Sure, you’ve got a lot to see, do and buy as you casually stroll the elegant streets of Kolonaki, but to experience the real magic of this famed Athenian neighbourhood you need to check out the cool cafes, trendy bars and classy restaurants.
So, to make your life easier, we’ve come up with the ultimate guide to eating and drinking your way around this ultra-chic district. Now we suggest you do yourself a favour and just bookmark this list.
Part Two | Lunch
Frankie’s
Frankie’s is a casual Italian Bistro & Bar serving farm to table dishes such as fresh handmade pasta and authentic Sicilian inspired food.
A: Skoufa 42, Kolonaki
Giacomo
For an elegant ambiance, Giacomo is another Italian eatery where you can order antipasti, pasta, pizza, risotto, salads, as well as seafood and meat dishes.
A: Xenokratous 21, Kolonaki
Brunello
If you are after a modern Italian joint, Brunello’s prides itself on food art, creativity and above all, taste. The dishes are delightful, and the wine list is impressive too.
A: Loukianou 21b, Kolonaki
Kiouzin
Kiouzin is a Greek restaurant with lots of surprising twists. The vintage décor creates a charming vibe and the talented chef here specialises in modern and experimental Greek dishes.
A: Likavittou 16, Kolonaki
Mpirmpilo
For authentic Greek flavours and a charming old-world vibe head to Mpirmpilo which is known for its mouthwatering traditional dishes such as Arakas (peas & potato stew) Gemista (stuffed vegetables) and Soutzoukakia (meatballs in a homemade red sauce).
A: Ploutarchou 26, Kolonaki
Barbounaki
If seafood is your preference Barbounaki is a casual but sophisticated spot where you can savour fresh fish, grilled octopus, marinated anchovies, sea urchin, mussels and prawns.
Ergon House (Greece’s very first Foodie Hotel) Retirè is the newest addition to the Athenian rooftop scene (it opened in Summer 2019). Want a view of the Acropolis from an iconic rooftop location? Want to sip world-class cocktails designed by the top bartenders in Greece while doing so? If you answered yes to both, then this is your spot.
Type: Rooftop bar
The low down: Proper cocktails and a relaxed summer vibe, in the heart of Athens.
Bar menu: The drinks menu at Retirè has something for everyone. Cocktail aficionados will revel in the summertime delight of the Watermelon Mule or the Vodka Basil Collins. There is also an impressive range of Greek wines (try their crisp Malagouzia) and local beers.
Bar food: The bar food menu changes seasonally, from gourmet hot dogs to seriously good burgers (more extensive food options can be found at Ergon House on the Ground Floor of the building).
Décor/Ambience: Decked out with beach-chic wicker furniture and hues of white and beige, you’ll feel like you’re on a dreamy island escape.
House cocktail: Signature cocktails include the Blue Margarita and Green Negroni, created by the awarded team at The Clumsies, currently listed #6 Best Bar in the world.
Cocktail/spirit price range: Cocktails are priced between 8 and 10 €, spirits from 8 – 14 € and a local beer sets you back around 6 €.
Clientele: Small groups of friends, first dates, in-the-know travellers.
Dress code: Casual, but don’t be afraid to glam it up a little.
Sure, you’ve got a lot to see, do and buy as you casually stroll the elegant streets of Kolonaki, but to experience the real magic of this famed Athenian neighbourhood you need to check out the cool cafes, trendy bars and classy restaurants.
So, to make your life easier, we’ve come up with the ultimate guide to eating and drinking your way around this ultra-chic district. Now we suggest you do yourself a favour and just bookmark this list.
Part One | Brunch
Me
This is one of the newest kids on the block serving healthy brunch options, fresh juices, delicious smoothies and good coffee. Me‘s modern décor is best described as light and airy, with a hint of lush greenery.
A: Kapsali 10, Kolonaki
IT Restaurant
With an abundance of natural light flowing through the eco-friendly space, IT serves a healthy and delicious brunch menu, including seasonal fruit salad, quinoa porridge and our favourite- French Toast with Feta.
A: Skoufa 29, Kolonaki
Zinglee
If you prefer a sophisticated Parisian bistro-style setting then head to Zinglee for their luscious Tsoureki French Toast, Eggs Benedict or Melted Chocolate Pancakes topped with seasonal berries.
Zurbaran
Do Mini Tacos or Grilled avocado with marinated salmon sound appetizing? Then make your way to Zurbaran, Kolonaki’s modern and sleek all-day bar and restaurant, with a fab outdoor dining space.
