Best places to eat in Athens

Greek cuisine and tradition are over 4,000 years old and have been influenced by its neighboring countries (both east and west) throughout the centuries.

Traditional Greek food is renowned for its high-quality ingredients, which are key to the Mediterranean diet. Spices and aromatic herbs are used with care to enhance flavor, and the star of most dishes is the famous Greek olive oil.

Traditional Dishes

We recommend you take a look at some of the most traditional Greek dishes to get an idea of the varied cuisine that awaits you there: 

• Tzatziki: a classic sauce made with Greek yoghurt, fresh cucumber, garlic, and mint.
• Spanakopita: a savory pastry, made with phyllo dough and stuffed with spinach and feta cheese.
• Tiropita: a savory pastry made with phyllo dough, stuffed with various cheeses and an egg mixture.
• Spanakotiropita: another classic savory pastry, made with phyllo dough, feta cheese, and spinach.
• Saganaki: fried cheese, crunchy on the outside and melted on the inside.
• Dolmades: vine leaves stuffed with meat, rice, or vegetables.
• Horiatiki salata: Greek salad with tomato, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumber, and olive oil.
• Fasolada: soup usually eaten in winter with white beans, olive oil, tomatoes, carrots, and celery.
• Fakes: lentil soup.
• Psarosoupa: fish soup.
• Patsas: tripe soup.
• Pikilia: assortment of Greek dips including olives, feta cheese, served with sauces and Greek bread.
• Meze platter: a mix of small dishes that normally accompany Greek ouzo or any other alcoholic drinks.
• Souvlaki: grilled chicken, fish, lamb, prawn, or pork skewers.
• Keftedes: typical Greek meatballs.
• Melitzanosalata: aubergine dip.
• Fava: split pea soup, similar to hummus but with yellow peas, typical of Santorini.
• Loukoumi: Turkish delight.
• Loukoumades: Greek donut balls, drizzled with honey and topped with cinnamon.
• Metaxa: an alcoholic drink of brandy and wine.
• Ouzo: sweet-tasting liquor that tastes of licorice, coming in between 37 and 50 percent alcohol.  
• Koulouri: twisted kind of sweet sesame bread that is usually sold in street stalls; the quick breakfast of Athens. 

Moussaka and Gyros

We’ve decided to dedicate a specific section to two of the country’s most famous recipes: moussaka and gyros.

Moussaka is a type of lasagna with spicy lamb mince meat, tomatoes, eggplants, and a creamy sauce. There are also various versions with potato and zucchini. Like the Italian lasagna, this dish is quite filling, and since it is served piping hot, it's the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter night.

Gyros are another extremely popular dish in Greece, consisting of pita bread stuffed with meat (either chicken, pork, or lamb) made on a vertical rotisserie. It's paired with tomato, lettuce, onion, and different sauces. Gyros literally means “to turn”, since the meat is cooked on a vertical sear that rotates very slowly, just like the modern kebabs.

Available in most Greek restaurants and fast food stands, gyros are a specialty that is prized both by locals and travelers.

Prices

Restaurants in Athens are relatively inexpensive, a bit like the prices you would find in Madrid or Barcelona. A main course costs between € 12 (US$ 13.93) and € 18 (US$ 20.90) and serves a healthy portion.

If you’re traveling around Greece on a tight budget, you can order gyros at any fast-food stand for approximately € 5 (US$ 5.80) or a delicious souvlaki in the city’s numerous taverns.

Unlike other European countries, waiters in Athens will usually serve you water as soon as you sit down, even if you haven’t asked for it. Plus, it's free, so additional savings.

What Time Do Locals Eat in Athens?

The Greek meal times in Athens are similar to those in Spain. Lunch is served between 1:30 pm and 4 pm, and dinner between 9:30 pm and 11 pm. Nevertheless, since Athens is quite a cosmopolitan city, restaurants open earlier for visitors, so you can eat earlier without any problem. Normally, waiters stand outside their restaurants trying to entice you to enter their establishments at all hours.

Best Areas to Eat in Athens

Although most neighborhoods in Athens offer numerous and varied restaurants, the most popular areas are Plaka and Monastiraki.

One of our favorite streets, packed with traditional restaurants and charming terraces, is Adrianou Street, near the Ancient Agora.

The more adventurous will find their ideal spot in the Central Market (Varvakios). There, you'll find tavernas (like the famous Epirus) serving the best traditional soups (like Patsas).

Other good streets are: Mitropoleos Street and Kidathineon Street.