The Best Restaurants in Athens, Greece

These are the best restaurants in Athens Greece, from buzzing neo-tavernas to old-school seafood spots and natural wine bars.

Athens is easily one of Europe’s hottest dining destinations right now.

The city’s restaurant scene has shifted dramatically over the last few years, largely thanks to the rise of the neo-taverna. Across Athens, chefs are reworking traditional Greek cooking into something lighter, more design-conscious, and quietly inventive without losing its soul.

You’ll find flame-charred seafood, seasonal vegetables, silky dips, and excellent local wines served in spaces that feel effortlessly cool rather than overly traditional. The best places still carry the warmth and familiarity of a classic taverna, just with sharper execution and better playlists.

While my dining guides often lean toward upscale restaurants and Michelin-starred dining, Athens isn’t really the city where I crave long tasting menus. Here, I almost always find myself gravitating toward traditional tavernas and modern Greek restaurants doing creative, contemporary takes on classic dishes instead.

There’s something about the energy of dining in Athens that makes relaxed, flavour-driven cooking feel far more exciting than formal fine dining. Judging by the crowds filling these places every night, plenty of others searching for the best restaurants in Athens, Greece, seem to feel exactly the same way.

After four visits to Athens, here’s my guide to which tables to book and, essentially, where to eat in Athens, Greece, right now.

*This ‘best restaurants in Athens’ guide may contain affiliate links meaning I might make a small profit if you choose to book at no extra cost to you.

Read more: 1 Day in Athens Itinerary: A Definitive Travel Guide

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20 Best Restaurants in Athens, Greece

1. ΛΙΝΟΥ ΣΟΥΜΠΑΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΣΙΑ

One of the best meals I had in Athens was at Linou. The atmosphere is very cool and fashion-y without ever overshadowing the food. Tables spill onto the street, natural wine flows constantly, and the whole place feels effortlessly trendy.

The cooking was exceptional throughout. The fish soup was a standout, deeply flavoured and silky, while the tarama was impossibly smooth and perfectly balanced. Even the seasonal green beans were memorable, drenched in excellent olive oil and packed with flavour.

The grilled cod, smoky and delicately flaky, sealed the deal. Exactly the kind of restaurant that makes Athens such an exciting place to eat right now.

2. Iodio

Easily the most upscale restaurant on this list, and one of the most memorable meals I had in Athens.

Seafood is the focus here, particularly the raw dishes, and everything felt incredibly precise. The oysters with homemade jalapeño sauce were outstanding, sharp, fresh, and just spicy enough.

The grouper carpaccio was equally excellent, delicate, and buttery with beautifully balanced acidity. Even the tomatoes managed to steal attention, intensely sweet and tasting exactly how Mediterranean tomatoes should.

The whole place feels polished and elegant while still holding onto that relaxed Athens energy. On a warm evening, book a table on the terrace outside.

Read more: The Best Things to Do in Athens, Greece: A Curated Guide

3. Akra

Akra is one of those Athens restaurants that’s always sat on my recommendation list, and after eating here, it makes complete sense. The space feels effortlessly stylish with an open kitchen, low lighting, and a crowd that spills out onto the pavement late into the evening.

The menu changes constantly with the seasons, but everything feels rooted in thoughtful, produce-driven Greek cooking. Expect beautifully grilled meats, excellent vegetables, house-made breads, and dishes designed for sharing over a long dinner with wine.

It strikes that perfect Athens balance of cool without trying too hard, backed up by genuinely fantastic cooking.

4. Ouzeri Lesvos

For those looking for where to eat in Athens, Ouzeri Lesvos is one of the more traditional spots on this list, but still a spot I kept craving between Athens’ trendier neo-tavernas. This Athens restaurant has that old-school, no-frills charm that feels increasingly rare in central Athens. Tables packed tightly together, ouzo flowing all evening, and plates of seafood appearing at a relentless pace.

This is the place to settle in for simple, expertly done Greek cooking. Expect grilled octopus, fried anchovies, salt cod, tarama, and plenty of meze designed to be shared slowly over a long lunch or dinner.

Nothing feels overly styled or modernised, which is precisely the appeal.

