123 Best Restaurants in Greece

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.

Set apart from the scrummage of Lindos and buoyed by dizzying views over the bay below, this seductive Italian restaurant does everything well. The food—slow-cooked lamb, melt-in-the-mouth truffle gnocchi, juicy fillet steaks—is never less than glorious, and the house wine is great value. Low lights, good eating, and the ocean breeze make it an intoxicating combination. Book ahead—this spot is popular, for good reason.

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 jasmine-scented front garden, candlelit at night, and an antiques-filled salon are the charming settings in a centuries-old sea captain's house for this traditional taverna. All the classics are there, but perhaps the best approach is to order from the sizable meze selection, wash it down with the very palatable house white, and soak in the cozy atmosphere.

Open to nonresidents, this sophisticated eatery is located on the roof of the prestigious Cavalieri Hotel, overlooking the historic center and the sea. The menu is bijou but eclectic, incorporating international classics as well as select Greek dishes; it ranges from imaginative pastas, through seafood like swordfish with grilled vegetables, to U.S. Black Angus steaks, among other dishes.

The perfect way to combine a chic, tasty meal with excellent wines, this place (with siblings in Psyrri on Agatharkou 15, and Acropolis on Drakou 3--5) serves up plenty of oenological expertise and inspiration along with dishes like charcuterie and cheese platters, bruschetti with toppings like goat cheese, strawberry jam and balsamic, warm cuts like smoked tenderloin, salads, and, if you're there at the right time of year, fresh oysters. The extensive wine list includes limited-edition labels and the highly educated staff are more than happy to advise you on pairings and varieties. Group and private wine tastings are also on offer, and you can shop wine and food goodies in-house.

Small 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.

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.

Blessed with a wonderful location by a wave-lapped jetty in the little waterfront Faliraki area north of the Old Fortress, En Plo offers everything from snacks and pizzas to a full meal. Enjoy mezedes, a big variety of salads, and interesting pastas. Book ahead as this unique spot gets very booked up.

Sit on the waterfront terrace and watch the boats heading in and out of the marina at this lovely waterside restaurant. Choose from whatever fish is fresh that day—it could be sea bream, mullet, sole, squid, or snapper—accompanied by a great range of zesty, garlicky side dishes.

In a former tomato cannery off the Agios Georgios section of Perivolos Beach, Forty One is a chic, stylish destination for fine Mediterranean dishes, with a calming sea view. Besides creatively presented favorites like regional salads, risotto, pasta, and freshly grilled seafood plates, there is a sushi menu and a host of creative cocktails that make a fine accompaniment to taking in the black-beach sunset.

One of the island's longest-established and most famous fish restaurants, whose catch is pulled daily from the family boats. The choice varies each day according to the season, but the friendly staff will show you what's available and guide your choice. For a light meze, opt for their special marinated anchovies and delicious clams. Christo's famous bianco (fish stewed with oil, lemon and garlic), and pastitsada, are real favorites here.

The Corola family, originally from Naples, welcome you to dine in a traditional Hydriot courtyard and entertain your palate with traditional southern Italian cooking made with the finest ingredients Hydra has to offer. All the pasta is made fresh on the premises in the morning by chef Pietro and his brother, and they turn out exquisite dishes such as succulent salmon caviar gnocchi, saffron shrimp spaghetti, and ravioli ragù. The tuna tartare or octopus carpaccio give off the right tones for a Greek island affair. Desserts are no let down either!

With no telephone number or signs, this simple little family-run garden taverna would likely be missed if there wasn’t a constant line of people waiting to grab a table—in the summer, expect to wait up to an hour. The sea views of Agios Sostis Beach are relaxing, and the perfect thing to gaze at as you wait for your meat and fish dishes that will be expertly grilled on a barbecue. The specialty is the pork cutlet but most traditional Greek tavern dishes are served with salads and creamy dips. To find it, head down a few steps toward Agios Sostis, but before the beach, off the paved walkway, follow the smell of barbecue and look for a line of hungry people.

For more than 50 years this fresh-fish taverna is where those in the know (as well as many fishermen themselves) come for solid, no-frills food. The best choice is the catch of the day; you can pick your own fish or seafood and ask for it to be simply grilled. The menu depends on the weather, but there is always a grilled meat option if the weather is bad, and there are fine classic side dishes to choose from.  Attentive service, a more than adequate wine list, and a quiet setting add up to a recommended destination.

The colorful taverna-style restaurant is set in a bougainvillea-laced courtyard at the end of the "Dining Mile" in Ermoupoli. Local Cycladic ingredients are fused with modern techniques and cooking styles to good effect on the menu, with influences from Thessaloniki and the further Mediterranean. Presentation is intricate and picturesque and the service is welcoming from the proud husband and wife owners.

