40 Best Restaurants in Greece

Don't leave Hydra without some traditional almond macaroons in your suitcase. The Tsagkaris family, led by octogenarian matriarch Anna Tsagkari, have been lovingly making them in their workshop for nearly a century.

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.

There's nothing like excellent gelato to revive flailing, overheated spirits on a sunny day of touring the city. Le Greche serves fresh, artisanal gelato and other Italian desserts made with pure ingredients—the owner spent years of intensive study in Italy studying the art of authentic Italian gelato, cakes, and sorbets—and you can really taste the difference.

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.

This historic waterfront café, family-run since 1958, is Aegina's go-to spot for pistachio specialties. Their counters overflow with traditional sweets like baklava and signature pistachio treats including fistikini marzipan balls and pistachio cheesecake. Enjoy harbor views from pavement tables while sipping their famous pistachio frappé.

Confections oozing syrup, loukoumades, and a perfectly classic assortment of gelato flavors make a pit stop at this old-fashioned sweet shop a must in the late afternoon.

If this is not the top patisserie-gelateria in Corfu, it's certainly among the very best. The store distributes its own brand of ice cream island-wide, and its cakes are made on the premises. They're best enjoyed, along with coffee, on the airy veranda or the roof terrace overlooking the magical view over Paleokastritsa and the west coast.

Self-taught and ever-evolving chef Andreas Gavris creates seasonal delights fit for the gods in his justifiably popular restaurant. Standouts include the melon soup with prawns and mint; bourani, a rich rice dish with nettles, wild mushrooms, and a Gruyère-like cheese from Crete; and black pig of Olympus stew and mountain lamb, cooked with mushroom and wheat puree. People travel from far and wide to enjoy Andreas' creations, which help make the superb location become even more enticing. Choose between the classic menu or five a-la-carte options including one vegan selection. The wine list has more than 500 labels on offer.

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.

A favorite stop in Chios Town is this cool ice-cream shop that has been making its best-selling ice cream for nearly 100 years. It is open from 10 in the morning until 10 at night and it is always busy. The praline is famed, but new flavors are given a trial every month and you have to try the mastica when in Chios.

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.

The coffee here is pretty special, but what really steals the show are the delightful desserts. Treat yourself to one of the maison speciality waffles, the honey-soaked French toast, a chocolate cheesecake, or the deconstructed banoffee pie (a British pie made from bananas, cream, and caramel), all with an innovative twist inspired by pastry chef Dionisis Alertas. If you're feeling peckish you can grab a serving of the gastro-fare dished out here, more at home in a fine dining establishment than a café.

This traditional Turkish coffeehouse dubiously claims to be the oldest of its kind in Europe. Whether or not the claim has legs, it has belonged to the same family for over 200 years, and its creaking floor and topsy-turvy interior are testament to its advanced age. If the 14th-century setting and authentic decor doesn't hook you, the coffee will. No matter your vice—whether it's caffeine, nicotine or sugar, this is the spot—it also doubles as a shisha and baklawa bar. Annoyingly, and counterintuitively, it opens late morning.

From flaky, buttery croissants to eggs Benedict on smoked salmon-covered brioche to many more sinful and super-satisfying bites and top-quality coffee blends, this is the ideal stop for a leisurely morning start or a quick, delicious escape from the city's frenetic pace.

Aqua Marina is an old favorite among locals. It's hard to resist its list of sweet treats, from a huge wedge of tasty baklava to a great splodge of galaktoboureko, a custardy classic topped in filo pastry and sweet-scented syrup. Stick to the desserts though—the savory stuff is a bit overpriced.

An alternative to the classic Greek taverna can be found at this boutique-style restaurant. Owner and chef Dimitri Doxakis harnesses his experience working in kitchens in England, France, and Switzerland to create a fusion of French, Italian, and Greek cuisine, with dishes like chicken leg crusted in Parmesan, beetroot risotto, and a signature salad with green apples, avocado, and a lemon-honey vinaigrette. For dessert, few can resist the chocolate croquettes and mandarin slices in a vanilla cream sauce. The seating area is a modern cubist design highlighted with purple and green wall lights.

