Athens Restaurants

Finding a place to eat in Athens is a laborious task, made difficult by the abundance of restaurants offering different kinds of cuisine. The process of choosing is made more complex by the fact that there are so many good restaurants in Athens. So we've come up with a short list of restaurants that oftentimes make its way to the roster of best restaurants in Athens.


Spondi consistently tops the list with its Mediterranean haute cuisine. For 6 years in a row, it was voted as the "Best Restaurant in Greece" and rightfully so. The menu is French-inspired, the foie-gras baton with orange and chocolate xocopili glazed with spices among the best sellers. The building is a lovely 19th-century town house with a stone courtyard. It also has a garden terrace swathed in bougainvillea during summer. The wine list is extensive and the desserts superb.

Another French restaurant following closely behind is Vardi, housed by the Pentelikon Hotel in Kifissia. Food is exquisitely presented in fine china. Its salt-crust duck filled with foie gras and sherry sauce is popular among patrons. Its desserts are also splendid with the Grand Marnier and forest berries soufflé standing out.

Within the bounds of Sofitel Hotel at the Athens International Airport is Karavi, another upscale restaurant which frequent the list of best gourmet restaurants in Athens. The French chef is separated from the diners by a wall of frosted glass, enabling him to be seen while preparing refined dishes. The restaurant also boasts of 170 wines to choose from.

Perhaps the elegant restaurant with the best view is the Orizontes, perched upon Mount Lykavittos, Athen's highest peak. From its tables you can watch the sun set over Athens. The food, mainly Mediterranean/international, is as splendid as the view. The crayfish is really good, so is the lamb shank with artichokes and goat cheese.

Let's move now to the Plaka area, the section of Athens with the most number of restaurants. Dignitaries, celebrities and other famous foreigners, once in Athens, are most likely to be brought to Daphne's. The dishes are traditionally and authentically Greek. Meatballs with tomato sauce spiked with ouzo are very good for starters. The wine choices are vast and the service excellent.

For the locals of Plaka, Byzantino is the restaurant of choice. Traditional Greek food is served here and patrons enjoy fast service. Roast pork with roasted potatoes, lamb fricassee, Greek salad and moussaka are among the food that should be tried.
One of the oldest taverna in Plaka and also one of the best is Platanos. The eggplant salad is very good although almost everything there is. It offers house-made retsina. Sometimes concerts are held in its courtyard.

For those yearning for seafood in Plaka, the Taverna Tou Psara (Psaras Fish Taverna) is the best place to go. It is generally known to be the best seafood taverna in Plaka. The service had been below average before although that seemed to change now. The food, however, has never changed and has always been great. The wine, too, is outstanding. 

Don't forget to taste the local greek foods and drinks, and your Athens travel will be unforgettable.