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Athens,
Restaurants
The selected restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.
Some Athens restaurants are closed for the summer break between mid‐July and mid‐September.
Prices in Greek restaurants will usually already include the 10% sales tax. However, all Greek restaurants are required by law to add a 13% service charge to the bill and it is still customary to leave the waiter an additional 10% tip on top.
The prices quoted below are for an average three‐course meal for one person and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they include sales tax but do not include service charge or tip.
Gastronomic:
Beau Brummel: Once Athens’ most expensive restaurant, prices at Beau Brummel, in the smart suburb of Kifissia, have eased up of late. The new chef, Jean de Grylleau, has moved away from the former butter‐heavy French style of cooking and introduced a lighter and healthier Mediterranean slant, with an emphasis on fresh local garden produce and seafood, such as the sea bass marinated in Noilly Prat and served with fennel sauce. The first‐floor dining room exudes quiet charm and elegance – parquet flooring, exposed stonework, silver cutlery and crystal glass‐ while the recently opened ground‐floor Brasserie now offers a cheerful &Euro;30 set menu for Sunday lunch.
Ag Dimitriou 9, Kifissia
Tel: 21062 36780. Fax: 21062 36981.
Price: &Euro;70. Wine: &Euro;30.
Pil Poul: Housed in a neoclassical building in Thissio, Pil Poul specialises in creative Mediterranean cuisine. One might begin with warm foie gras with chicory and caramelised port sauce, followed by stuffed lamb fillet with white Greek cheese, tomato and olives, rounded off by pineapple cream with almonds. The dining rooms are adorned with floor‐to‐ceiling sweeping curtains and glass chandeliers and in summer there is a roof terrace with views of the Acropolis. Aficionados include French fashion designer Jean‐Paul Gaultier.
Apostolou Pavlou 5, Thissio
Tel: 21034 23665. Fax: 21034 13046.
Price: &Euro;60. Wine: &Euro;30.
Spondi: Frequently cited as Athens' top restaurant, the Michellin‐starred Spondi is situated in the Pangrati district and occupies a vaulted stone cellar, with tasteful minimalist furnishing and subtle lighting. In summer, there are tables outside in a pretty courtyard. The menu features fusion cuisine, with an abundant use of aromatic herbs and spices. Diners can choose from main dishes like pigeon breast with artichoke sauce or sea bass with rose petal and vanilla sauce. The deserts are equally tempting and extravagant. Reservations recommended. No lunch.
Pirronos 5, Pangrati
Tel: 21075 64021 or 20658.
E‐mail: info@spondi.gr
Price: &Euro;60. Wine: &Euro;20.
To Varoulko: Awarded one Michelin star in 2002, this excellent fish restaurant is based in Piraeus most of the year but transfers to the nearby Yacht Club at Mikrolimano in summer. It is best known for excellent monkfish and creative presentation. The menu varies daily according to what is available in the fish market, but tempting starters might include courgettes stuffed with crab, shrimp and rise, followed by monkfish cooked in wild celery and topped with sautéed hot pepper or swordfish with porcini mushrooms.
Deligeorgi 14, Piraeus
Tel: 21041 12043.
Price: &Euro;60. Wine: &Euro;17.
Vardis: This Michelin‐starred restaurant lies within the Pentelikon Hotel, in the northern suburb of Kifissia. The menu features creative Mediterranean cuisine, with an emphasis on seafood and game. Diners could begin with perch and crayfish cream soup with basil, followed by guinea fowl breast and potato purée with marjoram. The dining room is striking – black leather chairs and sofas, parquet flooring, lemon‐coloured table linens and candles. In summer, there are tables in the garden by the pool. Reservations essential. No lunch.
Pentelikon Hotel, Diligianni 66, Kifissia
Tel: 21062 30650. Fax: 21080 10314.
E‐mail: pentelik@otenet.gr
Price: &Euro;80. Wine: &Euro;25.
Business:
Azul: Kolonáki may be the centre of commerce by day, but by night it is also a glamorous quarter for wining and dining. Azul has earned itself a reputation for innovative Greek‐Mediterranean cuisine, with exquisite meat and fish dishes complemented by light sauces and aromatic herbs, such as sole in caper and lemon sauce. The interior dining room is small, with just a dozen or so tables, but during summer tables spill out onto the pedestrian walkway. Reservations recommended.