A: Patriarchou Ioakim 38, Kolonaki
Ante Post
Perhaps you are more in the mood for a spot like Ante Post, where you can sit by the pretty corner bar or one of the plush green booths, as you take a bite of your gourmet club sandwich and sip on a double-shot espresso.
A: Patriarchou Ioakim 46, Kolonaki
Dry Caffe & Spuntino
If it’s all about the coffee you can’t go passed Dry Caffe & Spuntino, a stunning Italian-style bistro with a Roman-inspired menu featuring salami ciabattas, mini brioches filled with prosciutto, and pizza topped with salmon & capers.
A: Koumpari 5, Kolonaki
Melinikon
Now for those craving sweets all day long Melinikonis for you! Here you’ll find Athens’ most popular pancake shop serving up divine flavours such as Tiramisu, Ferrero, Ekmek, Cheesecake, Crème Caramel and Blackforrest.
Athens is a great place to explore with children of all ages and in the first part of our “Best of Athens with Kids” series, we reveal the perfect way to discover the Acropolis Hill and its wonderful surroundings with your little ones.
Before you venture out, make sure you are all comfortably dressed from head to toe and most importantly, wear comfy shoes (sneakers are ideal even in summer). You can’t drive all the way to the top of the Acropolis and there is no parking close by, so if you aren’t staying in the heart of the city your best bet is to catch the metro straight to the Acropolis station.
Once you climb up to the top, take a moment to admire the breathtaking view of the city… and then start exploring.
The Acropolis Hill is undoubtedly the most important archaeological site in Athens, with the Parthenon being the crown jewel of the Greek capital. Here you will find the Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, Theatre of Dionysus, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, and the beautiful Caryatids at the Erechteion temple.
This is by far one of the highlights in Athens, so make sure you have your camera ready to take plenty of family shots.
If your kids are fascinated by mythology, there are great guided tours specifically designed for families, such as Greeking Me with kid-friendly guides taking you on a journey back to ancient times and mythical wanderings.
Another one of our favourite family tours, where you can learn about the history of the Acropolis with engaging storytelling, interesting games, and cool quizzes is via Kids Love Greece, and don’t worry about being bored, they are designed for parents to join in on the fun.
Top tips: We must warn you the Acropolis is not stroller friendly, so if you have a baby or toddler, bear in mind you’ll need to leave the pram at the entrance. If you are travelling during the warmer months, we recommend you get there first thing in the morning or very late in the afternoon, as it gets extremely hot. And don’t forget to pack bottles of water, sunscreen, and your hats! Oh, and the rocks at the top are extremely slippery, so make sure your shoes have a good grip.
I’m a water worshipper. I love to drink litres of it daily, feel it pour onto my skin in the shower, move with its ebbs, and flows in the sea. Water is therapeutic, cleansing, sensual.
Most of all, I relish the blissful feeling of floating on my back in the Aegean Sea; I swim far out, away from the madding crowds, lie back and let myself go, completely. Surrender is trust, and rewarded trust generates gratitude. So as I lie, effortlessly feeling the sea holding me up I can’t help but rejoice.
Waiting for the day
I heard about the arrival of Etherfloat Athens’ first floatation spa when it opened in November 2018 but only visited its contemporary, polished space recently. Professional and offering a relaxed comfort, it offers top-notch services and facilities. It has an excellent water-filtering system and uses UV lamps and hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine to ensure complete cleanliness.
360-Degree therapy
Invented in 1954 by John C. Lilly, a neuropsychiatrist and medical practitioner the sensory deprivation tank has been used to alleviate, treat, and reverse physical, mental, and emotional ailments or problems. Traditional use involves that the user lies floating with complete weightlessness in the tank, in complete darkness and silence. This has been shown, through a significant number of global scientific studies, to induce the parasympathetic response in the body and put the mind on the Theta-wave ‘setting’ which is thought to create a feeling of raised spiritual-emotional consciousness.
Flotation has also been scientifically shown to alleviate muscle tension, lower blood pressure, and – something major for people today – to reduce anxiety, by lowering the cortisol-induced ‘fight or flight’ response we have when we experience any form of anxiety, stress or fear. Floating also helps clear the mind of superfluous, negative, or meandering thought processes – the “monkey brain” and leads to the release of feel-good endorphins.
By having a session – but ideally, following a course of monthly sessions, people are said to start experiencing a wide array of positive results. These include an overall improved mood, clearer state of mind, a more balanced nervous system, increased emotional intelligence, and a more relaxed body.
The journey inwards
Etherfloat was created by Fivos, a civil engineer who fell in love with the experience and its benefits. He and his brother spent many years researching and trying out flotation tanks in various countries before setting up their own place in Kolonaki. Fivos especially loves floating for its esoteric benefits: “Floating is the ideal place to meditate and come into contact with your inner truth,” he says. “The pod is a very safe space. It’s warm, at body temperature. You’re alone and completely unobserved; there’s no role to play. Basically, you have time for yourself to relax, to figure out what’s going on in your body and soul. You can discover a lot of things in there.”
The flotation tank is filled with around 30cm of water that is saturated with Epsom Salts. Apart from making people float, these salts are rich in magnesium sulfate, known to soothe aches and pains. It also inhibits ACTH, a hormone that pushes the adrenal glands to create cortisol.
“As you float, a lot of ideas will come into your mind about yourself and life,” Foivos says. “It keeps you closer to your own humanity and to other people’s humanity… My brother and I have a mission to bring this to the public; to help generate a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.”
In I go!
I may be somewhat agoraphobic, but fortunately not claustrophobic. So I was not in the least bit afraid of being closed into a dark pod. I did consider the possibility of getting locked in but Fivos assured that as the pod isn’t locked by electricity and opens with a manual lever. Also, should one need any assistance during floatation, there is a pneumatic button inside the tank that instantly notifies the reception desk. In the first 10 minutes of floating there is the sound of dreamy ambient music playing softly, accompanied by a sequence of coloured lighting that offers colour therapy.
For the first 15 minutes, I felt a little restless. I kept repositioning myself and my mind was very conscious of the beautiful changing colours. Then in Yoga Nidra style, I started to mentally scan my body starting from my feet and going up to my head. I focused on every area, feeling which muscles were tense in my unnecessary effort to “stay afloat” and let go. Finally, I let my thoughts go and surrendered to the dark, warm, silent embrace, to the luxury of unwatched, untouched, and unique-to-me solitude.
In the last few minutes of the session, the music begins to play again. It was only then that I realised I had been in a state of semi-dreaming. As I returned to my senses, I felt like I was leaving outer space. I actually wanted to linger there. I woke fully, I did some gentle yoga twists and turned on the light, uncertainly ready to return to reality. But certainly, ready to plan my next visit to Etherfloat.
Pretty much a star bar since it opened, Baba Au Rum is the kind of place you will probably want to return to again and again.
Its service is generally professional and friendly enough but can feel painfully slow on a busy, thirsty night. Keep in mind, here it’s all about the moreish alchemical concoctions.
Making delectable cocktails with spirits, herbs, and spices from around the world as well as homemade Greek liqueurs, syrups and bitters artfully created using local ingredients, the menu offers something for everyone. There’s a real buzz in the bar, especially during the summer months when the outside pavement pours over with clients who arrive for one drink and stay for four.
The décor is a mix of old-fashioned accessories, vintage eye candy, and antique furnishings, a mix reflected in the drinks menu, which features 19th-century classics like juleps and crustas as well as American-style Tiki drinks like the Guadalupe Punch.
If you don’t like rum, you’ll still have plenty of options to enjoy. Creative and perfectly mixed drinks from skilled barmen who have earned Baba Au Rum world status as one of the best establishments in Europe. Take the ‘Brains Are Great’ cocktail for example: When Baba Au Rum travelled to Cognac, France, it researched the local spirits and concluded that they must be tasted and reveled by all! This concoction blends the famous vanilla and oak aromas of Hennessy with apple and lemon as well as notes of absinthe and celery.
There is also a gratifying enough selection of beers and wines for those tagging along with cocktail-drinking friends. For the fine drinkers out there, this refreshingly rich suggestion truly is a no brainer. The bar has charm, a warm ambiance, humour, grace, and above all a progressive stance that introduced a new perspective to Athens, which is why it continues to be loved and admired without a stop.
Location: Klitiou 6, Athina
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 7 pm to 3 am | Saturday 1 pm to 4 am
We love spending endless hours walking along the elegant streets of Kolonaki, a fashionable neighbourhood that has no shortage of high-end boutiques, stylish concept stores, cool cafes, trendy bars, and classy restaurants. So we’ve put together an in-depth guide revealing our favourite places to shop around here- designed to help you discover this ultra-chic district.
Part One | Concept Stores
SOPHIA Enjoy Thinking Live is an art and design lovers’ heaven where you can source stunning and unique handmade home decor, lifestyle, and fashion items, stationery, as well as organic beauty products. Here you can also take part in curated events and workshops with talented local artists and designers.
