54 Best Restaurants in Athens, Greece

A stupendous, 15-course gastronomic journey based on the European, Middle Eastern, South American and Southeast Asian culinary endeavors of multi-awarded owner-chef Herve Ponzato awaits you. You'll arrive to a place that looks closed because all the windows are curtained. Entry is only accessible to dinner guests who punch in a code that's sent to their phone after booking. Inside, a slick chef's table with stools wraps around the action in the ultramodern kitchen, modern street-art inspired paintings hang on the wall and the lighting is low. The tasting menu is altered every season, with some standard classics always remaining, and is based on exotic (like foie gras and caviar) elements as well as local ingredients sourced from small producers around Greece. There are also tables around the bar and in a separate courtyard area that has an open roof during summer. One thing you can surely expect is to be delighted repeatedly, spending at least three hours on a memorable adventure in which every small gourmet dish is a beautiful surprise. The wine pairing (optional) offers some sublime tasting experiences.

With quality ingredients—everything from vibrantly colored flowers and aromatic herbs to olives and partridge meat—sourced from an organic farm in ancient Corinth and a full respect for zero-waste practices, this fine dining restaurant provides a rich gourmet experience with high conscience. In an elegant, peaceful setting over the Roman Agora, chef Petros Dimas creates exquisite dishes like mushroom cappuccino with a brioche for dipping, scallop with jamon Iberico, duck fillet with asparagus, and langoustine ravioli with truffle that are as incredible to taste as they are to look at. Staff is friendly and informative, and the polished space includes a rooftop dining area and a cellar with a glass floor through which you see ancient Athenian structures.

Pharaoh, awarded with the Michelin Bib Gourmand, serves soulful, ingredient-driven Greek fare, with an emphasis on wood-fire cooking. Chef Papoutsakis channels “cucina povera” into vibrant dishes built from pristine, hyperlocal ingredients—think slow-cooked lamb, artichokes cooked in creamy staka butter, stewed chestnuts and grilled greens with manouri cheese. The vibe rides on positive energy, but a stripped-back cool reigns, too: minimal decor, playful vintage touches, and a killer vinyl soundtrack that sets a laid-back, buzzy tone. A fantastic selection of natural wines flow freely, curated to spotlight organic and biodynamic vineyards across Greece.

This restaurant, located in picturesque Mikrolimano, is a cornerstone of Greek fine dining. Helmed by chef Lefteris Lazarou, the first Greek chef to earn a Michelin star, the restaurant offers a seafood-centric menu that marries tradition with innovation. Standout dishes include red shrimp tartare with citrus and lemongrass, cuttlefish risotto, and grilled squid with ouzo gel. The setting—overlooking the marina—adds to the allure, making it a must-visit for those seeking refined maritime cuisine in Athens.

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.

Daphne's is one of the most exclusive (and at times priciest) food destinations in Plaka, but the food is worth it. 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 baby rooster with lemon-oil sauce, tender lamb wrapped in vine leaves, rabbit stew, and the traditional moussaka) help make this one of the area's classic stops for a high-end experience.

A cheeky backyard cantina with festival vibes, fairy lights, and colorful barrels, Gialantra is a late-night magnet. It serves up grilled meatballs with tzalafouti, decadent hot dogs, and creative twists like vegan mushroom-truffle ragù rigatoni. Set against a 1920s facade, it serves a lively crowd until the early hours with ice cream, fish-and-chips, and frozen margaritas on tap. Co-founded by chef Gogó Delogianni, it’s equal parts whimsy and substance.

Although it's named after one of the world's most exotic destinations, this restaurant is almost provincially Greek in its ingredients but postmodern in culinary attitude. In a neighborhood that's especially à la mode among artists from all over, the neo-traditional element is played up for its unpretentious and familial charm, but don't fool yourself, this place is decidedly "in."

Elegant Aeglí Zappiou, an excellent, classic spot for a Greek coffee and bites experience, was reopened recently after an impressive renovation on its interiors that have now turned it into a classy venue for a multitude of events. Inside the Zappeion park that borders the National Garden and next to the open air Aigli cinema, it sprawls among fountains and flowering trees offering tranquility. It's an ideal spot to have a work meeting, read your book or relax with friends, and the restaurant serves a quality array of Greek and international dishes.

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," as well as a pescatarian menu and a vegetarian menu, with a choice of five or six dishes and an excellent wine pairing option. There is also an excellent wine pairing alongside a wide-ranging wine list. 