Haritos 43, Kolonáki
Tel: 21072 53817.
Price: &Euro;30. Wine: &Euro;18.
Boschetto: Set in a small park, close to the Evangelismos metro station, Boschetto specialises in Italian nouvelle cuisine. Tables are arranged in a glass conservatory, as well as outside beneath the trees. Fresh pasta dishes – such as penne with prosciutto, asparagus and pecorino – are a favourite. Also of note are the chilled smoked tomato soup with crabmeat and the sautéed turbot with wild mushrooms and fresh thyme. The service is efficient and professional and the espresso coffee reputedly the best in town.
Alsos Evangelismos
Tel: 21072 10893. Fax: 21072 23598.
Price: &Euro;60. Wine: &Euro;30.
Deals: Located in Neo Psihiko, Deals is frequented by smart young professionals. The interior comprises an airy, wood‐beamed, split‐level space, while outside there is an ample, leafy patio, sheltered by canvas awnings. For a light lunch, diners can order a colourful salad of mixed lettuce, avocado and salmon. For something more robust, seafood croquettes (shrimp and crab with herb mayonnaise) could be followed by duck fillets with orange, honey, thyme and red pepper. Select cigars are available at the bar.
Vasiliou Dimitriou 10, Neo Psihiko
Tel: 21067 73183.
E‐mail: iceman@otenet.gr
Price: &Euro;30. Wine: &Euro;20.
Jimmy and the Fish: Overlooking the delightful harbour of Mikrolimano, in Piraeus, this excellent fish restaurant offers a refined ambience indoors and a rather more informal, breezy atmosphere at the waterside tables outside. Discreet waiters, clad in hallmark blue and white aprons, deliver vast pans of sizzling spaghetti with lobster, or simply grilled fresh fish with lemon and parsley or colourful seasonal salads to discerning diners ranging from shipping magnets to Orthodox priests. Reservations recommended.
Akti Koumoundrou 46, Piraeus
Tel: 21041 24417.
Price: &Euro;80. Wine: &Euro;18.
To Kafeneio: A popular spot for lunch among embassy staff, To Kafeneio is located in the fashionable Kolonáki business district. The air‐conditioned dining room is refined but relaxed, with wood‐panelled walls and pink tablecloths. One might begin with melitzanes imam baildi (aubergine in garlic and tomato), followed by hirino me selino (pork casserole with wild celery) served with a creamy lemon avgolemono sauce.
Loukianou 26, Kolonáki
Tel: 21072 29056 or 37277.
Price: &Euro;24. Wine: &Euro;14.
Trendy:
Aristera-Dexia: Gazi means ‘gas’ and the district of Athens where Aristera‐Dexia is located, once down‐at‐heel but now rather trendy, takes its name from the city gasworks. Young, sophisticated Athenians come here to eat fusion cuisine, with main dishes including pheasant sausage with parsnips in Madeira sauce. Diners should save room for a dessert – the chocolate mousse with passion fruit puree is exquisite. The interior is quite impressive, with a glass catwalk leading over an underground wine cellar. On warm evenings there are tables outside in the courtyard.
Andronikou 3, Gazi
Tel: 21034 22380.
Price: &Euro;50. Wine: &Euro;20.
Balthazar: Possibly Athens’ most fashionable summer venue, Balthazar is only open between early May and late October, as it transfers to the Rock’n’Roll Café during the winter (see Bars in Nightlife). It is a chic bar‐restaurant, contained within a subtly lit, walled garden planted with trees and shrubs. Some people come here just to drink (and be seen) but there is also a tempting choice of dishes, such as goat’s cheese wrapped in grilled vegetables, octopus and beans scented with truffle oil and caramelised onions, or grilled swordfish with green beans and mussel sauce. Reservations recommended.
Tsoha 27, Kolonáki
Tel: 21064 12300. Fax: 21064 12310.
Price: &Euro;50. Wine: &Euro;25.
Cosmos: Taking up the ground floor of the Deste Foundation Centre for Contemporary Art in Neo Psihiko, the interior of this chic bar‐restaurant comprises minimalist furniture, modern paintings and industrial‐style lighting. The menu includes an inspiring range of appetisers, pasta, meat, fish and cheese dishes, as well as sandwiches at lunchtime. The second‐floor gallery hosts contemporary art exhibitions and remains open until 2400.
