Athens, Greece » Entertainment » Restaurants

Athens is a diner’s paradise with cozy restaurants located in every corner of the city. Local residents and tourists enjoy the simple yet innovative meal along with delicious house wines served in almost every bistro. Most of the restaurants open up an afternoon or else after 8pm, and are generally closed in the month of August.

Aristera-Dexia is a popular dining place in Athens. The place got its name from its partitioned dining room inside. Aristera-Dexia serves Greek, Asian, European, Continental, and Fusion types of cuisines in addition to Wine, Beer, and Liquor. The cheese croquettes in melon-mirin-chili sauce, pheasant sausage with parsnips and Madeira sauce, cheese croquettes in melon-mirin-chili, and squid in the egg-lemon sauce are served here. Moreover, Chocolate Island and champagne mousse with green peppers and strawberries also take up the top place in the menu.

Situated inside the attractive Zappion Gardens, Aigli is a popular restaurant with Athenian families. The place offers coffee, juice, and pastries in the morning and delicious continental cuisine at night. Chinese ravioli, foie gras, and oysters are on the top of the menu list in the evenings.

Decorated with dark wood walls and candlelight, Kafeneio is one of the best places to enjoy a romantic dinner. The place serves delicious marinated octopus, artichokes la polita, and onion pie with dill. In addition to this, Kafeneio also has vegetarian options on its menu.

Situated in a 19th-century house, Spondi is famous for serving Mediterranean, continental, and European cuisine. Salmon and black ravioli with leeks and shrimp, artichoke casserole and duck confit, and tender lamb with couscous, raisins, and cumin are a few of the most ordered dishes here. Local residents enjoy the bitter chocolate soufflé served as a dessert.

White Elephant is popular for serving Polynesian food with a Chinese and Thai relish. Decorated with Leopard print chairs, the place serves excellent quail salad, duck with thin crispy pancakes, marinated salmon with spinach and ginger cream, and sweet-and-sour chicken with macadamia nuts and plum sauce.

Local Greek Cuisine

One of the popular restaurants serving traditional Greek food, Salt and Pepper is located at Pentelis Avenue. The place also offers delicious French and Italian dishes along with seafood, wine, and beer.

Located at Panepistimiou Street, Ideal is a popular local food restaurant in Athens. The silky avgolemono soup, Smyrnaika tsouotsoukakia with ouzo and cumin, and lamb with spinach are a few of the truly enjoyed dishes.

Kalokerinos is popular for offering traditional Mediterranean cuisine with beautiful folk songs and dances. Grilled octopus, fried eggplant, and stuffed grape leaves are a few of the enjoyed dishes by the local residents. Delicious lamb dishes also take up the top places in the menu.

Situated outside Athens, Kollias is one of the best places to enjoy fish taverna. Apart from fish, the restaurant offers excellent seafood options. Mussels stuffed with rice and grilled sea bass or shrimp in tomato and pepper sauce form the specialties of Kollias.

One of the popular restaurants among the locals, Taverna Xinos is famous for serving traditional Greek food. Lamb yiouvetsi, baked in a clay pot with tomatoes and tiny pasta is the specialty of the restaurant. Tourists also enjoy relishing on livers and sweetbreads in vinegar and oregano.

Italian

Located at Knossou Street, Il Tinello is often filled with a casual and fun-loving crowd. This family-owned restaurant serves delicious Italian and European dishes. Local residents enjoy the tangy roasted goat cheese in anchovy sauce with parsley, mushroom risotto with plenty of garlic and parmesan, and the homemade ravioli with chamomile. Furthermore, the tiramisu is also a popular dish in the restaurant.

French

One of the best French restaurants in Athens, Abreuvoir (L') is decorated with low lights in an elegant quad festooned with mulberries.

Japanese

One of the best Japanese restaurants in Athens, Kiku is located at Dimokritou. Local bonito, cuttlefish, sea bass, and dorado are a few of the most popular dishes in addition to sushi and sashimi served here.

Mediterranean

Neon

One of the few places to open before noon, Neon is the best place to enjoy a filling delicious breakfast. The restaurant offers a variety of sandwiches and desserts along with buffet-style meat dishes and salad bars.

Serving the modern Mediterranean cuisine, Vardis is the only restaurant in Greece which has received the Michelin Gold Star for quality. Elegantly decorated with fine linens, the place offers a delicious menu accompanied by a perfectly matched wine list.

Sea Food

One of the best places to taste delicious seafood, Varoulko is located at Deligeorgi. Apart from the menu, the restaurant offers a daily special, depending on the type caught that morning. Smoked eel, crayfish with sun-dried tomatoes and monkfish livers with soy sauce, honey, and balsamic vinegar, roe dressed with honey, and served with cinnamon-spiced cauliflower puree and crab salad with mango, grapes, and leeks or mullet are generally on the top of the menu. Kaidafi, a frayed wheat pastry puffed with sweet carrot filling is a truly enjoyed dessert.