5. Manári Taverna

Manári Taverna is the perfect example of Athens’ modern neo-taverna movement. It has all the energy and style of a contemporary restaurant, but the soul of the menu stays firmly rooted in traditional Greek cooking.

The room hums every night with locals, shared plates, and large groups lingering over wine long after dinner ends.

The menu revolves heavily around meat, particularly lamb and mutton, cooked with real depth and simplicity. Expect slow-cooked cuts, smoky flavours from the grill, and rich, comforting dishes designed for sharing. The lamb pilaf and the tomato in its juices here were both standouts.

It feels contemporary without losing the warmth and generosity that make Greek tavernas so appealing in the first place.

6. Wine is Fine

Quite possibly the most buzzing spot in Athens right now. Every night feels packed, loud, and slightly chaotic in the best way, with people spilling onto the pavement holding glasses of orange wine well past midnight. It’s the kind of spot you come for one drink and somehow end up staying all evening.

The focus is natural wine, with an excellent by-the-glass selection and staff who actually guide you toward interesting bottles rather than predictable choices. The small plates are equally strong, designed for grazing between glasses with seasonal ingredients and sharp, punchy flavours.

More wine bar than full restaurant, but essential to Athens’ dining scene right now.

7. Taverna Ermou

Taverna Ermou Athens is the latest dining concept from Ergon House, and another strong addition to the city’s neo-taverna scene. The space feels stylish but relaxed, blending contemporary design with the warmth of a traditional Greek taverna.

It draws a mix of travellers, creatives, and locals settling in for long dinners over wine and shared plates.

The menu leans into modern Greek comfort food with a more refined edge. Expect seasonal vegetables, grilled meats, fresh seafood, and classic dishes subtly reworked without losing their familiarity.

It captures exactly what Athens dining does so well right now: contemporary, social, and deeply rooted in Greek food culture. If you liked the food here, you can also grab the cookbook to recreate many of these dishes at home.

8. Nolan

Nolan has become one of Athens’ modern classics, blending Greek and Asian influences in a way that somehow feels completely natural. The space is small, lively, and always busy, with tables packed tightly together and dishes constantly landing across the room.

The menu is built for sharing, moving between delicate raw dishes, rich comfort food, and sharper, more unexpected flavour combinations. It’s creative and contemporary, which is probably why it remains one of the city’s hardest reservations to snag. Even years after opening, it still feels fresh.

Top tip: Book a table inside as the outdoor tables are pretty much on the busy pavement.

9. Ergon House

I loved Ergon House for a more casual lunch or brunch between longer dinners around Athens. Part restaurant, part gourmet market, part design-forward hotel, it feels polished while still staying relaxed and genuinely useful.

It’s a place I ended up returning to more than once during my trip.

The menu focuses on elevated Greek staples using excellent local produce, cheeses, cured meats, eggs, pastries, and fresh salads, alongside strong coffee and natural wines. It’s especially good when you want something lighter and easier without sacrificing quality or atmosphere.

Read more: Where to Stay in Athens: Best Areas & Hotels

10. September 18

September 18 feels a little more under-the-radar than some of the city’s bigger names, which honestly makes it even better. The space is intimate, stylish, and quietly confident, with a menu that leans into seasonal Greek ingredients through a more contemporary lens.

The cooking feels thoughtful without trying too hard, balancing creativity with the kind of relaxed atmosphere Athens does so well. It’s exactly the sort of place that reminds you why the best restaurants in Athens aren’t necessarily the most formal or expensive.

Often, they’re simply the ones with the strongest point of view, great ingredients, and a room full of locals lingering for hours.

11. Oikonomou Tavern

One of the oldest tavernas in Athens, and still one of the most atmospheric. Oikonomou Tavern feels beautifully untouched, with faded walls, simple wooden tables, and a slow pace that makes you want to stay all afternoon. It’s the opposite of the city’s trendier neo-taverna spots, which is exactly why it’s so special.

The menu sticks closely to classic Greek home cooking. Expect dishes like slow-cooked beef stew, gigantes beans, stuffed vegetables, lamb baked with potatoes, and fried zucchini that disappears almost instantly from the table.

