Athens Travel Guide
Eating Athens
A practical food guide to Athens: what to eat from breakfast to midnight, how tavernas and mezedopoleia work, the street food you cannot miss, the central market, Greek wine and coffee culture, and how to avoid tourist traps around the Acropolis.
Athens is one of the great food cities of the Mediterranean, and one of the best value. Its cooking is simple, seasonal and built on superb ingredients: olive oil, tomatoes, herbs, lemons, feta and other cheeses, lamb, pork, fish and wild greens. The key is to eat where and when Athenians do, and to avoid the restaurants that exist mainly to catch passing tourists.
How the day works. Breakfast is light and often on the move: a koulouri, the sesame-crusted bread ring sold from street carts, or a savoury pie — spanakopita with spinach and feta, tiropita with cheese — from a bakery, with a coffee. Bougatsa, a flaky pastry filled with custard or cheese and dusted with sugar and cinnamon, is a beloved breakfast treat. Lunch is late, often from two o'clock, and can be the main meal of the day. Dinner starts late too, rarely before nine, and tavernas stay busy until midnight, especially in summer.
Coffee is a ritual. Athenians drink their coffee slowly and socially. In the warm months, almost everyone orders a freddo espresso or freddo cappuccino, iced and shaken, often with a little sugar; the frappe, made from instant coffee, is the old-school original. Greek coffee, boiled in a small pot and served with the grounds, is still ordered by traditionalists. A coffee can last an hour, and nobody will hurry you.
Street food you must try. Souvlaki is the king of Athenian street food: grilled skewers of pork or chicken, or gyros carved from a vertical spit, wrapped in a warm pitta with tomato, onion, tzatziki and a few fries. It is cheap, fast and delicious, and every neighbourhood has a favourite grill; the cluster on Mitropoleos Street off Monastiraki Square is the most famous. Loukoumades, little fried dough balls soaked in honey syrup or topped with chocolate, are the dessert equivalent.
Taverna, mezedopoleio, ouzeri. A taverna is the classic family restaurant, serving grilled meats, fish, salads and oven-baked dishes such as moussaka, pastitsio and slow-cooked lamb. A mezedopoleio, or ouzeri, specialises in small plates, meze, to share with ouzo or tsipouro, the clear grape spirit; order a few dishes at a time and keep going. Essentials include horiatiki, the village salad of tomato, cucumber, onion, olives and a slab of feta; fava, a silky yellow split-pea puree; dolmades; grilled octopus; fried courgettes or aubergines; keftedes, meatballs; and horta, boiled wild greens with olive oil and lemon. Bread usually arrives automatically with a small cover charge.
Fish and seafood. For fish, head to the coast: the harbour of Mikrolimano in Piraeus and the seafront of the Riviera are lined with fish tavernas. Fresh fish is usually priced by weight; choose your fish, ask the price before it is cooked, and expect it grilled simply with olive oil and lemon. It is not cheap, but it is a highlight.
The markets. The Varvakios central market on Athinas Street, between Monastiraki and Omonia, is the city's stomach: halls of butchers and fishmongers, with stalls of spices, olives, cheeses, dried fruit and nuts in the surrounding streets. Go in the morning, when it is at its liveliest, and eat at one of the traditional eateries nearby that serve hearty stews and soups to market workers. Every neighbourhood also has a weekly laiki, an open-air street market of fruit, vegetables and local produce, a wonderful snapshot of everyday life.
Greek wine is a revelation. Greece has a deep wine tradition and an exciting modern scene. Look for assyrtiko, the mineral white from Santorini and elsewhere; malagousia, aromatic and fresh; agiorgitiko, the soft red of Nemea; and xinomavro, the structured red of northern Greece. Attica's own savatiano is the traditional base of retsina, the pine-resin wine that has been reinvented by some producers into something fresh and modern. House wine by the carafe is usually decent and cheap.
Avoiding tourist traps. The restaurants most likely to disappoint are the ones with picture menus, hosts calling you in from the street and prime positions on the busiest lanes of Plaka and around Monastiraki Square. Walk a few streets away. Koukaki, Makrygianni, Petralona, Psirri, Pangrati and Kypseli are full of excellent neighbourhood places used by locals, and Thissio has lovely terraces facing the Acropolis. Look for tables of Greek families, short handwritten menus that change with the season, and the dishes of the day.
Rooftops and views. Eating with an Acropolis view is a highlight of any trip, and many hotels open their rooftops to non-guests: the GB Roof Garden at the Grande Bretagne, the roof garden at the Electra Metropolis, SENSE at AthensWas, the rooftop at the St George Lycabettus and the roof at the Herodion. The terrace of the Acropolis Museum restaurant offers the same view at fairer prices, and there is a restaurant on the summit of Lycabettus. Book ahead for sunset.
Paying and tipping. Service is relaxed, and you will need to ask for the bill. Leaving around five to ten per cent for good service is appreciated. Many tavernas still prefer cash for small bills, although cards are widely accepted. Water is safe to drink from the tap in Athens.
Sweet endings. Many tavernas bring a small dessert or a glass of something on the house at the end of the meal: a slice of halva, some fruit, or a shot of tsipouro. Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts is a classic. And for a true Athenian evening, finish with a late walk below the floodlit Acropolis.