Heading south from the Greek capital you will come across a stunning coastline known as the Athenian Riviera. Here you will discover some fine restaurants serving fresh seafood and creative dishes made from seasonal and locally sourced produce.
With so many great options to choose from, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favourites for you!
Krabo
Set in Vouliagmeni, here you can enjoy a Mediterranean-inspired menu with seasonal and fresh dishes. The executive chef uses solely organic and local ingredients to prepare succulent summer dishes.
A: Thespidos, Vouliagmeni
Matsuhisa
Serving Nobu’s signature sushi, Matsuhisu has brought a touch of Japanese flavour and culture and the charm of fusion philosophy to the gastronomic map of Athens. Beautifully nestled in one of the city’s most stylish locations, the Astir Palace, Matsuhisa Athens offers an unforgettable gastronomic experience.
A: Apollonos 40, Vouliagmeni
Mercato
For great Italian check out Mercato- an upscale Italian trattoria that’s also located at famous Astir Palace. Savour authentic Italian dishes and cocktails from the Spritzeria, which can be enjoyed in the warm indoor space in winter and on the alfresco terrace overlooking the Athenian Riviera in summer.
A: Apollonos 40, Vouliagmeni
Island
If you like to rub shoulders with the rich and famous, head to Island where you will surely spot international designers, artists and athletes. The restaurant serves Mediterranean flavours and the modern dishes are all created by the award-winning chef, Nikos Skliras.
A: 27km South of Leof. Athinon Souniou
Helios
For one of the best views and great Latin American food, make your way to Helios. Relax poolside, while savouring zesty ceviches and tiraditos, piquant tacos, guacamole and grilled meat cuts, along with a range of signature cocktails.
A: Apollonos 40, Vouliagmeni
Ithaki
One of the areas most loved places, which frequently serves some of the world’s leading A-listers on their visits to Athens is Ithaki, in Vouliagmeni’s Laimos. Here you can taste the freshest fish and a range of local seafood, as you enjoy the magical sunset.
A: Apollonos 28, Vouliagmeni
Moorings
If you are searching for a spot to enjoy a late lunch or evening dinner with a magnificent view, head to Moorings, where you will be treated to panoramic views of Vouliagmenis’ natural landscape, as well as a delightful menu.
A: Marina Vouliagmenis, Vouliagmeni
Ark
With renowned chef Yannis Baxevanis behind the menu, Ark offers signature dishes that are inspired by the Aegean sea. Along with the masterly crafted menu, you can also choose from an exceptional range of wines, beers and distillates from Greek producers.
A: Grigoriou Lambraki 2, Glyfada
Varoulko Seaside
This leading seafood restaurant located in Piraeus is a fine dining experience, where guests can taste quality seafood cuisine prepared by the famous chef Lefteris Lazarou while enjoying the picturesque views of the Mikrolimano Marina.
A: Akti Koumoundourou 54, Piraeus
Agora Riviera
Inspired by the Cycladic islands, Agora offers guests a simple and relaxed vibe, while serving a great and fresh range of dishes that are perfect for lunch or dinner by the sea.
A neoclassical townhouse dating back to 1880, set in a culture-rich neighbourhood of Athens, has recently been turned into one of the city’s most stylish boutique hotels.
Built in the early 20th century, and sitting in the heart of Athens, in the upmarket Kolonaki quarter, Monsieur Didot is a beautifully renovated house providing guests with a ‘home-from-home’ feel; its mix of rooms and suites are spacious and luxurious, and interiors are a blend of modern architecture and contemporary aesthetics.
With attention to detail and an emphasis on authenticity, the hotel is ideal for those that love an old-world charm feel. Here travellers will find a genuine living experience and the warmest of hospitality; as spaces are designed to “host everyday stories unique to your being.”