Celebrating Japanese grill culture, this buzzy place serves up a stream of little plates that make your taste buds dance. As one of visionary chef/restauranteur Ari Vezenes' numerous successful ventures in the city, it highlights very carefully sourced and thus limited-edition ingredients sourced from quality producers. You'll find dishes like beef nigiri (served with truffle mayo or wasabi) made from rare cuts, delicacies like chicken hearts or chicken skin skewers cooked in the open-fire kitchen, lamb chops with Japanese chimichuri and succulent beef gyoza, all to be washed down with refreshing drinks like the highball with Japanese whisky with tart green apple, lime and ginger or craft beer. Inside, vinyl records play and people eat and chat at the bar and high tables.

Even weathered Athenians can't help but gasp at the vista from this restaurant, and the cuisine keeps the sense of awe going—so do the prices but if you're seeking a truly luxurious experience this restaurant is sure to provide it. Delicate as well as rich flavors, with a broad array of raw dishes like fish carpaccio or tartare and sushi rolls, Asian dishes like crispy duck with steamed pancakes, or Italian, like smoked burrata salad, asparagus risotto and mushroom ravioli, or linguine with lobster and black truffle, offer deep comfort and elegant delight. The cocktails are perfectly mixed, and the wine list is exciting.

This breezy place brings a modern, soulful twist to the classic Athenian tsipouro bar, combined with the aesthetics and philosophy of a French bistro. Serving a choice of mere dishes—some served "blind" as a surprise and others on the menu, it pairs a romantic, art-filled interior with a vibrant mix of Greek and European, mostly French, wines—often served from dramatic magnum bottles. Start with fresh oysters and ceviche and ask for the dish of the day. As the night deepens, the cozy space buzzes with conversation and candlelight. A stylish, intimate spot for lingering, best reserved ahead after sundown.

This place transforms Greek culinary essence with a creative Balkan fusion cuisine that is unique to Greece. Albanian-origin, Michelin-starred chef Elvi Zyba's avant-garde plates, served in a modern, tranquil ambience, awaken the senses with bright, fresh, flavorful yet delicate touches. Dishes like marinated or crispy seafood are enhanced with herbs, citrus fruit and flowers. Here, comforting, as well as tantalizing takes on classics from Albania, Greece, and Bulgaria, take center stage. Don't miss out on the mouthwatering dolma stuffed with beef tartare and the feel-good giaourtotavas, lamb sweetbreads served with rice and yogurt.

At this chic, hip, sparkling, and artfully designed wine-lover's paradise, you can try food influenced from Greek and Scandinavian cooking, with starters like fresh, succulent oysters with champagne sauce and mains like venison on charcoal, Wagyu beef with shrimp tartare, and Ossetra caviar and lobster pasta.

Let's start with the view: the Acropolis, the distant mountains, and Syntagma Square below looking like a theater set from such a high angle. Add to that a sophisticated and modern Greek-Mediterranean menu of haute cuisine dishes and an excellent wine list, and you've got a winner. This classic and incredibly scenic restaurant on the rooftop of the legendary Grand Bretagne hotel, where a stream of world leaders, A'listers, and other major personalities have stayed over 150 years, makes for an idyllic fine-dining experience. Premium meats, hand-picked seasonal ingredients, and the freshest fish are served by gracious staff who know how to make guests feel special. Make the best of the stunning 360-degree views of the city by preceding your dinner at the buzzy outdoor Bar 8, sipping a beautifully mixed signature cocktail under a sky painted in sunset hues.

Progressive chef Georgianna Halidaki, Greece's only female chef to have been awarded two Michelin stars, helms this elegant, seafood-loving place combining contemporary techniques with traditional Greek and Mediterranean concepts. Dishes like fish tartare yiouverlakia and dolmades wrapped in wake instead of fig leaves, grilled langoustines, pasta with Greek bottarga, and green pepper sauce oysters, are luxurious, refined, and packed with authentic tastes of the sea. Desserts are great, too, created by patissier Manolis Stithos who plays with nostalgic Greek childhood sweets, reintroducing them in a memorable new light. Think caramelized nori milk pie (galatopita), the chocolate "Chicago" ice cream (a vintage Greek) or a signature pistachio ice cream. The intuitively curated wine list includes Greek and European wines that pair excellently with the menu.

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.

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.

