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Some people swear the best way to find an authentic local restaurant in a new city is to ask a taxi driver for their recommendations. We’ve upped the ante, and asked some of the hottest chefs in town to share their favourite neighbourhood restaurants and secret haunts in Athens.
ALEXANDROS TSIOTINIS, CTC
A pioneer of Athenian high-end gastronomy, chef Alexandros Tsiotinis has earned a Michelin star for CTC, his elegant restaurant in Keramikos. The 11-course blind tasting menu is both visually dazzling and highly original.
Most loved neighbourhood restaurant?
Seychelles (formerly Bahamas) on a fantastic square in Keramikos, where you can enjoy delicious Greek food without unnecessary frills, but with a substantial culinary point of view.
Where do you always take visitors to Athens for a meal?
Fita is the restaurant that, for me, represents better than any other what modern Greek food should be: a place that emphasises tradition, while demonstrating the evolution of Greek cuisine in its bistro version.
A quintessential Athenian dish that everyone should try?
Ha ha, the truth is that a walk in Athens without souvlaki is not a walk in Athens. But soutzoukakia and moussaka are also dishes that you should taste while in Athens.
Best street food spot for a meal on the go?
Perhaps I could name two, because they involve two of my loves. The first is Sotiris Kontizas' Tanpopo. Sotiris is a Greek-Japanese chef who brings the amazing tradition of Japanese ramen to the centre of Athens. The second spot ‘smells’ of Greece: the souvlaki at Hoocut is as genuine as it gets, but at the same time as clean as it should be today.
A secret eaterie you can hardly bear to share?
Mikres Cyclades in Ilioupoli, a restaurant whose ingredients come on small fishing boats from Schinousa island to Piraeus every day. I think it's the most fantastic fish you can find in Athens.
Favourite hangout for a drink and bite?
For me, the Clumsies is the place where you can enjoy both at the same time.
More about CTC here.
Chef Alexandros Tsiotinis of CTC.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
MANOLIS PAPOUTSAKIS, PHARAOH
After making a name for himself with two phenomenally successful restaurants in Thessaloniki, chef Manolis Papoutsakis took Athens by storm with Pharaoh, the hottest new restaurant that opened in Athens in 2022.
Chef Manolis Papoutsakis of Pharaoh.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
Most loved neighbourhood restaurant?
Oxo Nou is a Cretan oriented restaurant with well-cooked dishes and a cool atmosphere. I'm from Crete, so I like to go there for lunch when I have time.
Where do you always take visitors to Athens for a meal?
Simul is one of my favourites, and I play it safe there when I want to take a visitor for a meal.
A quintessential Athenian dish that everyone should try?
Grilled lamb ribs with a nice retsina at Mavros Gatos taverna in Pangrati is an Athenian staple.
Best street food spot for a meal on the go?
Giorgos Manos in Exarchia for great souvlaki. A must for a quick meal.
A secret eaterie you can hardly bear to share?
Skalakia. Don't tell anyone, but it's a secret gem for the best grilled lamb sweetbreads and liver. You'll find it tucked away on the side of a public staircase in Ilisia.
Favourite hangout for a drink and bite?
Tanini Agapi Mou. A great wine bar with lots of natural wines by the glass and some nice dishes to go with them. Good music too.
More about Pharaoh here.
MELINA CHOMATA & MARIA NTIOUDI, MERCERI
One of the few female-run fine dining restaurants in Athens, Merceri combines a casual vibe with creative cuisine. After sharpening their skills at some of Santorini’s finest restaurants, Merceri’s two chefs have joined forces in downtown Thissio.
Most loved neighbourhood restaurant?
MN: Papadakis restaurant in Kolonaki is one of the best places to experience homely Greek cuisine and fresh seafood. I love their octopus with honey and white grouper with truffles.
MC: To Ouzeri tou Laki near Victoria Square. It’s an old classic where I enjoy seafood dishes prepared in an authentic way.