Location
One of the hotel’s greatest assets is its location, as it’s set at the border of two extremely different yet genuinely characteristic districts of modern Athens. Kolonaki, an upmarket district on the one side, and Exarchia, a vibrant, hip, and alternative area of the city on the other. Just five minutes from the ‘Panepistimio’ metro station, the hotel is surrounded by theatres, museums, publishing houses, and historic bookstores, as well as countless cafés, bars, restaurants, and boutiques belonging to some of Europe’s largest fashion houses. Monsieur Didot’s house is the perfect setting from which to experience this extraordinary ancient city in all of its historic, cultural and creative glory.
Character & Style
A neutral palette and natural materials set the scene as some of Monsieur Didot’s suites and rooms are home to carved marble fireplaces; imposing bookcases; artwork; handmade ceramics; portraits of influential folk; lush greenery; marble balconies and private verandas that boast impressive city views. Intricately drawn ceilings and walls have been revealed and restored in the hotel’s main entrance, as well as in several guest rooms, whilst secret doors have been introduced to create a touch of mysticism. It also features custom-designed lighting that has been introduced into the building’s fabric, encouraging contrast, and a plurality of textures and shapes. And did we mention the show-stopping staircase?!
Rooms
Featuring four rooms and two suites governed by luxurious simplicity and an overriding feel of elegance, its architectural characteristics take centre stage and subtle references to the “all-time classic” aesthetic of “old Athens,” which shapes the personality of each space. You can book the whole first floor; where three rooms and a communal cozy sitting area at the first floor of the residence are joined and transformed into a private space with the capacity to host a large group of guests.
Food & Drinks
The day always begins with a lavish homemade breakfast, which guests can enjoy in their room or on the rooftop during the summer months. Inspired by the traditional Greek diet, carefully selected organic ingredients from all over the country are transformed into a delicious start to the day. Guests may also opt for a quick snack from the “all day” menu, designed by the hotel’s consultant chef, or have a bottle of wine accompanied with assortments of Greek deli products.
Guests also have the opportunity to experience the art of food and wine pairing with a wine connoisseur, who delights their senses with exquisite flavors and handpicked wines from Greece on Monsieur Didot’s terrace.
Finally, the team of Monsieur Didot has compiled a set of recommendations for the best restaurants, bistros, and cocktail bars in the neighborhood (and there are many of them) and in Athens in general, so guests can avoid tourist traps.
Ideal for…
Monsieur Didot is a friendly place for all kinds of travellers; including couples, families and small groups of friends (up to 7 people) can book the whole first floor of the residence and privately use the sitting area on that floor.
Larger groups (up to 16 people) can book the whole residence (4 double rooms, 2 suites, an indoor sitting area on the first floor, and an open-air terrace on the second floor).
Facilities
The rooftop features a cozy terrace, where visitors can have their breakfast or coffee on a sunny day, or a drink or glass of wine on warm nights. The open space offers a sense of discreet luxury and relaxation, incorporating a range of natural materials and exotic plant life to offer a living experience that is built around the principles of culture, well-being, and aesthetic pleasure.
Chill out at the city’s top open-air courtyard (avli) cafe-restaurants, enjoying the perfect blend of a laid-back crowd, delicious food and drinks, cool aesthetics, and a casual, outdoorsy feeling that breezily helps one to escape the heat of urban life.
Dexameni Kafeneion
With tiny tables set out on either side of a pedestrian hillside leading to Kolonaki’s Dexameni Sq, this cafe is busy throughout the year from noon until midnight, but especially enjoyable during summer. Come for a coffee and a snack at lunchtime or cramp meze dishes onto your table (mainly based on simple, tasty Greek recipes such as keftedakia, lentil salad, fries with cheese, strapatsada eggs, octopus, fava) before heading to Dexameni open-air cinema. There is also a spacious playground here.
A: Dexameni Square, Kolonaki
@myrillas
Latraac Skate Cafe
As the home to Athens’ only skateboard bowl, this cafe is ideal for parents whose kids enjoy skateboarding and can roll away the hours skating in the birch-plywood bowl while adults enjoy a refreshment with friends. Latraac features an all-day breakfast menu (the pancakes here are popular) and also serves sandwiches, coffees, and cocktails. At night the chilled and trendy cafe becomes a buzzy bar that organises live Dj sets and occasional cultural events.