A: Pindarou 15, Athina
A: Solonos 36, Athina
Graffito
Philos Athens is a multifunctional space that brings together stunning designs and homeware items. It serves as a restaurant, cafe, event space, retail, and design studio. The beautiful shop is set up in a historical Athenian residence, offering a unique glimpse into Ancient Greek history and architecture. The store is currently closed due to COVID 19 but will be opening its doors again shortly.
A: Solonos 32, Athina
Philos Athens
DTalesis a revolutionary way to buy fashion. The pioneering store brings together designer wear from Paris, New York, Australia, and Europe, allowing customers to shop an unparalleled range of labels and pieces as well as beauty products, perfumes, accessories, deco-art treasures, and statement jewellery.
A: 6, Xanthou Street
i-D CONCEPT STORES is a curated space showcasing Greek fine jewellery designers, colourful, eclectic apparel, unique objects, and upcoming brands. This store is designed to allow visitors to feel and sense the merchandise and you will find a range of labels you won’t find elsewhere.
September is when holidays are ending and our psyche subtly but surely begins to shift from summer flimsiness to autumnal focus.
Perhaps this year even more, with the threat of more lockdowns looming over us, we want to make the most of the sunshine, outdoors and chances to explore. In Athens, September is usually a kind and mellow month, when the city comes back to life and (always somewhat chaotic) order. It’s the time
…when the sun is still hot but not scorching and swimming is still perfectly pleasant.
Throughout the week, the loveliest and most central – not to mention the largest in the capital – pool to visit is the one at Hilton Athens. It might not be cheap, but the sheer size of the pool and lovely greenery surrounding it, quality of its water, Coronavirus-cautious cleanliness, excellent service, and satisfying Oasis poolside restaurant menu will keep you relaxed and carefree for hours on end. On the ground floor of one of the city’s most architecturally fascinating hotels, designed in the 1960s, the pool here attracts mainly low-key glamourous types, families, and singletons who just want to chill in style. Another brilliant handful of great swimming options awaits you at Piraeus port, just 20 minutes’ train ride on the green line from the centre of town. Hop on a ferry or flying dolphin and within an hour you can land at lovely Argosaronic islands like Aegina, Angistri, Poros, Hydra and Spetses to spend the day at lovely beaches, eating fresh fish and sipping a sunset cocktail before returning to urbanity.
…when kefi-fuelled night owls reunite after a summer apart and make the most of being outdoors while it’s still warm.
Head to the bars where you can be part of the crowd pouring onto the pavement, courtyard or rooftop and watch the world go buzzily by, like Ipittou on Ipittou Square in Syntagma, Baba Au Rum in Monastiraki, Blue Parrot in Metaxourgeio, Floral or Warehouse in Exarcheia, Latraac Cafe & Skate Bowl in Kerameikos, Bios in Gazi, Couleur Locale or
Taf The Art Foundation in Monastiraki, Drupes & Drips in Koukaki, Briki in Mavili Square, and Six Dogs or Atlandikos in Psyrri. Or take the quiet path and stroll at sunset time or under the stars in magical places like Philopoappou or Pnyx hills, Lycabettus, the Zappeion gardens, Anafiotika, and Plaka’s backstreets, the upper fringes of Kolonaki and the village-like part of Mets.
…when we start to look ahead at how we will prepare our home and wardrobe for winter with a touch of Greece.
Whether you’re in Athens during September as a visitor or resident, it’s an exciting time to go window-shopping and start dreaming of how you’ll add classic or ultra-contemporary Greek touches to make your home and wardrobe both cozily comfortable and pleasurably stylish. Maybe you want a knitted lambswool fisherman-style pullover or elaborately-embroidered cushion covers that you can find in some of the finer tourist shops of Plaka like Loom. Or vintage stores with an international selection, including Greek designer specials, found around Kolonaki, Monastiraki, and Exarcheia. It may be classical-style jewellery or objects d’art inspired by Greek culture and sold either as a direct replica or with an extreme modern twist and found at specialty shops in the Cycladic Art, Benaki, Benaki Pireos Annexe or Lalaounis Museums or at Greek concept stores like SOPHIA, Forget Me Not or Paraphenelia.
If you’re mid-shopping, touring, working even, why not stop for “just that one drink”? There are plenty of classic spots for doing this in real Athens-style.
By Adrian Vrettos
Unbeknown to yours truly, I unwittingly started researching this piece 20 years ago. Being an avid lover of the ancient centre of Athens, it’s somewhere I never tire of exploring. As you can imagine this can be thirsty work, so finding the right place to satisfy that thirst is of the utmost importance. Lots of bars, restaurants and cafes spring up like fungus in Autumn and choosing the wrong one could end up being pricey and leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. All the places I’m recommending have been around donkey’s years, have their own character and idiosyncrasies and have passed the test of time (well at least one of them has).
