23 Best Restaurants in Athens, Greece

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. 

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.

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.

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 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. 

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.

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.

Housed in a cool, airy building with modern and traditional touches, this lively example of a neo-taverna serves mama's cooking but infused with Gazi's creative energy. Regional specialties, great barrel wine served in lovely carafes, and a familial atmosphere make dining here a pleasure. Warning: when the neutral-tone interior gets busy, it gets almost psychedelically loud. Thankfully, there are outside tables on the street where you can dine in good weather.

Melina is dedicated to its namesake, the dynamic Never on Sunday actress turned Minister of Culture, Melina Mercouri. Set on a scenic, village-style Plaka street framed by pink bougainvillea, the tables are always packed. On a hot afternoon try the delectable club sandwich on crisp sourdough bread, creamy egg salad, or seafood salad; at night try the peppered fillet or "Melina chicken." The desserts here are great, too, including a rich chocolate sokolatina (pudding cake) and a syrupy orange portokalopita cake (made from shredded phyllo), with a strong Greek coffee.

Inspired in its decor and the names of the dishes on the menu by old Hollywood glamour, this was Athens's first farm-to-table restaurant. Having received several awards over the years for its top-quality ingredients—mainly organic and sourced from small producers—as well as its great service and many healthy comfort-food options, it's also set up in Kifissia and Mykonos. The all-day restaurant has an easygoing and upbeat urban ambience and serves creative as well as classic modern Greek, Mediterranean, and North American--inspired cuisine to suit all tastes, moods, and dietary requirements. You can head here for a full brunch, lunch, or dinner or order a great bottle of wine accompanied by several appetizers to share with friends. If you have a sweet tooth, don't miss out on the dairy and sugar-free olive oil ice cream, which comes in several indulgent flavors.

On a picturesque pedestrianized square, this is one of the oldest tavernas in Plaka (established 1932). Although not as good as it was during its glory years when intellectuals and artists sat here sipping retsina until the early hours, it's still worth a stop. It is a district landmark—set midway between the Tower of the Winds and the Museum of Greek Popular Musical Instruments. Most of the crowds prefer to relax under the courtyard's plane trees (which give the place its name) rather than dine inside the cozy dining room, at least when the weather is pleasant. Locals come here because the food is good Greek home cooking. Don't miss the oven-baked potatoes, lamb or veal casserole with spinach or eggplant, the stuffed squid, and the cheap but delicious barrel retsina. It's also open for lunch.

Founded way back in 1898, this is one of the few remaining Plaka tavernas serving reliably good food with excellent Acropolis views. It doesn't draw the same crowd of locals as in the past, and it doesn't just serve fish, as the name suggests; rather, you'll find simple tasty entrées such as rooster in wine sauce, arnaki pilino (lamb baked in clay pots), and pork chops with ouzo. Can't make up your mind? Try the ouzokatastasi ("ouzo situation"), a plate of tidbits to nibble while you decide.

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 amongst 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."

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.

Lobster, crayfish, all kinds of seafood and fish at their freshest and in both classic and modern renditions are served at this elegant restaurant on the Peiraiki coastline, with pretty interiors and sumptuous sea views. Try the cuttlefish "ribs," fluffy taramosalata fish roe dip and seasonal ceviche, or the orzo pasta with mussels and clams.

A Kolonaki institution, this bistro-style traditional restaurant is slightly fancier and more costly than the normal mezedopoleio, with cloth napkins, candles on the tables, and walls decorated with writings by its famous patrons. The menu centers on delicate Greek classics (such as lamb with lemon or roast suckling pig) but also some international fare. The service is warm and professional and the clientele includes politicians and diplomats on their lunch break. For the freshest dishes, ask the waiter for the day's specials.

Unpretentious and overall unremarkable, this restaurant is justifiably famous for its freshly grilled paidakia (lamb chops), to be eaten with unabashed gusto by hand. It's always busy and always a great escape from an increasingly modernized city, but avoid the hima wine, which almost certainly leads to a headache. Enjoy your lamb with thick-cut fried potatoes that might have come from your yiayia's kitchen and perhaps some tzatziki or fava bean spread. The meat taverna's popularity led to the opening of a second branch farther down the same road and an extension across the pedestrianized Eptahalkou Street into a garden area.

A favorite of tourists and locals alike, Vyzantino is directly on Plaka's main square—good for a reasonably priced, flavorsome, and traditional bite to eat with a front seat to all the action.