A: Leonidou 63-65, Metaxourgeio
Vryssaki Cafe
Sip homemade lemonade or iced herbal tea either in the small downstairs courtyard or the upstairs terrace at Vryssaki, an old Athenian mansion-turned cafe that also functions as a multi-arts space for classes, workshops, exhibitions, performances, and talks. Enjoy a cozy homey feel indoors during winter and the notion of sitting on a friend’s picturesque balcony in warmer weather – looking out across the ceramic-tiled rooftops of Plaka and up to the Parthenon.
A: 17 Vrysakiou St, Plaka
Six Dogs Courtyard Cafe
Upon entering the space here it’s like suddenly stepping from the heart of the city – which is exactly where it is, just off busy Athinas St in Monastiraki – into a large, multi-tiered, gravel-floored campsite cafe. With plenty of greenery, comfortable seating offering different perspectives, a hip but not pretentious vibe, and an excellent choice of foods (from pizza or a Vietnamese sandwich to a refreshing homemade watermelon drink and signature cocktails). On the street-level above are the other Six Dogs spaces where edgy gigs and heavy partying take place nightly, in summer often spilling out onto the street. (Address: 6-8 Avramiotou, Monastiraki). This is more of a restaurant than a cafe, but definitely welcoming for anyone only interested in coffee and dessert-like Chocolate Cremeux or Hot Walnut cake during the afternoon hours (it opens at 13:00 but does not accept reservations). The large and airy Exarcheia yard is shaded by trees and has a refreshingly tasty, creative, and very reasonably priced menu of Greek and Mediterranean meze dishes. Even at its busiest (and it’s usually packed), service is attentive and friendly.
A: 69 Kallidromiou, Exarcheia
Black Duck Garden
This charming garden boasts lush greenery that is paired with marble tables and black chairs, giving it a cool and sophisticated vibe. Black Duck Garden is not only a cafe, it’s also a bar, gallery, museum and event centre where many local artists come to feature their work. From a light brunch menu and coffee through to dinner and cocktails, this place is a must-visit when you visit Athens and are looking for a spot to stay cool during the summer heat as you sip on your coffee!
“The collections here are not just objects, paintings, books or furniture. They also include the energy of its past.”
One of the key charms of the Katakouzenos House Museum (KHM) is that it feels almost still lived in. The 300m sq apartment, with a magnificent view of the House of Parliament on Syntagma Square, is a cultural treasure trove of the 1930s-1960s. Exquisite artworks, notebooks, furnishings, sketches and books by artists such as Marc Chagall and Yiannis Tsarouchis are all around. Both artists were among the renowned and beloved friends of the couple who lived there, psychiatrist Angelos Katakouzenos and his wife Leto.
The pair, who were passionately entwined with cultural elite of Europe’s “1930s generation,” were keen art-lovers and collectors who became cultural ambassadors of Greece abroad and trendsetters of international movements in Greece. Today a space that hosts talks, performance events, screenings, readings and artistic presentations in the spirit of once having been a literary salon, the former residence is one of Athens’ lesser-known yet not-top-be-missed cultural spaces.
Sophia Peloponissiou, who has been managing the space for decades in loyalty to her close bond with Leto Katakouzenos and the couple’s overall vision, says: “The collections of KHM are not objects, paintings, books or furniture. They also include the energy of its past, the people who lived in and visited it, the words they uttered, their thoughts and dreams, the aura of the lived place. Every object has more than a market value or an acquisition or donation record; the reasons behind its selection and its symbolic power for the inhabitants of the house are as much part of its life force.
“Apart from honouring Greece’s and Europe’s cultural past, one of our greatest aims for the future is to bring children and the younger generations into contact with this heritage, to subject them to cultural wealth to our best capacity,” Peloponnisiou says.