On a pedestrianised alleyway just off Athens’ main shopping street Ermou and close to Plaka, Tazza, Petraki 5, has an eccentric Parisian flavour that would be right at home as a backdrop in a Lautrec painting. Lamps with colourful shades chaperone the seating and kitsch fake flowers hang in Babylonian style off the awnings. Wines and cocktails in a buzzy atmosphere.
On Christopoulou 2 & Ermou 57, this is my favourite watering hole when I’m downtown; down-to-earth, local, unpretentious. Perfect for a refreshing beer to hydrate your pipes. Be warned this place can be perilous. One drink can easily lead to a second, chased down by iced raki, as live daytime performances of Rebetika music by skilled musicians churn around the boisterous patrons who may burst into song at any time. If in stock, try the Ikarian beer.
Now, this is the top stop after a morning of exploring the ancient sites and Plaka. On the steps leading up to the pedestrianised road circling the Acropolis, Dioskouri is a traditional kafenion with small round blue iron tables and trussed wooden chairs thrown untidily onto the wide steps next to the ancient agora. Ice cold beers, location second to none, nice mix of locals and tourists.
This colourful little boozer has been around since forever and is a perfect place to duck into for a sly drink whilst taking in the sites around Plaka. They have their own brand of liqueurs, ouzo and wine (probably best to avoid the latter) and the beer is served nice and chilled. This bar has stubbornly refused to upgrade its look over the decades thus keeping its authenticity and a charm harking back to the Athens of yesteryear.
Traversing Psyrri during a hot summer day is a somewhat a redundant endeavour, but if you do happen to find yourself in the vicinity, there’s Psirra bar, even though it’s small, this popular night time hang out is a bit of a hotchpotch in its decor. In winter try the hot and herby honied raki ‘rakomelo’ and go on! why not the same in summer, make sure you don’t have a boat/train/plane to catch within the next 48hours though.
Nearby Transistor, Protogenous 10, is also worth dropping by since you’re in the vicinity.
There are few better views to be had in Athens, the rock of the Acropolis crowned with marble temples framed by the greens of pine copses and olive groves below and the Attic blue sky above. Well, this is what you get at the large open square where Athinaion Politeia parks its tables and chairs beneath large white umbrellas. This place probably only thrives as well as it does because of the view but what a place to enjoy a cold beer.
NearbyDama Koupa, Akamantos 3, has more character. Dice clatter rhythmically on wooden backgammon boards with skill and lady luck determining who gets the next round.
It has taken 20 years for Old School to actually become ‘old school’, and many a liver has been pickled in the process. Located right outside the side entrance of the Acropolis Museum and next to the metro station it’s a great stop either before or after your ancient culture immersion. In the past even up to the last time I went, summer 2019, the food on offer was delivery to the bar! But now they have branched out into becoming more foody; I hope this doesn’t ruin it as a bar.
Nearby and worth a mention
Athens Sports Bar, Veikou 3, This is a neo-pub style bar under a hostel where local sports enthusiasts and ex-pats mingle with tourists, instantly connecting, cheering or booing on teams. Rugby, cricket, as well as many ‘minor’ sports like football (for American readers, I’m referring to the European kind) live on one of the large screens.
Anywhere
Lastly and one of my favourites, why not find a nice shady spot under a twisting fig tree, a gnarled old olive tree, or a whispering pine, with your view of choice and a modicum of privacy at one of the many green spots around the historic centre. You can enjoy a refreshingly cold beer or a cool retsina purchased from the nearest kiosk.
Oh and one last point – all the above-mentioned places serve some kind of bites or nibbles to accompany your “one” drink.
Hospitality industry executive Christos Ditoras is used to being at a high-end hotel surrounded by people. Lockdown unleashed a new vision of his city and himself.
Suddenly our busy city went quiet, and still. For many, the initial instinct is to feel numb, panicked, confused. As humans, and thus creatures built to adapt, the next phase was to re-emerge from what we considered normality and focus our attention elsewhere. As an amateur photographer since his youth, Christos Ditoras turned his attention on the suddenly silent urban landscape where he has spent so many years of his life and career. He took to the streets and photographed places he had been many times before but was now seeing it in a completely new light. Here he talks about his experience and what led him to passionately create this photo project.