The moussaka is excellent too, rich without feeling overly heavy. Everything tastes comforting, deeply traditional, and completely timeless.

12. Karamanlidika

Karamanlidika is one of the most quintessential Athens dining experiences, built around the very Greek tradition of combining a deli with a taverna. You’ll often find small taverns attached to grocery stores, bakeries, or speciality food shops across Greece, where ingredients move directly from shelf to table.

Here, cured meats, cheeses, olives, and preserves line the walls while diners squeeze into tightly packed tables beneath them.

The menu centres around exceptional Greek produce, particularly smoked meats and charcuterie from northern Greece. Expect saganaki dripping with honey, cured pastirma, sausages, grilled halloumi, and endless small plates designed for sharing. It’s lively, chaotic, and exactly the sort of place you end up recommending to everyone after visiting Athens.

The spot is always busy, so I recommend booking a few weeks out, especially in high season.

13. Tavern Klimataria

Taverna Klimataria is one of those old Athens tavernas that feels almost frozen in time. Hidden beneath a canopy of vines with live Greek music drifting through the courtyard most evenings, it delivers an atmosphere people hope to stumble upon in Athens, but rarely do.

The menu sticks firmly to traditional Greek comfort food with dishes like lamb chops, baked feta, grilled sausages, slow-cooked stews, and generous plates of meze designed for sharing.

Nothing feels curated or overly polished. It’s loud, warm, slightly chaotic, and all the better for it.

14. Taverna ton Filon

Taverna ton Filon captures exactly what makes Athens dining so exciting right now. A modern neo-taverna rooted in traditional Greek cooking but delivered with a fresher, more contemporary energy.

The atmosphere is lively and slightly chaotic, with tightly packed tables, natural wine flowing constantly, and plates designed to land in the middle for everyone to share.

The menu leans heavily into ingredient-driven Greek dishes with a seasonal edge. Order plenty for the table, don’t skip the grilled meats, and make room for whichever vegetable dishes are on special that night. Relaxed, loud, and unmistakably Athens right now.

15. Birdman Japanese Bar + Grill

Birdman Japanese Bar + Grill brings a completely different energy to Athens’ dining scene and somehow still fits perfectly within it. Inspired by Tokyo-style izakayas, the restaurant centres around yakitori, raw fish, cocktails, and small plates served in a dark, tightly packed space that stays busy deep into the night.

The grilled skewers are the main event here, alongside excellent sashimi, crispy rice dishes, and sharp, punchy flavours throughout the menu. It’s stylish without becoming overly scene-y, attracting the kind of crowd that comes for dinner and lingers long after the plates are cleared.

A great option when you want a break from Greek food without sacrificing atmosphere.

16. Pharaoh

I managed to snag a last-minute reservation at Pharaoh on this last trip to Athens for my first night, and it immediately set the tone for the rest of the trip. The place buzzes from the second you walk in.

If you can, be open to sitting at the bar because that’s where most of the fun happens. Wine glasses clink constantly, plates fly out of the open kitchen, and the whole room feels loud in the best possible way.

The menu revolves around small plates designed for sharing, all rooted in bold, comforting Greek flavours. The roasted aubergine was a standout, deeply smoky and silky, while the pan-seared sea bass was perfectly cooked with beautifully crisp skin. And whatever you do, don’t skip dessert. The galaktoboureko alone is worth coming here for.

17. Philos Athens

Philos Athens quickly became one of my favourite daytime spots in the city. Set inside a beautifully restored neoclassical building, it works equally well for a slow breakfast, long lunch, or coffee break between wandering around Athens.

The menu leans fresh, seasonal, and Mediterranean with excellent pastries, vibrant salads, eggs, and lighter Greek-inspired dishes that manage to feel healthy without becoming boring.

The atmosphere stays calm and stylish throughout the day, drawing a mix of locals tapping away on laptops, friends meeting for brunch, and travellers escaping the heat for an hour or two.

18. Dourambeis, J., & Sons S.A.

A true Athens institution for seafood, located down in Mikrolimano in Piraeus, about 20 minutes from central Athens, depending on traffic. The setting right by the water only adds to the experience, especially on warmer evenings when the whole harbour starts buzzing.

