Athens is one of Europe's most rewarding — and best-value — food cities. You can eat a superb charcoal-grilled souvlaki for a few euros, graze on meze and cured meats in a buzzing deli-taverna, dig into homestyle dishes in a century-old cellar, or splash out at a two-Michelin-star table. Here are 9 of the best places to eat, from cult street food to fine dining, with prices, neighbourhoods and tips.
€€€€Spondi
Area
Pangrati
Type
Fine Dining
“Book the vine-covered courtyard in summer and take the tasting menu with the wine pairing.”
€€€Nolan
Area
Syntagma
Type
Modern Greek
“Order several small plates to share — the Greek-Japanese crossovers are the ones to prioritise.”
€€Karamanlidika tou Fani
Area
Psyrri
Type
Meze & Deli
“Let the staff build you a platter of cured meats and cheeses, and try the pastourma with fresh bread.”
€Diporto Agoras
Area
Central Market
Type
Historic Taverna
“There's no sign or menu — go down the stairs, point at the daily pots, and drink the barrel retsina.”
€O Thanasis
Area
Monastiraki
Type
Souvlaki / Grill
“Order the kebab with pita, tomato and onion to sit and eat — it's a notch above the takeaway gyros nearby.”
€Kostas
Area
Agia Irini Square
Type
Souvlaki Kiosk
“Get there before 14:00 — this tiny hole-in-the-wall often sells out of its famous pork souvlaki.”
€€Oikeio
Area
Kolonaki
Type
Neighbourhood Taverna
“Book a pavement table and mix a few cooked-of-the-day mageireftá dishes with the salads.”
€€Klimataria
Area
Plateia Theatrou
Type
Taverna & Rebetiko
“Come on a weekend night for live rebetiko music and expect the tables to end up dancing.”
€€€€Varoulko Seaside
Area
Piraeus (Mikrolimano)
Type
Seafood / Fine Dining
“Reserve a waterside table at the Mikrolimano marina and let chef Lazarou steer you through the fish.”
Athens restaurants in detail
1.Spondi
For a genuinely special occasion, Spondi has been the benchmark of Athenian fine dining for over two decades, holding two Michelin stars in a discreet townhouse in the residential Pangrati district. The kitchen delivers refined, French-technique cooking built on superb Greek and Mediterranean produce — think langoustine, pigeon, aged beef and immaculate seasonal vegetables — plated with precision and served across a choice of à la carte and tasting menus. The setting is a large part of the appeal: an elegant vaulted stone dining room for cooler months and a beautiful bougainvillea-draped courtyard for balmy summer evenings, with polished, unhurried service and one of the deepest wine lists in the country. This is destination dining rather than a casual night out, with prices to match (tasting menus from around €130–160 a head before wine), so reserve well ahead and dress smartly. For food-focused travellers who want to see the top of Greek gastronomy — modern, confident and world-class — Spondi remains the city's definitive choice, and a memorable way to mark a birthday, anniversary or the end of a Greek trip.
Hours
Daily dinner from ~20:00 (booking essential)
Price
Tasting menus from ~€130–160 per person
Getting there
Taxi or Metro L2 to Evangelismos, then a short ride to Pangrati
Insider tip: Book the vine-covered courtyard in summer and take the tasting menu with the wine pairing.
2.Nolan
Just off Syntagma on Voulis Street, Nolan is one of the most exciting places to eat in central Athens — a compact, design-led bistro from chef Sotiris Kontizas, whose Greek-Japanese heritage shapes a menu that marries Greek produce and homely comfort with East Asian ideas and finesse. The format is contemporary and sharing-friendly: a changing list of small and medium plates that might run from dumplings and miso-glazed vegetables to slow-cooked Greek meats, noodles and inventive salads, all bright, generous and unfussy. The vibe is relaxed and lively, the room warm and modern, and the pricing sits comfortably mid-range — around €30–45 a head — for cooking of real quality and imagination. It draws a mixed crowd of clued-up locals and visitors, and it's justly popular, so booking (especially for dinner) is wise. For travellers who want a break from classic tavernas and a taste of Athens' creative, cosmopolitan food scene without paying fine-dining prices, Nolan hits the sweet spot: modern, delicious and quintessentially of the new Athens.
Hours
Mon–Sat lunch & dinner (closed Sun)
Price
~€30–45 per person
Getting there
Metro L2/L3 to Syntagma, a few minutes' walk
Insider tip: Order several small plates to share — the Greek-Japanese crossovers are the ones to prioritise.