Omirou 8, Neo Psihiko
Tel: 210 672 9150.
Price: &Euro;35. Wine: &Euro;20.
De Luxe: Located in the Makrigiani district, this open‐plan, split‐level bar‐restaurant is popular with the hip media crowd. The entrance opens into the lively bar area with funky music, while the more sedate dining space is located on an upper level. Beautifully presented dishes include grilled goat’s cheese salad, fish in lemon avgolemono sauce with capers or octopus with black‐eyed peas.
Falirou 15, Makrigiani
Tel: 21092 43184.
Price: &Euro;30. Wine: &Euro;20.
Mamacas: Another fine restaurant in Gazi, Mamacas is situated at a crossroads and, in summer, this location is quite surreal, with candlelit, whitewashed wooden tables on four street corners and the towering gasworks in the background. The colour is supplied by the people and the food, which includes starters such as spetzofai (spicy sausage), revithia (chickpea soup) and main courses such as fillet steak with grilled tomato, parsley and onion. There is a wine bar annex across the street.
Persefonis 14, Gazi
Tel: 21034 64984.
Price: &Euro;28. Wine: &Euro;16.
Budget:
Damigos (Bakalarakia): Situated in a basement in Pláka, Damigos first opened in 1865, making it possibly the oldest taverna in Athens. One of the two rooms in which it is housed has several enormous wine barrels on display. The menu features hearty local dishes, notably bakaliaros tiganitos (deep‐fried cod) and melitzanes tiganites (fried aubergine), both of which are served with delicious skorthalia (thick garlic sauce). The house white wine, a pine‐scented retsina, comes from the family vineyard.
Kidathineon 41, Pláka
Tel: 21032 25084.
Price: &Euro;10. Wine: &Euro;4 (one‐litre carafe).
O Platanos: One of Pláka’s oldest tavernas, located near the Tower of the Winds, O
Platanos has served up home cooking since 1932. There is a good choice of stews, predominantly lamb or veal cooked with either okra, potatoes, spinach or aubergines, while the only dessert on offer is syrup‐drenched baklava. The house wine, a barrel retsina, is excellent. The interior is simple – green and white tablecloths and wooden chairs – while tables outside are arranged on a pretty bougainvillea‐covered terrace.
Diogenous 4, Pláka
Tel: 21032 20666.
Price: &Euro;16. Wine: &Euro;4.80 (one‐litre carafe).
Scholiarhio: Located in the heart of Pláka, close to small Byzantine church of Ag Nikolaos, this charming ouzeri occupies two floors, linked by a head‐spinning spiral staircase. The menu is in Greek only but waiters bring a selection of dishes on trays so diners can chose what they like the look of. Highly recommended are the bakaliaros tiganitos (deep‐fried cod) served with garlicky skorthalia (potato, garlic and olive oil sauce) and the homemade taramasalata. The restaurant stays open until 0200 and diners get a complimentary sticky, syrupy sweet at the end of their meal.
Tripidon 14, Pláka
Tel: 21032 47605.
Price: &Euro;12. Wine: &Euro;6 (one‐litre carafe).
Taverna Efimero: Up a steep flight of steps, just off Exarhia Square, this friendly taverna offers a relaxed, romantic atmosphere amid rustic Bohemian decor. There is no menu – waiters bring a selection of dishes round the tables on large trays, Thessaloniki‐style. Customers can choose from a colourful array of mezethes, such as saganaki (fried cheese), dolmathes (stuffed vine leaves), htapothi krasato (octopus in wine), papoutsakia (stuffed aubergines) and horiatiki salata (Greek salad). There is live music some evenings.
Corner of Methonis and Themistokleous, Exarhia
Tel: 21038 41848.
Price: &Euro;12. Wine: &Euro;5 (one‐litre carafe).
Thanasis: A classic place to stop for souvlaki kalamaki (shish kebab) served with pitta bread and chips, Thanasis is popular with locals and gets unbelievably busy, especially at weekends. The atmosphere is fast and chaotic but traditional and fun. Tables are set in a lofty space above the open‐plan kitchen area, as well as outside on the street, just around the corner from the Monastiráki metro station.
Mitropoleos 69, Monastiráki
Tel: 21032 44705.
Price: &Euro;7. Wine: &Euro;3 (half‐litre bottle).
Personal Recommendations:
Abyssinia Cafe: This small bistro, close to the Monastiráki metro station, overlooks the furniture restorers’ workshops of the antique market. The marble‐top tables, polished, dark‐wood furniture and large mirrors create a pleasant atmosphere for morning coffee, lunch or dinner. Everything is made on the premises – favourites include gavros (marinated anchovies), keftedes (meatballs in tomato sauce) and stuffed prunes with nuts, syrup and whipped cream. Those who come here in the evening can enjoy mezethes, ouzo and occasional live accordion music.
Kinetou 7, Avisinia Square, Monastiráki
Tel: 21032 17047.
Price: &Euro;16. Wine: &Euro;12.
Achinos: This beautifully designed split‐level restaurant is built into a cliffside on the coast, offering fantastic views over the sea. The atmosphere is romantic but relaxed, and the waiters professional but friendly. The kitchen employs authentic regional ingredients to turn out carefully presented dishes, such as grilled manouri cheese from the island of Crete, as well as creative salads and delicious stewed meats. The wine goes down well too.
Akti Themistokleous 51, Freatida, Piraeus
Tel: 21045 26944.
Price: &Euro;22. Wine: &Euro;18.
Archeon Gefsis: Archeon Gefsis means ‘ancient flavours’ and the menu here features the long‐forgotten cuisine of Epicouros. Main dishes include suckling pig stuffed with liver, apple, chestnuts and raisins, while the desserts – such as apple, pomegranate and yoghurt with honey – are heavenly. Food is served in ancient style, with a spoon and knife but no fork. There is also a central branch, however, the Piraeus establishment lies in a beautiful neo‐classical building close to Mikrolimano marina.
Epidaurou 10, Kastella, Piraeus
Tel: 21041 38617.
Fax: 21041 38618.
Email: info@arxaion.gr
Price: &Euro;30. Wine: &Euro;10.
Branch:
22 Kodratou, Omonio
Tel: 21052 39661. Fax: 21052 00372.
Dafne’s: Situated on the edge of Pláka, opposite Hadrian’s Arch, the interior of this romantic restaurant is frescoed in warm ochre, rusty red and muted green hues. The sheltered courtyard is heated in winter, making open‐air dining possible throughout the year. Sophisticated Athenians and foreigners alike come here to savour traditional Greek dishes, such as lamb souvlaki with yoghurt and mint, stifado (stew) of rabbit in Mavrodaphne sweet wine sauce and delicious homemade kaimaki (ice cream).
Lyssikratous 4, Pláka
Tel/fax: 21032 27971.
Price: &Euro;45. Wine: &Euro;18.
Eden: Located in the heart of Pláka, just below the Acropolis, Eden struck instant success when it opened in 1982 as the country’s first vegetarian restaurant. Everything on the menu is organic, from the soya souvlaki served with brown rice and tzatziki, to the aubergines stuffed with nuts and cheese. Drinks include organic wines, freshly squeezed juices and a choice of herbal teas. It is a relaxed and cheerful place, with salmon‐pink walls hung with framed art posters.
Lissiou 12, Pláka
Tel: 21032 48858.
Price: &Euro;13. Wine: &Euro;10.
Strofi: Although totally unassuming from the outside, inside the walls of Strofi are decorated with signed photos of renowned ballerinas, actors and musicians who have eaten here after performing at the nearby Odeon of Herod Atticus. The menu features typical taverna dishes, such as tzatziki (cucumber, yoghurt and garlic), taramasalata (smoked roe pâté) and arni me bamies (lamb with okra). The atmosphere is informal and relaxed and the roof terrace affords unforgettable views of the Acropolis.
Rovertou Galli 25, Makrigiani
Tel: 210 921 4130.
Price: &Euro;20. Wine: &Euro;12.
To Kouti: To Kouti (meaning ‘the box’) is located close to the Monastiráki antique market. The interior comprises lofty space with ochre‐painted walls, wooden floors and marble‐top tables. The ‘green’ menu features light salads, such as rocket and artichoke or avocado and crab, and main dishes, such as chicken rolls stuffed with shrimps and saffron. It is possible to come here just for coffee or a drink and in summer there are tables outside.
Adrianou 23, Monastiráki
Tel: 210 321 3229.
Price: &Euro;22. Wine: &Euro;17.50.
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