By Christos Ditoras
Syntagma
National Gardens
I spent my childhood in Corfu and Parga. In 2010 I had a small camera – the old ones that are only 4.0 megapixels – and started taking photos of Parga that I uploaded to a Facebook page. The photos and page became a big success, which inspired me to pursue photography. I created a Flickr account, bought a better camera, and started photographing more seriously. In 2015 I followed a 90-hour seminar in photography at Orama Photography Studies, after which I participated in an exhibition and presented photos on Urban Minimalism. From 2015 and until now I take pictures all the time, especially of landscapes, buildings and alleys that I love to discover around the city.
I’m really interested in neuroscience and psychology and follow various seminars on these topics, such as the Introduction to Psychology course at Yale through Coursera, that I’m currently doing online.
Empty roads
I’m really inspired by social media because it’s what helped me communicate my photos with the world. I think it’s amazing how with just one click people can share their thoughts and visions with the world. Also, the Internet played a big role in adapting to lockdown as it meant I could stay close and connected to family and friends.
My daily work involves being around a lot of people and being actively busy. In the first two to three days of lockdown, I felt like I was an actor in a movie, not living in real life. I was suddenly alone at home all day. Soon I began to go jogging, taking online courses and of course enjoying walks around the city to take photographs.
Pangrati
Monastiraki
Monastiraki
Quietness
Lockdown in Athens created three new feelings in me: the sense of having free time, the discovery of the city with empty streets, and the need to tap deeper into my creativity.
Creativity is probably one of the most important things a human can experience. It has healing power; engaging in creative behaviours and pursuits is proven to improve brain function and work as a stress-buster. I believe that lockdown, globally probably prompted one of the greatest periods of creativity.
Plaka
I recall a Picasso quote in which he said: “All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” We all have so many talents and I think it’s vital to discover them. Photography is something I discovered accidentally, and probably there are other talents I need to seek out within myself along the way. We should all take advantage of our creative talents so that we can experience life more fully. I cannot call myself an artist, I only do what I do as a way of expressing myself and overcoming stress.
Lockdown helped me – and I’m sure others too – realise just how beautiful Athens really is. How important it is for us to love and respect it, care for it – like keeping things clean – and really look at it. I realised how spectacular some buildings, streets, and other locations are. Usually, we walk around without even really noticing all that we pass.
It’s impossible to predict how lockdown will affect us in the long run. I think because of lockdown our senses were refocused to become more attentive. Certainly, some people go back not exactly how they were before the experience, but I think others really change forever because of it. The important thing is to keep adapting and looking out for the beauty around us.
As soon as you arrive at Botrini’s you feel you’ve reached somewhere special and your expectations are fanned.
The very friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive staff make you feel at home, although there is always a sense of being somewhere very elegant where you can’t completely let your guard down. With seven Michelin stars and a multitude of awards under his belt, restaurateur/ TV celebrity, and poet Ettore Botrini has created three tasting menus that each tells a story. Each story connects flavours, textures, philosophical concepts, cooking traditions, nostalgic memories, creative ideas, and even a fortune teller’s advice with often playful, beautifully presented dishes. It is a sort of theater of the palate and a wonderful place to visit with someone whom you can enjoy the journey with. After at least four ‘welcoming’ amuse bouche dishes come several entrees, the main course, a sorbet, and finally a light, refreshing dessert. Advice: Eat a light lunch on the day you visit!
Type of cuisine: Modern, Creative, Greek-Mediterranean
Type of eatery: Elegant, stylish, modern, with a large garden and large white rotundas.
The low down… Since it opened in 2014, the restaurant has received a Michelin Star seven times for its ambitious menu, professionalism, and ultra-creative high-end flavours.
Décor/ Ambience: Modern and designer, with strong elements of glass (like the façade of the kitchen, which one can see through upon entering the building) and wood. The garden area is spacious but hush-hush posh.
Entrees: We loved ‘Herring, A Journey Through Time’ the service of which starts with a smoked golden herring brought to the table as décor and ends with a glass of white mousse-like cream you dip through with an extra-long spoon to discover the herring and other ingredients from the bottom up. The Cheese Pie puff with cheese, sesame, and thyme honey was also a delight.
Mains: If you want to relish an explosion of citrus (Corfiot neratzosalata or bitter orange salad) artfully combined with Swordfish Carpaccio prepared in fishermen style from the Elba island. Also delicious was the Pasta Benedetto Cavalieri cooked like a risotto, in lemon water with sea urchin. Unfortunately, as a sea urchin fan, I couldn’t taste much of it, but the pasta was gratifyingly cooked to perfection as one would hope from a half-Italian chef, and with a zingy lemon punch.
