Best Restaurants in Athens to Suit Every Craving

Athens blends ancient landmarks with busy markets, lively neighbourhoods and a fast-changing food scene. Beyond the Acropolis and the Parthenon, the Greek capital is packed with tavernas, street-food counters and ambitious modern restaurants.

This guide covers the best restaurants in Athens for different budgets and occasions. It includes affordable Greek food, creative vegan cooking, romantic dining rooms and Michelin-starred experiences among the best places to eat in Athens.

Exploring areas such as Plaka, Monastiraki and Psyrri is much easier without heavy luggage. Qeepl provides convenient luggage storage around the city, allowing you to leave your bags or suitcases in a secure location and enjoy a meal hands-free. Prices start from €3.59 per bag per day.

What Should You Know About Food in Athens?

Greek dining is relaxed and social. Meals often begin with several shared plates, such as tzatziki, fava, grilled cheese, stuffed vine leaves and seasonal vegetables. Olive oil, lemon, oregano, feta and fresh herbs appear throughout the local cuisine.

The best food in Athens is not limited to familiar dishes such as moussaka and souvlaki. Neighbourhood tavernas serve slow-cooked lamb, grilled fish and vegetable stews, while newer restaurants reinterpret regional Greek recipes with modern techniques.

Athenians tend to eat later than visitors from northern Europe. Lunch often starts after 2 p.m., while dinner tables become busiest between 9 and 11 p.m. Popular restaurants and rooftops should be booked ahead, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Street food remains one of the easiest ways to eat well for less. Look for koulouri in the morning, souvlaki and gyros during the day, and loukoumades covered with honey and cinnamon for dessert.

Best Affordable Restaurants in Athens

Athens still offers excellent value, particularly at street-food counters, meze restaurants and casual tavernas in the historic centre.

1. Feyrouz

Feyrouz serves Levantine street food inspired by family recipes from Greece, Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean. Its small menu includes lahmacun, pide, savoury pies, soups and slow-cooked fillings wrapped in soft dough.

Most items cost around €5–€12, so it is easy to build a filling lunch without spending much. Feyrouz is close to Agia Irini Square, the central market and the shops around Aiolou Street. Seating is limited, and many customers take their food away.

2. Hoocut

Hoocut gives the classic Greek pita wrap a more careful, modern treatment. Meat is cut and grilled in the open kitchen, while the bread, sauces and vegetable toppings are prepared in-house.

A wrap or casual meal usually costs around €5–€15. The restaurant is near Agia Irini Square and within walking distance of Monastiraki. It is a practical stop when you want good souvlaki without committing to a long sit-down meal.

3. Maiandros

Maiandros is a traditional Greek restaurant on Adrianou Street, a few steps from Monastiraki Square. The menu covers familiar dishes such as grilled meat, seafood, salads, meze and oven-cooked specialities.

Expect to spend approximately €15–€25 per person before drinks, depending on how many plates you share. The outdoor tables sit close to Hadrian’s Library and the Ancient Agora, making Maiandros a convenient lunch stop during a day in the historic centre.

4. Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani

Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani combines a delicatessen with a busy meze restaurant. Its cooking draws on the flavours of Asia Minor, with cured meats, cheeses, sausages, pastrami, grilled dishes and small plates designed for sharing.

A full meal usually costs around €20–€30 per person before drinks. The restaurant is near the Varvakios Central Market, so it works well as part of a food-focused walk through central Athens. It can become crowded at lunch, and reserving ahead is helpful.

5. Savvas

Savvas is a long-running choice for kebabs, gyros, souvlaki and other grilled dishes. The menu is broad, but the simplest meat plates and pita wraps are usually the best reason to visit.

Most diners can eat for around €10–€20 per person. The central location near Monastiraki makes Savvas useful between sightseeing stops, while its upper levels offer views towards the Acropolis.

Top Vegetarian Restaurants in Athens

Greek cuisine already includes many naturally meat-free dishes, but Athens also has a strong group of dedicated vegan and vegetarian restaurants.

1. Mama Tierra

Mama Tierra serves vegan versions of Greek favourites alongside international comfort food. The menu includes plant-based moussaka, mushroom souvlaki, burgers, bao buns, burritos and vegan baklava.

Most dishes cost around €9–€16, and a full meal generally stays below €25 per person. Mama Tierra has locations near the Acropolis and in central Athens, making it easy to include during a day of sightseeing.

2. Veganaki

Veganaki specialises in vegan Mediterranean food and uses ingredients that are naturally gluten-free. Its menu reworks familiar Greek dishes, including moussaka, pies, salads and souvlaki, without making them feel like substitutes.

