this restaurant has just celebrated a century of opening, and its devotees enjoy simple, traditional yet top-quality Greek food. From cabinet ministers, diplomats, and actors to intellectuals, its repertoire of loyal diners fills out the place at lunch and dinnertime. The appeal is simple: skillfully prepared, flavorsome Greek classics such as moussaka (layered eggplant and ground beef in fluffy béchamel sauce), and memorable side dishes like sweet shrimps in a homemade mayonnaise. The menu adapts daily to what's fresh at the open-air market with mainly ladera-style specials cooked in olive oil.

With a 100-year history and humble beginnings, Vassilenas was once a highly popular fish tavern in Pireus that gained cult status among Greece's leading intelligensia and the world's glitterati for its 18-course set of mouthwatering seafood meze dishes. Today it has been taken over from the owner's grandson and modernized in every way, moving to the Ilisia location and taking a new conceptual direction, with polished decor and elegant service. Offering an à la carte or well-priced set menu, the fish restaurant remains loyal to the authentic value of its traditional-Greek inspired dishes, tastefully made with premium quality, seasonal ingredients in a gourmet style. The set menu is made up of eight courses, from an amuse-bouche to dessert, paired with three different wines. Indeed, excellent wine is a strong point at this establishment, which has its own glass cava. During summer the restaurant's garden with strings of lights makes for a particularly pleasant escape from the feeling of urbanity. Vassilenas has since June 2022 also opened a restaurant in Antiparos in the Cyclades.

Step out of Kallidromiou Street in edgy Exarchia and find yourself in a large, lovely courtyard full of little tables and abundant greenery. Ama Lachei has gained a loyal following for its decently priced, delectable Greek dishes always made with a fanciful flourish and with bona fide ingredients. You'll find scrumptious regional cheeses; seafood appetizers such as orzo pasta with Kozani saffron and tiny shrimps; succulent meats and sausages; and plenty of vegetarian options such as the makarounes Karpathou (a traditional handmade pasta from Karpathos island) with rocket and myzithra cheese. Do like the Greeks, and accompany them with a gratifying choice of regional wines and tsipouro (the local firewater), then linger on with your parea (group of friends) until late at night. Every day there are five to nine new daily specials.

Focused on the philosophy of making what's most comfortingly indulgent from the day's seasonal and fresh ingredients, this is a sophisticated yet unpretentious and quirky Greek restaurant with a gastronomically enticing repertoire. Known for its homey, contemporary feel, it has become a hot spot for the city's foodies. Try the "bread and fish" dish and the vermicelli cooked in a seafood broth with cuttlefish ink and served with steamed clams and sautéed langoustines. Microbrewery beer lovers will also be happy here, although there is a great wine list to match.

Famously known as Zonars until falling into new ownership recently, Athenee is one of Athens's most established and elegant restaurant-cafés, where a multitude of international film stars, academics, and politicians have sipped their coffee since 1939. Located on the cosmopolitan Voukourestiou street, the plush Art Deco decor, elegant atmosphere, and sophisticated crowd create a feeling of nostalgic old-style luxury combined with modern urban liveliness. Throughout the day Athenee caters to all culinary desires, offering plush brunches, modern Greek dishes, exciting varieties of sushi, mouthwatering pastries, and perfectly mixed cocktails.

Choose among classic specialties at this old-fashioned mezedopoleio (restaurant serving mezes) founded in 1932: fresh fish grilled or fried, delicately flavored pastas, delightful seafood and traditional meat dishes. Try the cheerful barrel red or ouzo, fine companions to your meal. The decor is no-nonsense ouzeri, with marble tables, dark wood, and framed memorabilia. It's a favorite of attorneys, politicians, and local office workers. A new branch of this eatery has recently opened at Mitropoleos 34, in Central Athens, with the same menu but a more modern interior.

For a fancy coffee (think espresso mixed with Sambuca), sweet crepes, or an impromptu meal, stop at this restored Neoclassical-style mansion and watch the crowds on Apostolou Pavlou. The seating in the square in front of the restaurant bordering the ancient agora has one of the best views of the Acropolis in town.

A very well-kept secret until a couple of years ago, today Avli fills fast, so waiting a little for a table is pretty common. Bear in mind its hard to find, but if you do walk past its inconspicuous entrance, you'd be missing out on uniquely satisfying small plates and bottomless carafes of barrel wine. Dining here remains a unique experience in a village-like backyard that is nothing like the rest of Athens. Foreign artists and Greek business people alike find refuge here, especially when they want to take the afternoon off and indulge a little.

For such a tiny spot in a narrow street just off Syntagma Square, this small but stylish vegan-vegetarian favorite has many devoted fans. The comforting food appeals to health-conscious diners who appreciate the friendly atmosphere and a menu including ethnic and macrobiotic cuisine. Options include mock burgers, pizza, heartwarming curries, and raw food desserts. Its vitamin-rich juices and smoothies helped start a juice bar trend in the capital. 