Something to drink: Every dish in each elaborate menu is paired by the restaurant with a Greek or Italian wine chosen by the restaurant’s Sommelier.
Price range: There are three tasting menus created by Botrini, My Origins (70 € a head), Travelling (120 € a head) and Ploes (90 € a head).
FYI: Botrini also has an award-winning restaurant in his native Corfu.
Neo-tavernas have become a huge hit among both visitors and locals over the last decade because they provide authentic-style cuisine in a fresh, modern setting. Yet there’s an undeniable charm to the real, old, non-renovated Greek taverna that should be experienced at least once.
Many of the Greek tavernas listed here opened in the ‘20’s – the ‘50s, and it is much more than nostalgia that has kept them going, especially during a merciless financial crisis. Their charm, infused in the décor reflective of a bygone era, the owners, who have created dishes inspired by their culture for so many decades for so many hungry customers, are important factors. And then there’s the food itself, which may not be playful and innovative, culinarily-fluid or instantly Instgrammable, but it tastes pretty much the same as it did when it was first served up.
Athinaikon
History & Style: Opened in 1932, this is the only place in this guide that is a little bit closer to a restaurant than a classic taverna, although its menu is comprised of classic traditional dishes. Bang in the heart of central Athens, it has been a favourite of famous Greek painters, politicians, and poets for its homey and unpretentious yet chic style.
Dishes To Try: The large variety of meze dishes and platters eaten with a glass of ouzo. Giant beans baked in tomato sauce (gigantes), bite-sized minty, fried meatballs (keftedakia), pan-melted cheese with pastrami (saganaki me pastourma and tart, salty) and marinated smoked mackerel (tsirosalata).
Location: Themistokleous 2 & Panepistimiou Sts
To Koutouki Tou Andoni
History & Style: The cosy ambiance in this taverna, with a covered, tiled courtyard with a large fig tree, wine barrels, wooden tables with lion’s claws, and a vintage mosaic and stone walls hasn’t changed since it opened in 1958.
Dishes to Try: Fresh, fried small fish, calamari and cod, fava bean puree, wild greens, charcoal-grilled sausage, and meat patties (bifteki), as well as meze dishes with your house (hima) wine.
History & Style: Still standing proud after 60 years of operation, this family-run taverna makes you feel right at home. If you’re lucky you may be treated to a spontaneous live song performance by the owner’s grandsons.
Dishes to Try: Lamb chops, fried cod with garlic sauce (bakaliaros skordalia), fluffy meat patties, and hand-cut, freshly-fried potatoes.
Location: Paparseni 15, Polygono
Bakaliarakia Tou Damigou
History & Style: Considered one of Athen’s most antique tavernas, Damigos is said to have opened in 1864, when it specialised in cod. Today run by the fourth generation of proprietors, who have over time extended the menu. Numerous actors, writers, poets, and painters have traversed Damigos’ threshold over the century.
Dishes to Try: Definitely the cod, spicy anchovies (gavros), garlic sauce, and taramosalata.
Location: Kydathinaion 41, Plaka
Dioskouroi
History & Style: More of a traditional meze-restaurant-kafeneion than taverna, this is a favourite for many (since 1975) because of its scenic view of the Ancient Agora in Plaka.
Dishes to Try: Take a break from touring to eat a Greek salad and a grilled meat platter accompanied by a cold beer.
Location: Dioskouron 13, Plaka
Diporto
History & Style: By now somewhat famous for being so old, authentic, and traditional, Diporto is just a few minutes walk from the Central Athens Varvakeios Fish and Meat Markets. It is charming especially because it’s a basement that you enter by walking downstairs, as well as for its remaining, heavily traditional working class of the ‘50s décor; and the food is delicious too.
Dishes to Try: The house retsina wine, oil-cooked pulses (ladera), traditional slow-cooked stews (mageirefta) and small fried fish.
Location: Sokratous 9 St & Theatrou Square, Psyrri
To Eidikon
Image Courtesy of Culinary Backstreet
History & Style: This only remaining – since 1920, when it started off as a food store, as its décor reveals – old style-deli tavernas in Piraeus is located behind the tobacco factories at the central port. It was a favourite hangout of Greek Rembetika musicians Kazantzidis, Tsitsanis, and Papaioannou.
Dishes to Try: Sausage, the taverna’s well-known corned-beef omelette, fava, keftedes, sardines, and a side of juicy tomatoes, olives and good quality Greek gruyere cheese.