Where do you always take visitors to Athens for a meal?
MN: Vassilenas restaurant, just behind the Hilton Hotel, for the amazing ambience and delicious seafood. Some of my favourite options are the taramosalata and the grilled squid.
MC: I always take visitors to Riza Riza in Koukaki. The location just below the Acropolis is amazing—perfect for a break after walking around the city.
A quintessential Athenian dish that everyone should try?
MN: Soutzoukakia–Smyrna meatballs with cumin and garlic in tomato sauce, best enjoyed with French fries and feta cheese.
MC: Every visitor to Athens should try stamnagathi, spiny chicory simply steamed and dressed with Greek virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh lemon.
Chef Melina Chomata of Merceri.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
Chef Maria Dioudi of Merceri.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
Best street food spot for a meal on the go?
MN: A hot dog at the Kantina in Mavili Square. It’s an old-school canteen that hits the spot after a busy day–and it stays open after hours.
MC: Rosides in Kallithea, for the best souvlaki ever. I treasure this secret spot where only locals venture because it's a gateway to an unspoilt world of flavours and traditions, where every bite tells a story.
A secret eaterie you can hardly bear to share?
MN: Mouries epi Kolono, in the residential Kolonos neighbourhood, where few tourists would normally go. I always order the homemade meatballs with fries, grilled sausage and fried anchovy, and enjoy it under the shade of the mulberry trees.
MC: My secret eaterie is a place called Psarokastella in Piraeus. It’s a family-run place that serves only the freshest seafood, which they choose daily from the fish market.
Favourite hangout for a drink and bite?
MN: When I have some free time, I like to hang out with my friends at Cava Vegera in the seaside suburb of Voula and enjoy a glass or two from their extensive wine list.
MC: Gigifioggos Bistronomy & Wine Bar in the Peristeri neighbourhood. I love the atmosphere, it’s like a French bistro, where I can relax with my favourite wine and snacks, such as pinsa with prosciutto cotto and beef tortillas.
More about Merceri here.
ANDREAS KILTSIKSIS, FEYROUZ
The heart and soul of family-run Feyrouz, a Levantine street food spot with legions of loyal fans, Andreas Kiltsiksis represents the new multicultural face of Athens’ food scene.
Most loved neighbourhood restaurant?
Rakor in Keramikos for its brilliant chef and tasty new ideas. It’s one of those places where you feel comfortable and at home, but at the same time you can sense that everything on the menu is part of a carefully crafted flavour journey.
Where do you always take visitors to Athens for a meal?
Every new visitor to Athens should try Gastone in the city centre for Kleomenis Zournatzis’ amazing food and the unique location. It makes you feel like you’re right in the middle of the city’s vibration.
A quintessential Athenian dish that everyone should try?
In my mind, any dish that contains the roots of Athens and a connection to traditional cooking techniques is an Athenian dish. I would say that George Gatsos, at his Fabrica tou Efrosinou restaurant in Koukaki, is an expert at preserving the seasonality of his ingredients and combining them with signature dishes such as kavourma or lamb stew.
Best street food spot for a meal on the go?
Ice cream from the only place where you can get seasonal, all-natural ice cream: Django Gelato by Konstantinos Karakatsanis. The sorbets are the main reason to visit. You can even share them with your 6-month-old baby (that’s me!).
A secret eaterie you can hardly bear to share?
Secret to me, but everyone seems to know about it, is To Steki tou Ilia in Thissio. It's a taverna on a beautiful street overlooking the city train lines, with some of the tastiest lamb chops you'll ever try.
Favourite hangout for a drink and bite?
Pharaoh in Exarchia, with an exceptional team behind the excellent food and wine service. Funky, modern Greek, Levantine, rustic, casual, sexy… All words that can describe the look and feel of the place that changed our last winter.
More about Feyrouz here.
Chef Andreas Kiltsiksis of Feyrouz.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis