Get ready for an adventurous culinary journey! Athens, Greece has some of the best restaurants in all of Europe. The food in Athens, Greece is some of the best you’ll find anywhere. From budget restaurants with cheap eats and fresh fish sandwiches to high-end spots for those who want their dining experience luxury-level delicious!
With so many great options available it can be hard deciding where or what type of cuisine fits your taste buds’ needs perfectly but don’t worry because we’ve done all the work for you. This is your guide to the best restaurants in town! We have some amazing offerings whether you’re looking for an upscale meal or want something more budget conscious. No matter what kind of foodie vibe suits you personally, we’ve got it covered here – so scroll down and check out this curated list before making reservations today!
Spondi Restaurant
One of Greece’s most award-winning restaurants and the country’s first to receive two Michelin stars, Spondi is arranged over three floors and has a small, peaceful courtyard just 100 meters from the Parthenon. This exquisite locale was founded by Apostolos Trastelis in 1996 and has become a national landmark.
Fresh seasonal produce is used in the menu, inspired by star chef Aggelos Landos. Chef Angelos Lantos offers a menu that combines modern and classic tendencies with artful, often playful dishes like deconstructed Saint-Nectaire’s cheese on toast and smoked milk croquettes over green bedding.
Among the restaurant’s star dishes are foie gras batons, crabs in herb jelly, and roasted lamb filets with coriander and candied lemon crusts. More than 1,300 wine labels are in the cellar, which was hand-picked by expert sommeliers worldwide.
Hytra Restaurant & Bar
In an excellent year for Hytra, the restaurant received its second Michelin star in 2012. It moved from Psiri to the Onassis Cultural Center’s sixth floor, offering panoramic views of the Acropolis and Mount Lycabettus on the building’s seventh-floor terrace in the warmer months.
This excellent dining establishment offers high-quality dishes at reasonable prices to meet the demands of the times. Chef Tassos Mantis strives to use regional, sustainable, and foraged ingredients, such as milk-fed lamb and free-range chicken from Alexandrakis Farm, while keeping high-concept dishes affordable. The restaurant offers full-course meals, tapas, and wine and beer. The restaurant, which offers a sweeping view of Athens and its surroundings, will be open during the summer on the center’s terrace. The hours of operation for Hytra are Sunday through Thursday, 20.00–24.00, and Friday and Saturday, 20.00–1.00.
Botrini’s Restaurant
On the outskirts of downtown Athens, a cozy, modern restaurant is housed in a former school. Before embarking on his Athenian adventure, chef Ettore Botrini received extensive training throughout Europe and rose to the head chef position at the prestigious family restaurant Etrusco in Corfu.
Botrini’s is the realization of a dream to make gastronomy more approachable to the general public while paying proper homage to seasonality, quality, and the locality of raw ingredients. The flavors and memories from Botrini’s travels and childhood are heavily reflected in a menu of fusion dishes, allowing food expressions to flow freely and sharing experiences and moments cherished in a “forever mood.”
The restaurant enjoys magnificent views of the sea and the sky because it is located on a large terrace in the center of the main building. Price-friendly options include “before fasting” (calf tail cooked by Trappist monks according to a traditional recipe) and “pappardelle” with blushing duck slithers.
Varoulko Seaside Restaurant
Varoulko Restaurant opened its doors in Piraeus in 1987. It was followed by a novel method of cooking seafood developed by Lefteris Lazarou. This lively, busy restaurant is prime on the promenade, and its dining room looks out onto the water. The emphasis is on excellent fish; select from a wide selection of à la carte items or a tasting menu of the day’s specials.
Lefteris Lazarou returned to his former neighborhood after ten years spent on land. Lazarou has won numerous honors, including the first-ever Greek cuisine-focused Michelin star given to him in 2002; ever since Lazarou has kept his star. Lazarou was the first chef in Greece to prepare a fine dining restaurant’s seafood menu and educate the public about underutilized and underappreciated varieties of fish. Lazarou has won numerous honors, including the first-ever Greek cuisine-focused Michelin star given to him in 2002; ever since Lazarou has kept his star.
This brand new restaurant in Mikrolimano, Piraeus, is open both during the day and at night, serving two different menus: one for lunch on meze and another for dinner on creativity and elegance. You can enjoy generous Greek and Mediterranean dishes with a romantic touch in the late afternoon with a sunset view.
Milos Restaurant
One of the best Greek restaurants in the world, Milos Restaurant at the Athens Hilton, was founded by restaurateur Costas Spiliadis and honors traditional values and cooking methods while using only local, in-season ingredients. The best ingredients for Greek cuisine are found through extensive research and travel, and then the suppliers are personally selected. Fresh fish and seafood are among the specialties served at Milos, where renowned chef Konstantinos Spiliadis favors simplicity in the kitchen.
The genuine flavor is added to food by using superior honey and salt from the island of Cythera. Delicious dishes like grilled cuttlefish with capers from Santorini, fried shrimp from Aigina, traditional vegetable pies, and much more can be found on the menu. Meals are served in a classy setting, inside or in the incredible garden. Since the menu is primarily composed of nutrient-dense fish and vegetables, visitors who are gluten intolerant don’t have to give up enjoying tasty meals.
The restaurant pays close attention to customer preferences and requirements and can design a menu to suit individual preferences. Risotto with squid ink is a delectable, well-liked dish that is gluten-free and remarkably tasty.
Tudor Hall Restaurant
Tudor Hall Restaurant offers neo-classical design, seasonal, modern cuisine, specialty cocktails, and a creative selection of Greek wines. Tudor Hall Restaurant, located on the 7th floor of King George, provides the ideal ambiance for flavors to take center stage.
The outdoor area provides a stunning view of Athens, both history and modern life. The unspoiled beauty of the Parthenon, the Panathenaic Stadium, the Zappeion Gardens, Syntagma Square, and the Hellenic Parliament are just a few attractions in Athens.
The menu adheres to the ambiance of the Tudor Hall Restaurant’s discrete setting. Contemporary cuisine is known to be creative and innovative with its flavors. Asterios Koustoudis, an Executive Chef with a Michelin star, and the talented Nikos Livadias, Chef de Cuisine, create dishes based on the premium ingredients available at the time and according to the season.
The gourmet menu’s starters, main courses, and supplemental dishes synthesize top-quality ingredients, skill, and years of experience and are presented most enticingly. A dessert from renowned Chef Pâtissier Arnaud Larher is the ideal way to end a meal because it takes us down new avenues of dreamy sweet delights that awaken and inspire the senses with each bite.
Funky Gourmet
The Funky Gourmet is a place for chic dining for ardent devotees of food and art. The Funky Gourmet is a spiritual place full of art, science, and flavor. Having good taste and enjoyment is everything.
Funky Gourmet is located in the heart of downtown Athens in a charming neoclassical house. The neoclassical structure stands out like a sparkling vision among the neighborhood’s crumbling facades. The first-floor dining room’s modern black, white, and gray decor has a view of the city. Amazingly inventive dishes use unusual, but well-considered flavor combinations and many have playful theatrical elements.
The chefs’ avant-garde, creative cuisine is based on premium seasonal ingredients and emphasizes sophisticated flavors and cutting-edge culinary techniques. The chefs develop degustation menus inspired by traditional Greek cuisine but have entirely new structures and top-notch local ingredients. By combining these elements with cutting-edge culinary knowledge and techniques, these menus provide guests with an unforgettable dining experience.
Funky Gourmet has received the Toque d’Or for five years and has been recognized as one of Greece’s best restaurants since its opening. In 2010 and 2011, the two chefs received Best Arrival of the Year and Chef of the Year, respectively. They received a Michelin star in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
Ithaki Restaurant Bar
Ithaki is one of the oldest restaurants in Athens and has hosted a long list of notable visitors, including Bill Clinton and Sean Connery. Black cod marinated in miso or the Chateaubriand for two are just a few of the Mediterranean menu dishes that incorporate French and Japanese flavors. Additionally available are a knowledgeable sommelier and a well-stocked wine cellar. Ithaki’s position on the coast with a view of the Saronic Gulf is genuinely magical. An enjoyable escape from the city center that’s great for a leisurely lunch or dinner.
Eat At Milton’s Restaurant
A top-notch culinary experience awaits you when you eat at Milton’s. The service is prompt, knowledgeable, and excellent at matching your food selections with wines from a wide range of international regions.
The seture dishes include the “astakomakaronada” (lobster pasta) for two or the slow-cooked lamb (for two) that is carved table-side. The moussaka is made fresh right when you order them while you wait. You must save room for the excellent dessert menu. In the summer, you can eat outside on their lovely patio or in their elegant dining room on chilly days, which is set back a little from the crowded Plaka pedestrianized area.
Abreuvoir Restaurant
In Athens, Abreuvoir is unquestionably a top option for dining out. Since the establishment of the restaurant in 1965, French food lovers from Athens and abroad have become accustomed to it. This restaurant is a favorite of anyone who wants to savor high-quality French cuisine. It is located in a fabulous, shaded summer garden and a cozy winter interior room. In Athens, Abreuvoir is a tradition with a consistent clientele and a frequently updated menu.
Filet au Poivre, steak tartare, canard orange, and unquestionably crepes Suzette or creme Brulee with espresso for dessert continue to be some of the favorites. Recent menu additions include pheasant with pears and red cabbage, wild boar with mushrooms and bacon, and tuna fish with topinambur, leeks, and parsley. Try the honey-marinated salmon, which is served with grilled marinated vegetables. The salmon was marinated with fennel, lime, orange, and ginger and served with quinoa, mustard seeds, and avocado. Even the most discerning palates will be satisfied by the wine list.
Strofi Restaurant
You’ll find Strofi Restaurant in an old mid-war mansion at the foothills of Athens’ Acropolis, surrounded by elegant Thissio suburb and its scenic views cannot get any better than this! With a mesmerizing view of the Parthenon, this is a part of old Athens that should be experienced with a great wine list and the traditional tastes of Greece. Strofi is a long-standing restaurant that has been serving up traditional Greek cuisine since 1965 and it will not disappoint with its extensive list that includes keftedes (grilled meatballs), dolmades(vegetables wrapped in grape leaves) mizithra cheese pies, and more! The wine list is an excellent introduction to Greek wines. Strofi accepts reservations and is open for lunch and dinner.
Athénée (formerly Zonars) Restaurant
Since 1939, the rich and famous have gathered at this legendary location, which was recently renovated by the Panas Brothers, Spiros, and Chrysanthos. It is surrounded by upscale boutiques and is situated in the affluent section of the city center, close to Syntagma Square. Today, guests can savor the art deco finishes of the building while having Sunday brunch or afternoon tea (the bakery’s goods are all made on the premises). The extensive menu, created by celebrated chef Nikos Skiliras, features everything from sushi to classic Greek dishes like “lahanodolmades,” which are cabbage rolls filled with minced meat and served with an egg and lemon sauce.
Rafale Restaurant
Book a table at the Rafale restaurant in the charming Laimos neighborhood of Vouliagmeni if you enjoy fresh fish. With his forty years of experience, General Manager Dimitris Pantaz personally selects the fish and ensures its superior quality. There’s a chance you’ll even see the fishermen bring them in. The outstanding chefs at this must-eat seafood establishment create delectable dishes that highlight the fish and seafood flavors through creative pairings, and the warm service will make you feel right at home. For Rafale, fishing is a way of life, and the perfect catch embodies the perfect way of life. It is a memorable experience to try these specialties. Not just for fish lovers but for anyone who values fine dining, this fish restaurant’s prices are fair, and the setting is idyllic.
Orizontes Lykavittou Restaurant
Athens’ highest point, Lycabettus Hill, offers a sweeping panorama while overlooking the city. It provides a stunning view that stretches from the Acropolis to Piraeus and is regarded as one of the most romantic locations in the world. One of the best restaurants in Athens is Orizontes, which is located on this natural balcony and serves delectable Mediterranean cuisine in a sophisticated setting with understated luxury. Visitors to Orizontes commend its impeccable service, stylish decor overall, warm atmosphere, and inventive flavors. A carefully chosen wine list featuring Greek and international labels complements the menu inspired by numerous Greek recipes and uses high-quality, fresh ingredients. From the Lycabettus theater, it takes ten minutes to walk to Orizontes. Alternatively, you can take a cable car from Aristippou Street to get there.
Experience The Best Restaurants in Athens
Dining hours in Athens
Greece does not consider breakfast to be a substantial meal. Restaurants in touristy areas will undoubtedly open early for lunch and dinner, starting at 11:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m., but fewer locals will frequent these establishments.
Using Your Hands to Eat
One common misconception about Greeks is that they eat almost exclusively with their hands. Even though this is undoubtedly true for quick bites and meals like gyros and cheese pies, as well as for pork and lamb chops at very casual restaurants, diners at more excellent restaurants use cutlery for the majority of their meals. Even when dipping bread, cutting a small piece and eating it with a fork is customary.
Wine
Greek wine is grossly underappreciated. The nation has produced wine for a long time and has some genuinely excellent varieties, mainly white wines. The Cyclades, Peloponnese, and Macedonia regions are the best wine-producing areas in Greece.
Final Thoughts
Nothing could go wrong. Athens is a dynamic, top-tier city. You can find anything, from greasy kebabs to pricey fine dining, so don’t worry about your preferences. The long tradition of innovation is also very much alive here, so if tradition is what you’re looking for, you’ll find it in spades. Visit the sights to whet your appetite before sitting down for the meal of a lifetime.
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