At the KHM you can see an extensive collection of over 40 original paintings, drawings, sketches and prints, a wide array of decorative items and sculptures, artworks in various media (1930s-1970s) as well as a quality collection of 18th and 19th C. French and Hellenic furnishings.“None of the works was purchased; indeed, most were given by the artists themselves as gifts, tokens of friendship or gratitude,” Peloponissiou says. Among the actual paintings is a painted set of four large mahogany doors made for the Katakouzenos couple by famous painter Nikos Chatzekyriakos-Gkikas and many more paintings by the same artist in various media.
The KHM is a foundation that receives no sponsorship or financial support. Its illustrious refurbishment, beautiful maintenance, rental, bills and any other financial and organizational aspects are all dealt with by its board, made up of a handful of volunteers, of which Peloponnissiou is the General Secretary.
Make an appointment to see the Katakouzenos House Museum here
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.
Solebike Tours organize electric bicycle excursions throughout the day – and year – and you don’t need to be super-fit to enjoy them!
Ah, la luna, la luna…the night that I sped under the spell of the moon. In Athens, the August full moon is the one night of the year when the city’s ancient sites are open to the public after sundown. I hopped on my Solebike electric bike and off we travelled through the city’s most beautiful spots, in the silvery light of the moon.
Easy, Breezy, Fascinating!
Solebike, created by cycling-enthusiasts/tourism experts Costas and Sofia has been successfully running city tours for people of every age (baby and child seats are both available and safe) for several years now. Daytime tours include wearing an earpiece through which you can follow a fascinating guided tour by Costas, Sophia, or Dimitra as you cycle. Electric bicycles are so easy to ride, all you need to do is pedal a little and zoom! Off you go, whether you’re on flat ground or up-hills. As for downhills – and believe me, we had some steep ones on my night trip – just gripping both brakes gently assures a smooth, easy experience.
The greatest thing about electric bicycle tours such as the ones so skillfully organized by Solebike is that regardless of traffic – by cars or people – you can easily and speedily navigate through the city. Vastly appealing to both foreign visitors and Greeks (indeed on my tour is was an all-Greek group), the tours are fun and always have something interesting to teach. Except for stopping at various points of interest, you get to observe life, architecture, nature, and often unknown side streets or other areas you wouldn’t normally walk through in the city.
The Moonlight Tour
On my tour, we started at the dinky Solebike Tours HQ in Makriyanni, near the Acropolis Metro station, where we registered and were offered complimentary water, helmet, and instructions. The first stop was the ancient and deeply historical area of Filopappou, where we walked to the same-named Roman monument from where we took in heady panoramic views of the city, sprawling glitteringly all the way down to the deep blue coast on one side. On the other was the gold-lit Acropolis, admired by families and friends who sat around in groups, and lovers concealed behind olive trees on ancient benches.
Next, we whizzed through the very lively Plaka neighbourhood, with its old tavernas, neoclassical buildings, seductive smells of delicious Greek foods, and buzzy crowds of revellers, many of them out to soak up the full moon’s light like us. After that, we cycled to the all-marble Panathenaic Stadium where the Modern Olympic Games were organized in 1896, but we got to see it both from the ground level and a ‘secret’ angle that Costas took us to from high above on Ardittou Hill. Finally, we visited the Zappeion Megaro next to the National Gardens, before parking our bikes back at the shop and enjoying a refreshing complimentary glass of wine and happy chat at Wine O’Clock bar on Vrassidas St.
Something for Everyone
This was just one of many creative, educational, and fully enjoyable tours that Solebike offers. They also organize cycling visits that include food and/or wine stops, seaside routes, and soon they are hoping to launch excursions to nearby Saronic islands like Aegina, where there are a whole different variety of pleasures to discover – food, sea, ancient sites and varying nature.
Solebike are out-of-the-box thinkers and even include a Sea Turtle Rescue Tour, while they are always coming up with new ideas of how to make the best of the developing Athens Walkway, the cycling paths on the southern coast, nearby locations and creative/pleasurable pursuits. They also organise private tours.