The restaurant has been serving fish since the 1930s and still does things with remarkable simplicity and confidence. Expect impeccably fresh seafood, whole fish grilled over charcoal, rich fish soup, and classic Greek salads made with exceptional produce.

It leans more traditional than trendy, but that’s exactly the charm. One of those long-standing places Athenians continue returning to for a reason.

19. Eidikon

For a truly local experience and one of the best restaurants in Athens, head to Eidikon. Located down in Piraeus, far from the city’s polished neo-taverna scene, this is the sort of old-school seafood taverna locals have been returning to for decades.

The atmosphere is wonderfully unfussy. Paper tablecloths, cold beer, loud conversations in Greek, and plates arriving faster than you can clear space for them.

The focus is simple Greek seafood done properly. Fried calamari, grilled sardines, anchovies, octopus, and plenty of ouzo alongside it all. One of those places that reminds you that some of the best meals in Greece still happen in the most straightforward dining rooms imaginable.

20. Seychelles

Seychelles helped define Athens’ neo-taverna movement long before the term became more widely used. Tucked away in Kerameikos, the restaurant still draws huge crowds thanks to its lively atmosphere and sharp, ingredient-driven Greek cooking.

The menu changes often but revolves around elevated comfort food designed for sharing. Expect beautifully grilled meats, smoky vegetables, rich dips, fresh seafood, and excellent daily specials depending on what’s in season.

The whole place has an energetic, slightly chaotic charm that makes dinner here feel distinctly Athens.

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Editor’s Note: As always, not every restaurant I visited in Athens made it onto this guide. While there’s a huge amount of hype around Diporto, I personally wasn’t entirely convinced. There’s definitely charm in its old-school, basement taverna atmosphere, and the food is simple and tasty, but the dark, slightly grimy setting and complete lack of a menu won’t work for everyone. There is a no-frills authenticity to it, but the hype now means it caters mostly to tourists, and given the hour-long wait on some days (no reservations), it’s just not worth it.

Best Cafes, Bakeries, and Bars

As a bonus to this guide, I always love sharing my favorite eats in Athens alongside the restaurants. Athens has a wide selection of fantastic bars, cafes, bakeries and coffee spots, ideal if you’re looking for something a little more casual, a quick coffee or an evening cocktail to end the day.

Here’s my selection of the top spots to bookmark when in Athens.

The Rooftop at the Dolli – The best rooftop views in Athens, directly facing the Acropolis. Come for sunset cocktails or breakfast with a view that genuinely lives up to the hype.

10AM Apotheke – A stylish space by Athens creative Eva Papadaki, known for excellent coffee, strong pastries, and a fashion-y crowd lingering over laptops and freddo espressos. Open only on weekends and grab a bottle of their handwash when there.

ERE Athens – A beautiful cafe-cum-boutique with books, beautiful objects, and good coffee – the perfect spot for a post-Acropolis pick-me-up.

Samba Coffee – One of the city’s strongest specialty coffee spots with serious beans and a loyal local following. Great for a quick caffeine stop between neighbourhood wandering.

Varia Bakery – A low-key Bavarian bakery turning out some of the best pastries and breads in Athens. Ideal for grabbing breakfast before the city fully wakes up.

Stani – An old-school Athens institution famous for Greek yoghurt topped with honey and walnuts. Simple, traditional, and refreshingly unchanged.

Bar Ideal – A very cool listening bar with great cocktails, drinks, and creative vibe.

Baba Au Rum – Still one of the best cocktail bars in Athens, years after opening. The drinks are genuinely excellent, particularly if you like rum-forward cocktails with a more experimental edge.

The Makers – A reliable all-day café and brunch spot with good coffee, solid breakfasts, and a relaxed atmosphere perfect for slower mornings.

Foyer Espresso Bar – Tiny, stylish, and very Athens. A great stop for specialty coffee and people-watching before diving back into the city streets.

72H Artisan Bakery – One of the best bakeries in Athens right now, particularly for naturally fermented breads and exceptional laminated pastries. Go early because the queues build quickly, especially on weekends.

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