In an airy Neoclassical mansion with a leafy, opulent courtyard—paved with original painted tiles, canopied by huge date palms, and illuminated by colored lanterns—Balthazar truly feels like a summer oasis in the middle of Athens. The quality and flavor is kept high on the up-to-the-minute Mediterranean menu, adding exotic touches from Asia and the Americas alongside a separate sushi card—all of which go brilliantly with a few well-mixed cocktails. The crowd is hip, moneyed, cosmopolitan, and beautiful, and in summer they enjoy The Green Room, a stylish club inside the building.

The trendiest and most happening spot for coffee, snacks, and cocktails in Metaxourgeio, Ble Papagalos (Blue Parrot) on a large airy square, is an all-day communal destination. Always abuzz mainly with local youth but also people of varying ages, the charming hangout reflects the up-and-coming area's aspirations as an artsy, hip, green, and friendly locale. Try a fresh homemade dessert with your coffee by day or a light snack and drink by night as you watch the world go by. At night it also hosts swing parties and jazz-theme DJ sets.

Enjoy a cappuccino and an Italian panini standing inside Cafe Da Capo, or if you have more time, watch the world go by at an outside table. This place is usually packed with trendsetters and stern policy makers.

Stop for an ice-cold frappé (Nescafé instant coffee frothed with sugar and condensed milk) and a game of backgammon at Cafe Oionos. Have a light lunch and watch the world go by on buzzy Kydathinaeon square.

Daphne's is one of the most exclusive (and at times priciest) destinations in Plaka. The Pompeian frescoes on the walls, the fragments of an ancient Greek building in the garden, and the tasteful restoration of the Neoclassical building in terra-cotta and ocher hues also contribute to a pleasant and romantic evening. The refined Mediterranean and Greek dishes (such as the saucy beef stew yiouvetsi, tender lamb wrapped in vine leaves, rabbit stew, and the traditional moussaka) help make this one of Athens's better restaurants.

Tiny metal tables line either side of a steep pedestrian road leading from across the St. George hotel right under Lycabettus down to Dexameni Square, where one can peek through the glass to see the ancient Roman aqueduct. Throughout the year the greenery-surrounded café serves coffee, refreshments, and meze dishes to a chatty, vibrant crowd of all ages and styles. On the square you'll also find Cine Dexameni, one of Athens's old open-air cinemas that operates throughout the summer, and a playground.

This famous, historic restaurant has often been featured in movies due to its astounding location, looking out onto exquisite views of the Acropolis, and it has been a favored dining spot for the world's glitterati for decades. Today's plush, airy establishment serves confident Modern Greek dishes with classic snacks and brunch dishes available during the day, while in the evening chef Theodore Afentakis offer beautifully presented plates that riff on traditional Greek ingredients allied to bold contemporary techniques. A far-reaching wine card and attentive service make this a must visit for those in search of top-class cooking allied to an unforgettable outlook.

It's the savvy locals' treasured secret—and one of Athens's oldest tavernas—where everyone wandering around Omonia Square has been welcomed through the years. Owner-chef Barba Mitsos keeps everyone happy with his handful of simple, delicious, and dirt-cheap homemade dishes, from the always exceptional horiatiki (Greek salad) and buttery gigantes (giant beans in tomato sauce) to saucy boiled meats with vegetables and tiny fried fish. Wine is drawn directly from the barrels lining the walls. As for decor, the feeling is authentic 1950s Athens. There is no sign on the door: just walk down the staircase of this corner Neoclassical building.

On a tiny street, across from Takis Bakery, one of Athens's best, is a small spot with outside seats that serves coffee and fresh juices in the morning and turns into something quite different from noon. As the clock strikes 12, you'll hear bubbles and the chatter intensify as drinks (especially Spudorato and other Buglioni wines from Italy, Aperol spritzes, and craft beer from Tinos island) are poured into glasses. These are happily paired with premium cold cuts and cheeses from Greece and around the world. The charcuterie and spritzes are served until midnight.

With a sophisticated and modern Greek-Mediterranean menu of haute cuisine dishes and an excellent wine list, this classic and incredibly scenic restaurant on the rooftop of the legendary Grand Bretagne hotel makes for an idyllic fine dining experience. Premium meats, hand-picked seasonal ingredients, and the freshest fish are served by gracious staff. Make the best of the stunning 360-degree views of the city by preceding your dinner at the buzzy outdoor Bar 8, sipping a well-mixed signature cocktail under a sky painted in sunset hues.

In-the-know locals will patiently queue here to get their fill of a fantastic, freshly made sandwich stuffed with deli ingredients of their choice. This small, family-run 1980s place is both vintage and progressive, and despite its huge fan base remains completely unpretentious. Choose among ingredients like cheeses, chutneys, cold cuts, pickled or marinated vegetables, and seafood to create the sandwich of your dreams, made with fresh artisanal bread. You can also buy fresh salads and freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juices.

Lovely spot in the center of the pedestrianized zone of Monastiraki. The sandwiches have top ingredients, the snacks are carefully prepared, the juices are freshly squeezed, and the coffee is artisanal.