Location: Psarron 38 & Salaminos, Piraeus
Koutouki Tis Harikleas
History & Style: Located in an old refugee building, this place looks more like an antique store than a taverna. Old radios, sewing machines, cooking utensils, photographs, and wine barrels make up the surprising décor.
Dishes to Try: Lamb chops, fried pork, melted cheese, and great salads.
Location: Artis 29, Metamorfosi
Katsarina
History & Style: In the leafy northern suburb of Kifissia, this early 19th Century taverna has hardly changed its menu since it opened in 1893, making it a beloved old classic. In summer enjoy sitting out in the garden.
Dishes to Try: This place is for meat-lovers and is known for its steaks, as well as some home-cooked stews and oil-based (ladera) dishes.
Location: Kifissias Avenue 311, Kifissia
Karavitis
History & Style: This legendary taverna in Proskopos Square opened in 1920 and has a devout local as well as a tourist fan base. Its large wooden wine barrels and cosy ambiance are its most noteworthy characteristic feature.
Dishes to Try: Their famous meat patties, either plain or stuffed with cheese, crispy lamb chops, and traditional side dishes.
Location: Arktinou & Pafsaniou 4, Pangrati
Klimataria
History & Style: Originally a kafeneion next to the temple of St John, since 1927 this wine tavern offers customers both a real sense of old Athens and tasty dishes.
Dishes to Try: Lamb with potatoes slow-cooked with garlic in a ceramic pot, onion pie, melted cheese, tomato-stewed rooster with mashed potatoes, and good house wine.
Location: Theatrou Square 2, Psyrri
Marathoniti
Image courtesy of This Is Athens
History & Style: Since the 1970s this basement-level family-run taverna with an old mosaic-tile floor has lured many a diner, especially with its wine and meze dishes. All even better when accompanied by rembetika music.
Dishes to Try: Oven-baked beans (gigantes), sausage, lamb chops, wine meze dishes, and steaks.
Location: Ymittou 253 & Vinkelman 3, Mets
Metaxou
History & Style: Over half a century old, this wine tavern has retained the vibe of Athens’ bygone era when friends gathered to feast on simple yet authentic and delicious food.
Dishes to Try: Meat stew with orzo (yiouvetsi), shrimp pasta, and chicken cooked in tomato sauce.
Location: Pythodorou 10, Metaxourgeio
Mister Loukidelis
History & Style: Nea Filadelfia’s most well-known taverna opened in 1932 and is now managed by the third generation of proprietors.
Dishes to Try: If it’s your kind of thing, try the famous Loukideli’s testicles” (ameletita) meze. Also try the cheese pie, fried cod, fava puree, and snails.
Location: Georgiou apandreou 79, Nea Filadelfia
Peinaleon
History & Style: Old mirrors from 1919, wall paintings, antiques, and old photographs create a nostalgic and singular ambiance here.
Dishes to Try: Roasted mastelo cheese from Chios, coal-fire smoked aubergine dip (melitzanosalata), pork cooked with mastic, fluffy croquettes with wild greens and herbs and pork with hand-cut fresh fried potatoes.
Location: Mavromichali 152, Exarcheia
Roumeli
History & Style: Since 1930 when it opened, this taverna has changed its appearance several times, but the food has remained deeply gratifying.
Dishes to Try: Well-grilled, good-quality meats like lamb chops, steak, liver, and meat patties with fresh, hand-cut fries, as well as home-cooked stews. In winter warm-up with the meat soup.
History & Style: An authentic, traditional taverna that opened in 1922, signs of which you can see around the tavern- an old set of scales, wooden plate rack, and ceramic bowls. Through the glass floor, you can see the old wine barrels in the basement. Some days you can enjoy live Greek music performances.
Dishes to Try: Fried meatballs, goat, fried cod, and fava puree.
Location Kaisarias 9, Ymittou Square
O Vathis
History & Style: With a large, lovely garden, this 1974 taverna has a warm, family feeling both because of its friendly service and cosy ambiance.
Dishes to Try: Grilled bread with olive oil and oregano right from the start. Cabbage-wrapped meat dolmades, lamb chops, a big choice of tasty home-cooked stews and ladera dishes, fava puree, melitzanosalata and fried courgettes.
Location: Kyrou 7, Kifissia
Vourliotina
History & Style: A taverna that used to be the home of Yiayia (granny) Triandafyllia and has kept elements of her life, who was from Smyrna.
Dishes to Try: Unsurprisingly, the cuisine here is also influenced by Asia Minor and includes dishes like tabbouleh, pastrami pie, egg and cheese terrine, homemade liqueur and kazan dipi dessert.