Athens-born chef Nick Molyviatis and Greek restaurant supremo David Carter share their top tips to the best cafes, bars and restaurants in the city. From coffee spots in Plaka and Exarchia to traditional tavernas and new-wave dining, this guide covers the essential food experiences in the Greek capital.
Coffee and Bakeries
For coffee, both recommend Anana in Plaka. Carter describes it as "casual and low-key, with somewhere to sit down and relax," and he opts for a freddo espresso, "basically the Greek national coffee now." He also highlights Behold The Man in Exarchia, a coffee shop that fits the area's "rebellious, anti-establishment feel" with great music and coffee.
For pastries, Akra is one of the best places in Athens. Carter notes the food is "rustic, simple and delicious," with pastries that are "unbelievably technical." No Crumbs, which opened this year, is a spot for breakfast or food on the move, while Fillo specialises in traditional pies from around Greece, once offering three different spanakopitas from three regions.
Breakfast and Traditional Tavernas
Carter skips breakfast, heading to Diporto near the market at about 11am. This old, rundown restaurant is cash only, with orders taken with a pen, massive wine barrels, and no choice of wine. The food is simple: chickpeas, beans, slow-cooked vegetables, and sometimes grilled sardines or fish. Molyviatis starts the day at Ipiros inside the meat market around 10.30am, where slow-cooked dishes in huge pots include tripe soup, followed by a stop at Diporto for braised beans, chickpeas, and salad.
Taverna To Trigono in Kalyvia, out by the airport, is a must for Carter. The menu features salads, tzatziki, cheeses, and breads on one side, and grilled meats like sausage, spit-roast lamb, offal, and lamb chops on the other. Everything is cooked to order with "good produce, salt, oregano and lemon." Manári in central Athens is a proper meat chop house, with lamb chops that are "as good as – if not better than – a good dry-aged steak." Tavern Spanos in Kato Patisia also serves lamb chops and slow-cooked meats on the spit until they run out.
New-Wave Restaurants and Seafood
Linou Soumpasis & Sia is "probably the most forward-thinking restaurant in Athens right now," according to Carter, serving humble, seafood-led food with a fine edge. Molyviatis also rates it, comparing it to "Lyle’s meets Brat." Other recommendations include Pharaoh for vegetables and fermented wheat, Ateno for Greek salad and stuffed vegetables, and Ex Machina for its cold saganaki and changing seafood broth.
For seafood, Travolta is "old-school and a bit like Bentley’s in London," with huge plates of crudo and whole fish, plus a prawn and squid skewer with squid ink and olive oil. Phita is another option further out. For a more elevated experience, Iodio near Kolonaki serves raw fish with a crisp rice paper sheet and warm avgolemono sauce.
Cheap Eats and Drinking
For souvlaki, the best is often at roadside or market stalls, like a tiny stall in Exarchia serving market vendors. For souvla, Psitopoleio Peloponnhsos offers huge pieces of meat and lamb heads. Achilleas in Neos Kosmos is one of the few places making its own gyros, while Hoocut in the centre slices meat raw and chops it into strips. Mandraki in Kaisariani is open until about 2am with huge gyros that often sell out.
For drinks, Wine is Fine and Epta Martyres are Carter's picks for pre-dinner drinks. Pharaoh has a great wine list, and Tanini Agapi Mou is an amazing wine bar. Molyviatis discovered the Vidiano grape this year, which is "easygoing but complex." Line Athens offers some of the best cocktails, and Baba au Rum is also top-notch. Rumble in the Jungle is a hidden bar behind The Bar in Front of the Bar, which operates with a zero-waste approach.
Markets and Out-of-Town Spots
Both recommend visiting the central fish and meat markets, with Saturday being the best day for farmers' markets. Near Diporto, Miran is a charcuterie shop with a huge range of cheeses and cured meats. A huge farmers' market takes place every Saturday around Exarchia.
Out of town, Carter likes Vouliagmeni on the coast, with its lake and tree-lined boulevards, though a car is needed. For meat, Kalyvia out towards the airport has two enormous tavernas, Christoforos and To Trigono, which can be empty during the week but packed at weekends. Molyviatis notes he has been to Christoforos recently.
