26 Best Restaurants in Athens, Greece

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 establishment serves confident Modern Greek dishes with classic snacks and brunch dishes available during the day, while in the evening the restaurant offers 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 quality cooking allied to an unforgettable view.

Chef Adam Kontovas turns fusion on its head with bold pairings and fearless flavors. Falafel with soy mayo, citrus-lacquered octopus, or umami-rich eggplant tartlets say it all. The space is raw yet refined, with an upstairs glass box for the full view. This is one for the curious and creatively inclined.

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.

Classic and modern Greek tastes with Mediterranean influences are served with gusto and finesse. Whether you're after a well-grilled, juicy steak or a hearty pasta dish, a fresh crisp salad, or fresh local fish, you're bound to enjoy the homestyle offerings at this quality place. Tables line the decorated exterior along steep Ploutarchou Street though year-round there are also seats indoors.

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), moussaka, grilled meat, and wild mushroom risotto.

As you are handed the menu, you'll find it nearly impossible to avert your eyes from the stunning view from the very top of verdant Lycabettus Hill, the highest point in Athens; the Acropolis glitters below, and beyond it, the metropolis unfolds like a map out to the Saronic Gulf. The restaurant centers on gourmet Mediterranean cuisine with bold French elements, but the chef also cooks up playful renditions of classic Greek dishes. The restaurant is reached by cable car or by foot only.

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.

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.

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 new restaurant celebrating Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors with an adventurous twist, alongside vermouth spritzes. Small plates ideal for sharing will fill your table, offering an exciting variety of tastes. Start with fresh oysters with coriander foam, kingfish sashimi in fermented soy, shrimp tortellini with Naxian arseniko cheese, and fresh flatbreads. The use of Middle Eastern spices is delicate yet profoundly flavorful. The decor marries mid-century elegance with industrial cool, inviting you to linger over creative cocktails or vermouth (their specialty) at the stylish bar.