Main dishes generally cost around €10–€18. The restaurant is close to the Acropolis Museum and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, so it is a useful option for lunch after exploring the archaeological sites.

3. Peas

Peas is a relaxed vegan café in Koukaki serving burgers, wraps, salads and raw desserts. Its best-known dishes include a rosemary pea pie, tempeh souvlaki and jackfruit-based comfort food.

Most meals cost approximately €10–€18. The café is close to the Acropolis and the streets around Drakou, an area filled with small bars and neighbourhood restaurants.

4. Happy Blender

Happy Blender focuses on colourful vegan breakfasts and light meals. Smoothie bowls, pancakes, avocado toast, salads, burgers and fresh juices make up much of the menu.

Prices generally range from €7 to €16. The restaurant is near Monastiraki Square and the flea market, making it a convenient choice for breakfast or lunch before walking through Psyrri and the historic centre.

5. Avit

Avit takes a more polished approach to plant-based dining. Its menu uses seasonal produce, Mediterranean flavours and careful cooking techniques to create dishes with more depth than standard vegan café food.

Expect to spend around €25–€40 per person before drinks, depending on how many plates you order. The contemporary dining room makes Avit a good choice for an evening meal when you want vegan food in a more refined setting.

Romantic Restaurants in Athens

Athens offers rooftop views, quiet courtyards and waterfront dining within a short distance of the centre. These restaurants are particularly well suited to a date or celebration.

1. Varoulko Seaside

Varoulko Seaside overlooks the marina at Mikrolimano in Piraeus. Chef Lefteris Lazarou built the restaurant’s reputation around Greek fish and seafood, combining traditional flavours with modern presentation.

A meal generally costs around €60–€100 per person before drinks, although premium seafood can raise the total. The waterside tables are especially appealing around sunset, and the marina is pleasant for a walk after dinner.

2. Hytra

Hytra serves contemporary Greek cuisine in an elegant setting with views across Athens. The kitchen uses Greek produce and herbs while reworking traditional flavours through modern sauces, textures and presentation.

Tasting menus currently cost around €90–€120 per person, including a dedicated plant-based option. The terrace and city views make Hytra particularly attractive on warm evenings.

3. Tudor Hall

Tudor Hall occupies the seventh floor of the King George Hotel beside Syntagma Square. Its dining room overlooks the Acropolis, while Chef de Cuisine Nikos Livadias serves precise contemporary Greek cooking.

À la carte dishes generally cost €27–€65, while the tasting menu costs around €165 per person before drinks. The location is convenient for an evening walk through Syntagma, Plaka or the National Garden.

4. Spondi

Spondi is set inside a neoclassical building with stone dining rooms and quiet courtyards. It has long been one of Athens’ best-known fine-dining restaurants, with a style rooted in French technique and seasonal European ingredients.

Budget around €150–€220 per person before wine, depending on the chosen menu. Spondi is in Pangrati, close to the Panathenaic Stadium, and its sheltered courtyard is particularly atmospheric during the warmer months.

5. GB Roof Garden

GB Roof Garden sits on the eighth floor of Hotel Grande Bretagne. Its terrace looks across Syntagma Square towards the Acropolis, Lycabettus Hill and the Parliament building.

The Mediterranean menu includes seafood, meat and carefully prepared vegetable dishes. Expect to spend around €60–€100 per person before drinks. The view is the main attraction, so reserving an outdoor table well in advance is worthwhile.

Are There Michelin Star Restaurants in Athens?

Yes. The official Michelin Guide currently lists 12 Michelin-starred restaurants in Athens and the surrounding area. The selection includes one restaurant with two stars and eleven restaurants with one star. There are currently no three-star restaurants in Athens.

Three of the most notable options are:

• Delta — two Michelin stars and a Michelin Green Star. Delta is located inside the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center and is led by Executive Chef George Papazacharias. Its 12-course menu applies fermentation, preservation and other modern techniques to Greek ingredients, with sustainability at the centre of the concept. The Omnivore menu costs €240 per person, before optional drink pairings.

• Hytra — one Michelin star. Hytra serves contemporary Greek and Mediterranean food based on regional produce, seasonal ingredients and herbs. Chef George Felemegkas oversees menus that include standard degustation options and the vegetarian Think Green experience. Current tasting menus cost approximately €90–€120 per person.

• Tudor Hall — one Michelin star. Tudor Hall is led by Chef de Cuisine Nikos Livadias, under Executive Chef Asterios Koustoudis. The menu combines Greek ingredients with modern fine-dining techniques, while the seventh-floor dining room provides a direct view of the Acropolis. The tasting menu costs €165 per person, while à la carte dining varies according to the chosen dishes.