Perched across the road from the waters of scenic Vouliagmeni Lake, this traditional fish taverna has been serving the best of Greek fishermen's catches since 1889. With wonderful views of crystalline, aquamarine waters, Labros remains legendary for its mussel rice (mydopilafo), its seafood pasta, and its grilled fresh fish that arrives daily from all parts of Greece.

The choice of dining spots as you head towards Sounion tends to skew between hotel offerings and small touristy places. This venerable old-stager offers a happy alternative, with a nice paved terrace garden in which to sample some of the finest seafood on the coast. Staff are friendly and helpful, while boat-fresh snapper and mackerel arrive fresh from the grill (and deboned if necessary) alongside poached octopus and marinated anchovies.  

Good food is enhanced here by the pretty location, a few feet from the fishing boats on Naousa's harbor. The taverna specializes in fresh fish (from the fisherman a few feet away) and also fine cuisine. Such starters as tuna carpaccio with aromatic oil and smoked salt, and grilled octopus with bucovo and caper sauce segue to complex entrées like seafood pasta with diced asparagus and saffron, or fresh fresh fish baked in a salt crust (order this in advance). For dessert, try the traditional spoon sweets made by Mario's mother.

This former kaffeneio (coffee house) from 1850 has been elegantly decorated in a nautical theme, and it makes a character-filled setting in which to enjoy mussels—the dish Galaxidi is known for—served here in a saganaki pan, steamed, and in a pilaf. There's also seafood risotto and lobster pasta, as well as traditional non-seafood dishes such as homemade pies. Homemade sweets include walnut paste with kaymak (like clotted cream) ice cream.

In the style of an upscale diner, Mavro Provato ("Black Sheep") is located on the pedestrianized street of Kontogeorgaki, upon which you can dine alfresco. Top cuts of meat are aged in a dry-aging fridge, grilled to your liking, and are served on wooden platters. Meat aside their appetizing meze dishes impress visually with colorful sauces and interesting garnishes. The salads are crisp and the desserts rich. They stock a large and thoughtful selection of regional wines.

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 club sandwich, creamy egg salad, or seafood salad; at night try the peppered fillet or "Melina chicken." The desserts here are good, too, including a rich chocolate sokolatina (pudding cake) and a syrupy orange portokalopita cake (made from shredded phyllo), with a strong Greek coffee.

It seems that just about everyone in Santorini looks forward to a meal at this village taverna. Even though the name means "between us," the secret is out and the key to success appears to be to keep it simple—the kitchen sticks to traditional homestyle cooking from Santorini and Crete. You can reach this rural outpost by car, a 10-minute taxi from Fira, or on the Fira-Pyrgos bus.

Come here just for the knockout views of Meteora and the Kalambaka plain below, and the food isn't bad either. Of course, to make sure you get a prime position on the veranda it's best to book in advance. For starters, along with typical mezes, they serve mushrooms stuffed with cheese and a deliciously rich melitzana saganaki (roasted eggplant) served in a claypot with bacon. Try the beautifully prepared lamb chops or the smirneika meatballs, swimming in a spicy tomato sauce. For dessert don't miss out on the syrupy orange cake with a scoop of ice cream.

A large fireplace, Metsovo costumes on the walls, old photos, and carved wooden furniture enliven the dining room. Try the vegetable pies, especially the kolokithopita (zucchini pie) made from bobota (corn flour), an unusual crust in Greece but an Epirote favorite. In addition, the saganaki (fried cheese) made with four Metsovo cheeses and tender lamb yiouvetsi (baked in tomato-wine sauce) are winners. The large wine selection includes good local choices, Katogi and Zitsa.

At one of the best seafront locations on the island, with Little Venice on one side and the windmills on the other, farm-to-table Mediterranean cuisine is the scene-stealer. The menu is plentiful, with diverse choices, but the philosophy is simple—the best organic ingredients from Greek producers cooked simply and with respect. Greek craft beers are well represented as are local wines on the drinks list. While the sea view is very Mykonos, the restaurant's overall design and concept is infused with 1950s Hollywood icons, thanks to the influence of one of the owners, a former LA restaurateur.

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, Asian, 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.

Considered by many to be the finest of the city's seafood restaurants, family-run Nireas comes with little fanfare or pushiness, just impeccable service and a peaceful vine-draped setting apart from the hubbub of the center. Prices compare well with lesser spots in the city, especially for the quality of produce, and staff won't try to hustle you into spending big, as is the case with many seafood restaurants here where bills can suddenly rocket. Good service and quality food rule.

On a picturesque pedestrianized square, this is one of the oldest tavernas in Plaka (established 1932). Although not as great as it was during its glory years when intellectuals and artists sat here sipping retsina until the early hours, it's still well 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.