Athens Food & Drink
Restaurants
Athens caters to most palates with a thriving culinary scene that offers everything from top-notch haute cuisine in five-star surroundings to tasty snacks from street vendors.
The historic Plaka district overflows with restaurants and bars, but watch out for those establishments geared towards tourism that often prize profit over quality.
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PRICE GUIDE: (average cost of a main course): = under EUR10  = EUR10-15  |
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Greek
Lontos
Apostolou Paylou 33-35, Thissio
Tel: +30 210-346-3844
Lontos’s prime draw is its fantastic views of the Acropolis, though with a large terrace and welcoming staff, it’s an easy place to relax while nibbling on fried squid, tzatziki, salads, and other traditional dishes. It’s a good spot to visit in the evening as there are plenty of bars nearby.
Hermion
Pandrossou 15, Aerides
Tel: +30 210-324-7148
This contemporary restaurant serves traditional Greek and international cuisine. Its location is ideal, only five minutes’ walk from Syntagma Square, and close to the shopping streets of Monastiraki and Plaka. From grilled meat to fresh fish, the food is immaculate and well worth the slightly high prices.
Oikeio
Ploutarhou 15, Kolonaki
Tel: +30 210-725-9216
If you decide to walk to the top of Lycabettus Hill, you’ll appreciate a break in this cosy restaurant. With its rustic ambience, it serves a variety of Greek cuisine in the heart of Kolonaki.
Oraia Penteli
Iroon Square, Psyrri
Tel: +30 210-321-8627
By day, this is a peaceful square where locals come to enjoy a bit of tranquility and chat with their neighbours. By night, the square becomes more vibrant, but keeps its homely atmosphere. With its terrace, Oraia Penteli is a great restaurant to appreciate moderately priced food in a great location.
Grill House
Aischylou 14-16, Psyrri
Tel: +30 210-324-4117
Offering very good value for money, the Grill House’s menu consists mainly of enormous portions of grilled meat. The décor is unique, with wooden walls plastered with pictures of 1960s filmstars giving it the feeling of a retro Swiss chalet.
Petrino
Corner of Themistokleous & Akadimias, Omonia
Tel: +30 210-380-4100
With its cosy atmosphere and welcoming staff, this restaurant is a great place to spend an evening sampling traditional Greek cuisine.
Taverna the 5 Brothers
Eolou 3, Plaka
Tel: +30 210-325-0088
Located next to the Roman Agora, you can sit outside under a shady tree surrounded by vines here: a perfect spot to munch on Greek salads, tzatziki and other Greek delights.
Strofi Tavern
Rovertou Galli 25 & Propyleon, Makrygianni
Tel: +30 210-921-4130
With a large roof terrace, this restaurant has one of the most beautiful views over the Acropolis and is especially lovely at night when you can admire the floodlit Parthenon while dining. Strofi Tavern is popular with both locals and tourists, so it is recommended to book in advance.
International
Ostria Café
Posidonos 10, Alimos
Tel: +30 210-985-2350
This café is located on the seafront, which is easily accessed by tramway. It offers a great selection of salads, grilled meat and large sharers’ plates. The simplicity of its décor makes the place very welcoming, and the ethnic and Greek music played by resident DJs provides a relaxing backdrop to the views.
Horizons
Lykavittos Hill, Kolonaki
Tel: +30 210-722-7065
This is one of the most impressive locations in Athens, with beautiful views over the city. The eclectic menu is served in modern, stylish surroundings, making this a top place for a special meal. Note that the restaurant is only accessible via the funicular.
Japanese
Kiku
Dimokritou 12, Pefkakia
Tel: +30 210-364-7033
Arguably the best place in town to eat authentic sushi, sashimi, tempura, sukiyaki and other mainstays of Japanese cuisine. Note that the restaurant only opens in the evening and is closed on Sundays.
Chinese
Shanghai Night
Athanaslou Biakou 38, Makrygianni
Tel : +30 210-921-0300
Located a few minutes away from the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Shanghai Night has very simple décor but does give a feeling of being in a Beijing restaurant. It is popular among Chinese people and serves traditional cuisine.
Italian
Il Tinello
Knossou 54, Alimos
Tel: +30 210-982-8462
This authentic trattoria transports guests to old world Italy where the host treats you like a friend and the background music is the animated laughter and boisterous conversation of fellow guests. The food is excellent, and reservations are essential.
Polynesian
Kona Kai
Ledra Marriott Hotel, Syngrou 115
Tel: +30 210-930-0000
Kona Kai in the Ledra Marriott is, perhaps not surprisingly, the only place in the city serving quality Polynesian food. Makes for an unusual treat.
Bars
Athens’s many ouzeri serve beer and wine as well as the strong local tipple, ouzo. If you fancy a tour of the tavernas try the Plaka district but you’ll notice that there aren’t many street corners without a café-bar anywhere in the city. The most lively bars and clubs are in the Exarchia and Thissio districts. Or head to the seafront on Posidonos where you will find a lot of lively bars and cafés.
Most bars also serve mezedes snacks and open well into the night, meaning you can quite comfortably stay put from evening until the small hours of the morning. It’s much more fun to keep moving however, and simply wander where the will takes you. In order not to miss out on the café culture of the city, don’t devote all your evenings to one bar alone. People-watching is one of the most popular activities in Athens while seated on the terrace of a bar, and it’s hard not to become addicted to this local custom. Although many bars are much of a muchness, a few specific places are worth seeking out:
Athinea
Akamantos 1, Thissio
Tel: +30 210-341-3795
With a large terrace and spellbinding atmosphere, Athinea offers great views over the Acropolis. The prices might be slightly higher than most of the other cafés in Thissio, however the scenery is by far some of the most impressive in Athens.
Alustines
Irakleidon 5, Thissio
Tel: +30 210-342-7986
This cosy café decorated in warm colours, illuminated by candles in the evening and with a terrace shaded by vine leaves is a peaceful escape from many of the more bustling neighbouring bars.
Fidelio
Ogygou 2, Psyrri
Tel: +30 210-321-2977
Fidelio is a popular hangout with locals, many of whom come here to get in the mood for a night out. With its upbeat, funky soundtrack and lively atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to do just that.
Live Greek music can be found at several venues with one of the better establishments being in Piraeus at Anifori (Vasileos Georgiou 47). If you fancy an upmarket evening out of the city, one of the most popular restaurants/bars around is Alekos in the suburb of Kalamos, where fine dining is combined with a trendy bar and equally fashion-conscious clientele.
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