Included in the Michelin guide each of the four years since it opened, this fine-dining restaurant just minutes from Syntagma Square is led by chef Giorgos Toklas, who reimagines flavors and textures through his unique vision. The beautifully presented dishes that make up the restaurant's tasting menu (diners can also order à la carte) are delectable, delicate, and deeply satisfying. Starting with fluffy sourdough bread with a perfectly crunchy exterior accompanied by a caramel-like butter with truffle powder, diners are treated to dishes like raw bonito with almonds, maple, and chili sauce, cod wrapped sushi-like in nori and dressed in champagne sauce and lamb with a creamy, tangy Kalathaki cheese and semi-dry olives. Pairing options are available and the cocktails are refreshing and well-mixed; do not leave without trying the Okio margarita, made with tequila, homemade mango cordial, and Caslamansi citrus from the Philippines—the very definition of umami bliss. 

Picture this: it's twilight and you're sitting under bitter-orange trees at one of Athens's best fish restaurants, in the heart of Kolonaki (with a view of the Parthenon if you book it in advance) as you sip a perfectly chilled glass of wine and wait for your order of succulent seafood to arrive. There's muted conversation at the gleaming white-tablecloth tables around you, where opinion makers, theater directors, and loyal customers relax. You may start with a bowl of creamy and flavorsome kakavia fish soup that waitress pours out of a large silver teapot, and then progress to steamed mussels and chili-fried shrimp with feta, before digging into a beautifully baked fish like white grouper with orzo and lemon on the grill with seasonal vegetables. Indoors, the cool-in-summer and cozy-in-winter interiors have walls covered by giant, colorful paintings and a silver wall sculpture of fish.

Elegant but unpretentious and located in Piraeus's prettiest spot—the Mikrolimano (little port) marina where sailboats, fishing boats, and yachts bob up and down in the sea—Papaioannou is a classic fish restaurant for those craving every kind of seafood (from mouthwatering razor clams, crawfish with spinach, and sea urchin, to marinated, grilled calamari and fried giant shrimp). For romantics, the ideal time to visit is sunset, although this is a great place to take your family for a fish feast or even have a stylish and tasty business lunch.

This place shines with an original style of cuisine that the restaurant describes as an "earthy philosophy" (which has earned it Michelin's Green Star), because all of its fresh ingredients are organically grown in chef Tassos Mandis's garden in Aleopochori village just outside of Athens. Set in a beautiful 1920s mansion with a warmly lit two-level garden, Soil presents a gourmet set menu of 15 dishes that changes every season and transports diners from the sea to the land via dishes that honor seafood, meat, and fruit and vegetables in visionary and indulgent ways. Note that the beautiful ceramic crockery is all handmade by Mantis' wife, Elia Lampiri, at her MUD LAB studio.

A deli-cum-meze restaurant serving the authentic cuisine of the Karamanlides, who were once inhabitants of Cappadocia and Cilicia in Asia Minor. Huge hams, salamis, smoked camel meat, and cheeses hang in abundance over the counter and are displayed through a glass counter. Try the homemade pies baked in a stone oven with sudjuk spiced sausage, minced meat, or various cheeses and vegetables. Salad dishes include Maria's spicy cheese salad, tabbouleh, creamy chickpeas with avocado, and eggplant salad.

An unassuming yet high-profile and nicely renovated taverna, this classic restaurant recently 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, but always with a low-key vibe. The appeal is simple: skillfully prepared, flavorsome traditional 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 simple yet highly popular fish tavern in Piraeus that gained cult status among Greece's 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. The restaurant remains loyal to the authentic value of its traditional Greek-inspired dishes, tastefully made with premium quality and seasonal ingredients in a gourmet style, but also presents a highly contemporary perspective in terms of preparations. Seafood dishes like carpaccio, fish soup, grilled squid with cuttlefish ink and pulses salad, lead on to mains like grouper shoulders with kefir lime broth and braised veal with orzo. During summer the restaurant's garden, lit by strings of lights, makes for a particularly refreshing escape from urbanity. Vassilenas has since June 2022 also opened Vassilenas Blue  restaurant in Antiparos in the Cyclades.

Vezene brings elegant flair to Greek-inspired comfort food, blending refined technique with deep respect for ingredients. Chef Ari Vezene’s menu leans into wild seafood and whole-fish preparations, alongside nose-to-tail cuts like goat neck fricassee. The space is sleek and warmly lit, with thoughtful design details that match the kitchen’s precision. Natural wines, quiet confidence, and beautifully plated dishes make this a polished yet heartfelt Athenian standout.

A stripped-back space where fire takes center stage and Greek produce gets the spotlight it deserves. The menu changes often but expect things like fried zucchini flowers, grilled panzanella with charred veg, or line-caught fish kissed by flame. The ambience could be defined as somewhere between a Cretan village feast and a postpunk listening session.

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.

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.