3.Karamanlidika tou Fani
Karamanlidika tou Fani is a joyous celebration of Greek cured meats, cheeses and small plates, set in a lively corner spot near Monastiraki that started life as a delicatessen and still sells its wares from a counter as you enter. The Karamanlidika tradition refers to the Anatolian Greek heritage of pastourma and soutzouki — air-dried, spiced cured beef and sausage — and these are the specialities to seek out, sliced thin and served with warm bread, alongside a generous spread of Greek cheeses, dips, cooked vegetables, meatballs and daily meze. Charming, knowledgeable staff will happily assemble a tasting platter and steer you to the good wines and tsipouro. The atmosphere is convivial and unpretentious, with barrels for tables and jars of produce lining the walls, and the pricing is very fair for the quality — around €20–30 a head with drinks. It's an ideal, authentic introduction to Greek deli culture and grazing-style eating, perfect for lunch or a relaxed early dinner while exploring the Psyrri and Monastiraki neighbourhoods, and consistently a favourite of both locals and in-the-know visitors.
Hours
Daily ~12:00–24:00
Price
~€20–30 per person
Getting there
Metro L1/L3 to Monastiraki, a short walk into Psyrri
Insider tip: Let the staff build you a platter of cured meats and cheeses, and try the pastourma with fresh bread.
4.Diporto Agoras
Diporto is one of the great time capsules of Athenian eating — an atmospheric, sign-less basement taverna beneath the Central Market that has barely changed since it opened in 1887. There's no menu, no décor to speak of and no tourist polish: you descend a nondescript staircase into a low room lined with enormous wine barrels, share communal tables with market workers and old regulars, and eat whatever the tiny kitchen has cooked that day. The short repertoire of hearty, honest classics rotates around chickpea stew (revithia), grilled or fried fish, wild greens, black-eyed beans and a superb baked chickpea dish, all ladled straight from the pot and washed down with rough, cloudy retsina drawn from the barrel. It's cash only, cheap — around €12–18 a head — and utterly authentic, the kind of place that captures a vanishing, working-class Athens. Don't expect English or frills; just point, share and soak up the timeless atmosphere. For travellers chasing the real, unvarnished soul of Greek taverna culture, this humble institution is a genuine, unforgettable experience.
Hours
Mon–Sat ~lunch into early evening (cash only, closed Sun)
Price
~€12–18 per person
Getting there
Metro L1/L2 to Omonia, walk to Sokratous by the Central Market
Insider tip: There's no sign or menu — go down the stairs, point at the daily pots, and drink the barrel retsina.
5.O Thanasis
On the corner of Mitropoleos Street at Monastiraki Square — the city's celebrated 'souvlaki row' — O Thanasis has been grilling since the 1960s and remains a benchmark for one of Greece's greatest cheap eats. Its speciality is the kebab: spiced, hand-minced meat patties grilled over charcoal and served in warm, fluffy pita with tomato, onion, parsley and a dusting of paprika, either wrapped to take away or plated to eat in the bustling dining room and pavement tables. The souvlaki (skewered pork or chicken) and gyros are excellent too, and portions are generous and satisfyingly inexpensive — a proper meal for well under €15. It's fast, informal and always busy with a mix of locals and travellers, right in the thick of the action with the Acropolis looming above. There's friendly rivalry with the neighbouring Bairaktaris and Savvas, and locals will happily argue their favourite, but O Thanasis' charcoal kebab is a strong contender and a delicious, wallet-friendly refuel between sightseeing. Grab a table, order a portion with a cold beer, and enjoy a true Athenian street-food classic.
Hours
Daily ~09:00–02:00
Price
~€8–14 per person
Getting there
Metro L1/L3 to Monastiraki, on Mitropoleos at the square
Insider tip: Order the kebab with pita, tomato and onion to sit and eat — it's a notch above the takeaway gyros nearby.
6.Kostas
Tucked beside the church on the increasingly hip Agia Irini Square, Kostas is a minuscule, much-loved souvlaki joint that has been doing one thing brilliantly since 1946. The menu barely exists: charcoal-grilled pork souvlaki wrapped in pita with tomato, onion and a punchy, slightly spicy house tomato sauce that regulars swear by, plus the odd bifteki (grilled patty). That's essentially it, and that focus is the point — the skewers are juicy, smoky and superb, assembled at speed by the third generation of the family at prices that feel like a throwback (a wrap for a few euros). There's almost nowhere to sit, so people perch on the church steps or the little square outside, and because it's tiny and beloved it often sells out by mid-afternoon, so come early for lunch. It's the antithesis of a tourist trap: cheap, unshowy and genuinely excellent, a favourite of Athenians and food writers alike. For the definitive quick, authentic taste of Greek street food in the centre of Athens, Kostas is a must — bring cash and a little patience for the queue.
