Athens Food Guide
Athens is the shit, from the first sip of that freddo espresso in the morning to the late night bars, it truly has it all. What a city. We spent 5 nights here and could have easily spent another 5.
We ate and drank our way through an extensive list of places we carefully sought out prior to arriving, but Athens is one of a few cities you can just rock up to, pick a spot and chances are? It’s going to be absolutely shit hot.
They know what they’re doing here and they’ve been doing it for 100’s of years. A true city to get fed, watered and leave a few stone heavier, but happy as ever.
Breakfasts
To Koulouri tou Psyrri - Koulouri is a national treasure. A circular bread ring coated in sesame seeds. Simple, doughy, best eaten warm and a sure way to offset the worst of hangovers! To Koulouri you Psyrri is a staple here in Athens, opened 24 hours and renowned for having the best Psyrri in the city - I mean, if you’re going to have the balls to open 24 hours a day, you’d want to get it right and these guys have. We swung by here on our second morning, a couple Psyrri and the most delectable spanakopita and we were well and truly set up for the day. This is a must hit spot, it’s cheap, fresh and did I mention that it’s always open?
Coffee
Working in coffee here in London means coffee is always a top priority for me when traveling. It’s a nice chance to see how other specialty coffee shops operate and taste coffee from new roasters we don’t have the luxury of trying here in the UK. The third wave scene is quite strong in Athens, hip little shops are popping up all over the city, particularly in Psyri and Plaka. But the absolute show stopping beverage that is the freddo espresso can be found at any ol’ caf. Espresso and ice shaken then served over ice with a straw - coffee in it’s most simplest form but really turned up to 11. Most places will ask you if you want sugar and there are only 3 answers, no, little or alot. No ½ a teaspoon of sweetener here.
Anana Coffee|Food - would have to be my pick of the bunch. We parked up here for a freddo espresso for 3.40 eur to charge the batteries before we climbed Philopappos Hill, it’s the perfect little piece of calm in a city that never rests.
Lunches
When we travel, we like to vary our eating as much as possible, a few traditional spots, a few fancy ones, local cuisine, quick bites and a healthy spot thrown in there for good measure. One thing that is a constant in our travels is - if we can get a charcuterie board of local produce going, you better believe we will. Greece isn’t as known for its charcuterie as the likes of spain, italy and france - but don’t let that fool you. Their take on cured meats and cheeses is filled with their extensive list of local spices making it completely unique.
We dropped into Mirin on our third day in Athens and from the moment we walked in (ducking our heads to avoid headbutting the various hanging meats) it did not disappoint. We were greeted with a couple shots of Ouzo whilst we browsed their huge range of produce. We got talking with the guy steering the ship and asked him if he could whip us up some cold cuts and cheeses to go, whatever he recommended. We settled on 15EUR as the budget and off he went cutting cheeses, slicing meats and giving us a few bits to try along the way. We took this meal and a bottle of red to our balcony for some lovely DIY alfresco dining. Proof again that some of the best meals abroad are those least assuming.
Dinners
I reckon I could write a paragraph about each and every place we visited whilst in Athens, I could also tell you exactly what we ordered at each place, this is always a sign of some successful picks but...
no place truly stood out more than Orizontes Lycabettes. A true gem and a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Now, this place has copped some stick online but if you prepare well and know what you’re in for you can have an absolute 10/10 night with views to match. Few things to note so you’re not caught off guard:
You have to get the funicular up there (about 10EUR round trip)
You HAVE to book a table, and book far enough in advance so that you can request an outdoor table
Don’t go in the winter and don’t go when it’s raining. You want to be able to enjoy the view.
It’s not cheap
We were lucky enough to get an outdoor table right on the edge with perfect uninterrupted views of Athens a cool 277 meters above the city and boy oh boy it did not disappoint. The food is simple, fresh, classic greek with a modern spin. Fresh greek salads, babaganoush, grilled meats and a good selection of fish. We opted for a bunch of small plates, mainly because we like to try as many things as possible when out but also because the mains are pricey.
We got the full shebang here, great food, great service and a view money cant buy. We even got treated to a flyby from the green arrows, which admittedly at the time I thought were preparing an attack on Athens, but we move!
We booked our table for 6:30pm (we travelled at the end of August), which allowed us to enjoy our meal whilst the sun was shining and then enjoy the sunset from a viewpoint once we’d finished.
This meal set us back 95EUR for 4-5 small plates and a bottle of sparkling wine. To see how much we spent on food and drink across our whole Athens trip, check out our Athens budget!
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OUR FAVE DINNERS
ORIZONTES LYCABETTUS - Dinner with a view
AGORA - INSANELY GOOD FOOD AND COCKTAILS, TUCKED AWAY OUT OF THE CITY CENTRE
ZAMPANO - TRADITIONAL GREEK DISHES WHICH ARE GREAT FOR LUNCH OR DINNER!
PO BOYS - great BBQ JOINT NESTLED IN A CUTE AREA OF ATHENS
Drinks
A must try place for drinks in Athens? There can only be one - that is The Clumsies.
The Clumsies has gained some recent notoriety, being named the 19th best bar in the world for 2022 and getting a visit from Gino, Gordon and Fred - but these guys have been on it since day dot, producing their own syrups and bending the rules of traditional cocktail making with the most insane flavor combinations, it works!
We stayed just around the corner from The Clumsies when visiting Athens, one night after dinner we managed to nab a little bench out on the street and were immediately greeted by a waiter with some salted nuts and a couple of menus - from that moment I knew we were on! We both opted for refreshing cocktails (Highball Gimblet & El Draque) and they did not disappoint. Most cocktails are 10EUR - which is pretty bloody banging considering a dodgy marg will set you back 12 quid in almost any London establishment.
OUR FAVE BARS
THE CLUMSIES - JUST GO, IT WON'T DISAPPOINT
OINOSCENT - GREAT LITTLE WINE BAR
CINQUE - WINE BAR WITH A FEW LOCATIONS ACROSS ATHENS
A FOR ATHENS - REASONABLY PRICED ROOFTOP BAR WITH EPIC VIEWS OF THE ACROPOLIS (PIC TO THE LEFT)
To see how much we spent on food and drink across our whole Athens trip, check out our Athens budget!