6 Best Restaurants in Greece

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.

For a fancy coffee (think espresso mixed with sambuca), sweet crepes, or an impromptu meal, stop at this restored Neoclassical-style mansion and watch the crowds on Apostolou Pavlou. The seating in the square in front of the restaurant bordering the ancient agora has one of the best views of the Acropolis in town.

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. 

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.

Set in a 1930s building with a lovely courtyard seating area and hip, designy interiors, this is one of the area's new hot spots from breakfast time (with an ample menu to boot) to cocktail hour (with bar food selections). Creative sandwiches, with succulent fillings inspired mainly by Latin American cuisine, and salads are served throughout the day. If you feel like a wander, visit the ground floor studio of one of the owners, where he presents his handmade furniture. The upstairs floor hosts yoga classes, art exhibitions, and other artsy events.

A new-generation coffee shop that's as much about nostalgically celebrating the '70s-style granola hippie philosophy as ultramodern health consciousness and love of nature. Wild Souls has organic coffee, a sunlight-flooded space to sit at with your dog and friends, and an interesting array of plant-based bowls like chia pudding and overnight oats, with an emphasis on six types of homemade nut butters like almond and pistachio, that can also be bought by the jar. Eggs, sandwiches, and salads are also on the menu, packed with seasonal freshness and ethical vision.