Big Olive’s pick of Athenian Restaurants
Updated: May 10, 2021
There are well over 1,000 restaurants in a city with less than a 4,000,000 inhabitants – you can eat somewhere new every night, and in a place that caters to every kind of taste. The Big Olive team has put their favorites into one appetite-whetting list, so pick and choose between these smorgasbords of spots, and fill up on Greek cuisine!
Athinaikon Mitropoleos 34, downtown Athens +302103252688 Mon.-Sat. 13:00-01:00; Sunday 13:00 – 17:00 € 15 – 20
Kafeneio Loukianou 26, Kolonaki +302107237757 Mon.-Sat. 12:00 – 24:00; Closed on Sunday € 18 – 22
Kentrikon Kolokotroni 3 (inside the arcade), downtown Athens +302103232482 Mon. – Sat. 12:00 – 18:00; Closed on Sunday € 20 – 25
Koubelos Gennaiou Kolokotroni 66, Koukaki +302114052418 Tue.-Sat. 18:00 – 01:00; Sat-Sun 13:00-01:00 € 20 – 25
CRETAN Cretan food has become all the rage in recent years and two of the best Athenian restaurants feature fine Cretan cuisine at its best. Both have a longstanding reputation for serving the freshest, most pristine seafood, wild herbs and greens, garlicky bites and local raki (grape-based pomace brandy) to wash them down.
Katsourbos Amynda 2, Pangrati +302107222167 € 11-20
Kriti Veranzerou 5, Kanningos Square (inside the arcade) +302103826998 Mon.-Sat. 11:00-24:00; closed on Sunday € 15 – 20
FAST CASUAL, DINERS & SOUVLAKI JOINTS
Some of the best food in Athens isn’t found in expensive restaurants. It’s served in paper napkins or between slices of crusty pita bread. Here are some of the best places to pick up a bite in the capital.
Kosta Souvlaki and Kebabs Plateia Agias Eirinis 2 +302103232971 Mon.-Fri. 09:00-17:00 € 3 – 10
Livadia Souvlaki Gladstonos 7, Kanningos Square +302103832413 Mon.-Sun. 08:00-22:00 € 3 – 7
Feyrouz Lahmajun Karori 23, downtown Athens +302130318060 € 3 – 7
Falafellas Felafel Aiolou 51, downtown Athens +302103239809 € 3 – 7
San Francisco Sandwiches Kerameikou 99, Kerameikos +302155512845 € 5 – 10
FUSION/ECLECTIC From traditional dishes with contemporary twists to exciting blends of flavors from around the world these restaurants offer guests a sumptuous dining experience.
Funky Gourmet Paramythias 13, Kerameikos +302105242727 Tues.-Sat. 19:30 – 22:30; Closed Sunday and Monday € 65 – 120
Athiri Plateon 15, Kerameikos +302103462983 Tues.-Sat. 13:00-01:00; Sun. 13:00-17:00; Closed on Monday € 25 – 30
Aleria Megalou Alexandrou 57, Metaxourgeio +302105222633 Mon.-Sat. 13:00-01:00; Closed on Sunday € 30 – 35
GREEK COMFORT FOOD It’s the type of food that makes us think of home, mom’s cooking, and simpler times. These restaurants bring a refined touch to Greek classics and satisfy our cravings for Greek comfort food.
Melilotos Kalamiotou 19, downtown Athens +302103222458 Mon. 12:00 – 18:00; Tues – Sat. 12:00 – 01:00; Sun. 14:00 – 22:00 € 17 – 20
Mani Mani Falirou 10, Koukaki +302109218180 Mon.-Fri. 15:00-24:00; Sat. 13:00-24:00; Sun. 13:00-18:00 € 20 – 25
Seychelles Kerameikou 49, Metaxourgheio +302111834789 € 11 – 17
MUSEUM RESTAURANTS These new museum restaurants have ushered in a post-cafeteria era and offer hearty meals to hungry tourists as they pace themselves viewing exhibits.
