Home to nearly half of Greece’s population, Athens is a lively place to visit with lots of fantastic restaurants and atmospheric cafes and bars. This post will share with you a list of the best restaurants in Athens that you should try during the trip.
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Best Restaurants in Athens
1. Spondi
Thanks to its two Michelin stars, Spondi has become a point of reference not only for Athenian gastronomes but for those throughout Europe.
Located close to the first venue of the modern Olympics, the Panathinaiko Stadium, Spondi has streaked ahead in terms of taste and presentation. The head chef serves a menu that changes according to the seasons and his creative imagination. The food is artful and packed with exquisite flavors, and touched by a hint of exoticism.
Upon request, Spondi offers private dining on its immaculately decorated first floor.
2. Funky Gourmet
Funky Gourmet is revered for its innovative and playful cuisine that draws on Greek tradition. Located in the heart of Athens within the lively Keramikos district, this restaurant has been garnering rave reviews since it opened in 2009. After the first Michelin star was awarded in 2012, another was added in 2014, elevating its gastronomic reputation.
With the two chefs, Georgianna Hiliadaki and Nikos Roussos, working alongside the restaurant’s manager, Argyro Hiliadaki, the restaurant aim to fully engage guests in an exciting and unconventional way.
Expect dishes like Greek bottarga tartlet with white chocolate.
3. Klimataria
This is one of the best restaurants in Athens you should try. This family-run taverna has been going strong since 1927, offering evenings packed with Mediterranean food, music and dance – a combination Greeks love. The tis oras – a grilled meat platter – is what you should go for. It includes biftekia, grilled meat patties seasoned with spices, as well as lamb and pork chops. Plus, considering Klimataria translates as ‘grape vines’, it’s no surprise the wine served here is always excellent.
4. Aster
Small but beautiful, with quirky, mismatched furniture and cutlery, Aster started as a late-night tapas joint where young dancers and actors would congregate, ordering small and drinking some of the “best raki you can find outside Crete”, says Georgiadis, adding, “You’ll never wake up with a hangover.” The menu is concise, but the authentic ingredients come straight from Crete. These include xigalo, a buttery goat cheese spread; melt-in-your-mouth ofti (baked) potatoes; and handmade vinegar pork sausage.
5. Ama Lachei Stis Nefelis
This is Georgiadis’s go-to restaurant when people come to visit him from abroad. Set in one of the most beautiful gardens in Athens, with the option to sit inside a high-ceilinged historic house when it’s too cold to sit outside, Ama Lachei is located on a quiet street in the vibrant artistic neighborhood of Exarchia. With friendly service and a diverse menu filled with products sourced from all over Greece and an extensive wine and spirits list, Ama Lachei specializes in modern Greek cuisine. Some must-try dishes are the local cheeses, eggs with Cretan apaki (cured pork), lightly fried meatballs with ouzo and mint, and the seafood kritharoto – a Greek take on risotto. Be sure to book in advance, as Ama Lachei fills up quickly.
6. Varoulko
Varoulko is one of the most elegant sea-view spots in the city. The Michelin-starred chef Lefteris Lazarou specializes in taking traditional Greek dishes and adding a creative and flavourful seafood touch. For example, his take on the usually minced-meat-laden moussaka is made with crayfish, while his pesto pasta has squid in it. Make sure to try the smoked octopus prepared with wild greens called stamnagathi too. Visitors can take in the picture-perfect view of Mikrolimano harbor, the sailboats, yachts, and tiny fishing boats floating in the distance.
7. Taverna tou Oikonomou
One of the oldest tavernas in town, Oikonomou opened its doors in the now trendy neighborhood of Petralona in 1930. Its no-frills traditional recipes have made it a long-standing favorite among Athenians, and its tables, both inside and outside, are always packed. “I started going when I was a student and not a good cook yet and missed my mum’s home cooking,” Georgiadis says. But he’s never stopped going back. His favorite dishes include the rooster with pasta in tomato sauce, stewed beans, and okra, and he always drinks the house tsipouro. The bill is usually accompanied by Greek yogurt topped with a homemade fruit preserve such as quince.