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.

Fine views from the rear terrace overlooking the rock-topped clocktower and valley accompany tasty waffles, cakes, pastries, and coffee. This café dates back to the 1950s, though it had a makeover a couple of years ago. It's still one of the most adorable spots in town. 

Catch a coffee or freshly squeezed mixed-fruit juice at this popular hangout in tree-covered Lakka Square. This is where all the café-bars congregate, their terraces often spilling into one other. It can be a bit packed, but the croissants here are the best in town!

Many a late-night craving in Volos has been satisfied at this gourmet creperie near the waterfront. It's not just the sweetness or savoriness of the dishes that stimulate hunger pangs, but the inventiveness of combinations by chef and owner Konstantinos Siatras in dishes like bitter chocolate crepes with sauteed orange and cinnamon, and salmon with vegetables and pink pepper. More fun, however, is to let Siatras play consultant to the moment's desire. An excellent selection of beers and cocktails also adds to the late-night vibe . . . and munchies. Saturday night features a DJ.

This friendly family-run spot is named for the 2,000-year-old "dopia" olive tree that grows in the front yard. It's the perfect retreat for a cool drink or a home-cooked meal in a nicely shaded garden terrace. They also sell their own honey.

The most popular hangout in town serves homemade ice cream by day and cocktails by night in the cool, blue-cushioned interior and pebbled courtyard as well as on the rooftop terrace of a sea captain's house.

Run by the Paros Kite Pro Center and EuroDivers crew, this is the best place to recuperate after a session on the waves. Great omelets and breakfasts are offered along with pizza, burgers, pasta dishes, and fresh juices. Indulge in retail therapy at the sister surf shop next door.

A very cozy and atmospheric "hideout" with a colorful mix of traditional Greek and antique furniture, floral wallpapers, and warm paint shades (such as lavender, baby green, and peach). This is mostly a café, ideal for intimate catching-up with friends or a relaxed meeting. It serves snacks and homemade desserts as well as coffee, tea, refreshments, and craft beer.

Devotees of loukoumades, deep-fried balls of dough soaked in honey, find ample satisfaction at this family-run café. Selections come in a multitude of preparations including with hazelnut praline, dark chocolate, white toffee, and sour cherry sauces. Combinations of several can be ordered by the skewer. If you don't have a sweet tooth, more lunch-friendly versions come with cheese, bacon, and sesame.

The name means "ark of flavors" and the number one bakery in Milos is the place for breakfast in the shaded yard, or to stock up on lunch essentials before a trip to the remote beaches.

Whether you sit outside on the terrace or inside near the large glass paneled fireplace, you can observe life in this industrious little town as it hums by. Good coffee, teas, and rich hot chocolates accompany creamy desserts, and wash down toasted cheese and ham sandwiches with a glass of wine or craft beer. It's also the place to have a well prepared cocktail and experience Mtesovo's muted nightlife.

Not just for bookish types, but certainly ideal if you are one, this cozy café is ideal for indoor work sessions on your laptop as much as afternoon cocktails (virgin or not). It regularly hosts literature events in the evenings but throughout the day is abuzz with tourists resting after the sights or locals who enjoy waking up in a pretty and tree-shaded environment.

Yogurt-thick smoothies and scrumptious homemade cakes make this the perfect spot for a sugar kick. Gaze out over the yachts in the harbor and indulge your sweet tooth—the syrup-drenched baklava here is the size of a doorstop and every bit as satisfying as it looks.

Sip quality coffee in the pretty garden setting of a Neoclassical mansion-turned-museum. Whether you want to see the country's most extensive collection of coins spanning through the ages or just head for the café to meet a friend, the experience is always pleasant. The menu includes salads, light snacks, and desserts as well as wine and soft drinks.