The vegan food scene in Athens just keeps blossoming, and their menus are as sophisticated as they come.
Veganism has become a way of life for many Greeks, especially those of the younger generations. Being more well-travelled and culturally awake, vegan eaters in Greece today expect – and are getting – great dishes at affordable prices. The places we list below each have their original style, décor and menu, often with several exciting options that include influences from ethnic cuisine or fun and flavorsome creations made by the chef. Whether you’re strictly vegan or just in the mood for healthy, fresh, surprising and meat/dairy-free foods, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
VEGANAKI (Athanasiou Diakou 38, Makriyianni)
Comforting Greek homemade-style dishes and recipes with Asian or Mediterranean elements are given a contemporary overhaul here. Try the classic Pastitsio dish which is made with soya instead of beef mince and a rich bechamel sauce made from pureed cauliflower and almond milk, juicy burgers made with veggies and pulses, salads, soups, sandwiches and smoothies
AVOCADO (Nikis 30, Syntagma) The Original vegan gathering point in Athens is still a favourite for locals and visitors alike. The organic food here is nutritious, delicious and worldly – from comforting spicy Dahl or vegan sushi and avocado pizza to peanut-butter marinated tofu served in a vegan bowl with spicy edamame peas and quinoa, there’s something for everyone. The juices, teas, smoothies and desserts (try the chocolate fondant tart) rock too.
MYSTIC VEGAN (Emm. Benaki 76, Exarcheia) What started out as Mystic Pizza, which quickly stood out because they use hemp flour with cannabis seeds, in later years branched out opening Mystic Vegan. From seasonal soups and fresh salads to lachmatzoum, peinirli, pasta and of course many choices of pizza, this too has become a favourite for Athenian vegans.
VEGAN BEAT (Perikleous 56, Monastiraki)
Located in buzzy Monastiraki, this dinky restaurant with a few outdoor tables serves the vegan rendition of fast food- from burgers covered in melted vegan cheddar cheese and caramelized onions to souvlaki and moussaka, there are plenty of meat-free ‘junk food’ options to keep you satisfied.
PLANT KINGDOM (Frynis 1, Paleo Faliro) With a menu of fresh, seasonal, local and mainly organic ingredients, this green spot in the southern suburb of Faliro changes its menu every week. Try their vegan burger with vegan cheese and guacamole, lentil ‘meatballs’ with roast potatoes or try the dish of the day.
PEAS (Falirou 40, Koukaki)
Try a jackfruit burger, seitan club sandwich, cheesy tofu nuggets with black eye beans or any other creative and freshly conceptualized dish at this new arrival. Serving food that’s centred on flavour and health benefits, including smoothies, juices and mouthwatering desserts like lemon pie, Peas already has a devout following.
LIME BISTRO (Dekeleon 23, Gazi)
Lime in Gazi has an uplifting interior imbued with shades of blue and a back garden where you can taste a great choice of vegan burgers, a daily raw tart of the day, soups, power smoothies and salads. Try the raw carob-‘dako’ rusk tomato salad with creamy almond ‘myzithra’ cheese and the ‘seafood’ orzo pasta dish and don’t miss out on the banoffee pie.
YI (Grigoriou Lambraki 69, Glyfada)
Not only vegan but also raw, Yi’s sophisticated menu can’t fail to impress with its fantastic variety of homemade plant-based cheeses, nut-and-seed “butters”. The restaurant is also proud to be serving strictly glucose, gluten, sugar and dairy-free, non-processed foods only, making no sacrifice on flavour. They specialize in hot (with hot water added, not boiled) and cold soups and their most popular dish is the Burrito platter for two.
Greece’s first vegan/vegetarian souvlaki joint serves delectable gyro and wrapped souvlaki using mushrooms and pulses to replace meat and serving fresh crisp salads rich with aromatic herbs and seasonal veggies. Try their best selling dish Yellow, with mushroom gyro, avocado, handmade vegetable mayo, mustard, parsley and freshly cut fries.
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