Hours
Mon–Sat lunchtime until sold out (closed Sun)
Price
~€3–8 per person
Getting there
Metro L1/L3 to Monastiraki, walk to Agia Irini Square
Insider tip: Get there before 14:00 — this tiny hole-in-the-wall often sells out of its famous pork souvlaki.
7.Oikeio
Oikeio — the name means 'homely' or 'familiar' — lives up to its billing in the middle of upmarket Kolonaki, offering the warmth and value of a neighbourhood taverna in a district better known for pricey cafés. The snug, bric-a-brac-filled interior and cluster of pavement tables draw a faithful crowd of locals for good reason: the kitchen turns out comforting, well-executed Greek home cooking at very fair prices. Expect the full canon of mageireftá (slow-cooked dishes of the day) — moussaka, stuffed vegetables, meatballs in tomato sauce, greens and pulses — alongside fresh, generous salads, meze and grilled meats, all in hearty portions. It's the kind of reliable, unpretentious spot that suits any occasion, from a relaxed solo lunch to a group dinner, and the €18–28 per-head range makes it excellent value for the location. Because it's small and popular, booking a table (especially outside in good weather) is a good idea. For travellers who want honest, satisfying Greek food and a genuine local atmosphere in a convenient, central neighbourhood, Oikeio is a dependable, likeable choice that consistently earns its regulars.
Hours
Daily lunch & dinner
Price
~€18–28 per person
Getting there
Metro L3 to Evangelismos, a short walk up into Kolonaki
Insider tip: Book a pavement table and mix a few cooked-of-the-day mageireftá dishes with the salads.
8.Klimataria
Klimataria, on the atmospheric old Theatre Square (Plateia Theatrou) between Monastiraki and Omonia, is a wonderfully traditional taverna where the food comes with a soundtrack. Occupying a century-old building, it serves a rotating spread of homestyle mezedes and cooked dishes — think meatballs, aubergine, wild greens, pulses, grilled meats and daily specials brought to the table for you to choose from — all generous, well-priced and paired with house wine from the barrel. The real magic, though, arrives at the weekends, when live rebetiko and laïko musicians play the soulful, bittersweet 'Greek blues' that emerged from the tavernas and refugee quarters of the early twentieth century. As the tsipouro flows the atmosphere builds, and it's not unusual for diners to rise and dance between the tables late into the night. It's a warm, genuinely local experience — a taste of the older, musical soul of Athens that many visitors never find. Book ahead for a weekend evening to catch the music, go hungry and stay late. For food, folklore and a proper Greek night out, Klimataria is a delight.
Hours
Dinner Tue–Sat, Sun lunch; live music most weekends
Price
~€20–30 per person
Getting there
Metro L1/L2 to Omonia, walk to Plateia Theatrou
Insider tip: Come on a weekend night for live rebetiko music and expect the tables to end up dancing.
9.Varoulko Seaside
For a memorable seafood dinner by the water, Varoulko Seaside sits on the picturesque yacht-lined Mikrolimano marina in Piraeus, the ancient port that serves as Athens' gateway to the islands. The long-celebrated chef Lefteris Lazarou earned Greece some of its first Michelin recognition, and his cooking is a refined, contemporary expression of the country's seafood heritage: pristine fish and shellfish treated with restraint and creativity, whether in delicate raw preparations, silky fish soups, cuttlefish with pasta, or the day's catch simply grilled to perfection. The setting is a highlight in itself — an elegant, breezy terrace right on the marina, bobbing with boats and lit by the water, an idyllic place to watch the sun go down over a long meal. It's a special-occasion restaurant, with prices in the €70–100 range and a serious Greek wine list, so book ahead and make an evening of it. Slightly removed from the tourist centre, it rewards the short journey out to the coast with genuinely world-class Greek seafood in one of the loveliest waterside settings around Athens.
Hours
Daily dinner (and some lunches); booking essential
Price
~€70–100 per person
Getting there
Metro L1 to Faliro or Piraeus, then a short taxi to Mikrolimano
Insider tip: Reserve a waterside table at the Mikrolimano marina and let chef Lazarou steer you through the fish.