Gastronomy Museum Restaurant Agiou Dimitriou 13, downtown Athens +302103211311 Daily 10am – 11pm. Closed on Monday € 15 – 25
Acropolis Museum Restaurant Dinonysiou Areopagitou 15, Acropolis +302109000900 Tues.-Sun. 8 a.m. -8 p.m. Fri 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Closed on Monday € 12 – 15
Benaki Museum Restaurant Koumpari 1, Kolonaki +302103671000 Wed. & Fri. 09:00-17:00; Thur. & Sat. 09:00-24:00; Sun. 09:00-16:00; Closed Monday and Tuesday. € 20 – 25
SEAFOOD From the humble Triantaphyllo to the sophisticated Milos, Athens boasts dozens of fresh seafood restaurants. These are the top spots in town to load up on those omega-3s.
Milos Leoforos Vasilissis Sofias 46, Hilton +302107244400 € 45 – 50 Mon.-Sat. 12:30 – 16:30 & 19:00 – 24:00; Sun. 13:00 – 17:00
Triantaphyllo tis nostimias Lekka 22, downtown Athens (inside the arcade) +302103227298 € 12 – 20 Mon.-Sat. 11:30am-19:00; closed on Sunday
Lesvos Emmanouil Benaki 88, Exarcheia +302103814525 Mon.-Sat. 13:00-01:00; Sunday 13:00 – 17:00 € 12 – 20
Stoa Ouzeri Themistokleous 11, Exarcheia (inside the arcade) +302103825961 Mon. – Fri. 10:00- 01:00; Sat. 10:00-19:00, closed on Sunday € 10 – 15
Ouzeri tou Laki Elpidos 16, Victoria Square +302108213776 Mon.-Sat. 13:00 – 24:00; Sunday 13:00- 17:00 € 12 – 20
TAVERNS & LUNCH SPOTS Athens is home to some of the oldest taverns in the nation. Diporto – first opened in 1887 – is considered to be the oldest tavern in Greece. These spots are some of the most beloved in town.
Diporto Agoras Theatrou & Sokratous, Gerani +302103211463 € 12 – 17
Stou Meidani Sokratous 3, Gerani Mon. – Sat. 12:00 – 17:00; Closed on Sunday +302103249073 € 12 – 17
Oinomageirio Ipiros Filopimenos 4, Athens Central Municipal Market 24-Hour Restaurant +302103240773 € 7 – 12
Stoa Proia lunch spot Panepistimiou 39, downtown Athens (inside the arcade) Mon. – Sat. 12:00 – 17:00; Closed on Sunday +302103313400 € 5 – 10
Dexameni ouzo joint Plateia Dexamenis, Kolonaki Mon.-Sun. 09:00-24:00 € 7 – 12
Klimataria Plateia Theatrou 2, downtown Athens Sun.-Sat. 12:00-01:00 € 12 – 17
Oinopoleio Aishylou 12a, downtown Athens Sun. 12:00 – 00:00. Tue &Thu: 17:30 – 00:00. Fri: 17:30 – 01:00. Sat: 12:00 – 01:00 € 13 – 18
VEGETARIAN Avocado doesn’t subsist on salad alone and offers intriguing and delicious menus that even meat eaters will want to chow down.
Avocado Food for Life Nikis 30, downtown Athens +302103237878 Mon.-Sat. 10pm-10am; Sunday 10pm – 7pm € 15 – 20
WINE BARS & RESTAURANTS Not sure whether to pair your Cabernet with pork? Which white goes best with fish? These restaurants aren’t just about eating local, but drinking local wines, too.
Stinking Bishop wine bar & restaurant Patriarchou Ioakim 43, Kolonaki +302130263656 € 20-30
Oinoscent wine bar Voulis 45, downtown Athens +302103229374
Heterocliton wine bar Petraki 30, downtown Athens +302103239406
By the glass wine bar Georgiou Souri 3, downtown Athens +302103232560
Written by Yannis Zaras
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