As you'd expect in a city that houses almost half the Greek population, Athens has the best and the most varied
restaurants and
tavernas in the country - and most places are sources not just of good food but of a good night out.
Starting with breakfast , most Athenians survive on a thimbleful of coffee, but if you need a bit more to set you up for the day, you'll easily find a bakery, yogurt shop or fruit stall. Koukáki is particularly good for this, with the Nestoras Tzatsos bakery at Veďkoú 45, another at no. 75, and still another on pedestrianized Olymbíou, just off Platía Koukáki, offering excellent wholegrain bread and milk products. For a regular English breakfast , there are several options in and around Pláka. For a proper American or Continental breakfast, from croissants and pastries to multi-filling omelettes, head for Neon at Mitropoleos 3.
Later in the day, a host of snack stalls and outlets get going. If your budget is low you can fill up at them exclusively, avoiding sit-down restaurants altogether. The standard snacks are souvláki me píta (kebab in pitta bread), tyrópites (cheese pies) and spanakópites (spinach pies), along with bougátses (cream pies) and a host of other speciality pastries. There is a cluster of good souvláki stands around Exárhia square, while those in the immediate vicinity of Omónia are best avoided. At Omónia square 18, however, and at several other points in the city, such as Tsakálof 14, Kolonáki, look out for the Everest chain, which does a nice line in pastries, sandwiches and ice cream and stays open past midnight.
Krinos at Eólou 87, an old-fashioned cafeteria operating since 1922 behind the central market, has delectable loukoumadhes (pastry puffs soaked in honey-citrus syrup and dusted in cinammon), tyrópites and rizogalo (rice pudding). There is a Bagel Café at Karayeóryi Servías 9b, just below Syndagma, while the Aríston around the corner at Voulís 10 has been famous for years for its good, inexpensive tyropites .
For main meals , Pláka's hills and lanes provide a pleasant evening setting, despite the aggressive touts and general tourist hype. But for good value and good quality, only a few of the quarter's restaurants and tavernas are these days worth a second glance. For quality Greek cooking, if you're staying any length of time in the city, it's better to strike out into the ring of neighbourhoods around: Mets, Pangráti, Exárhia/Neápoli, Koukáki, Áno Petrálona or the more upmarket Kolonáki. None of these is more than a half-hour's walk, or a quick trolleybus or taxi ride, from the centre - effort well repaid by more authentic menus, and often a livelier atmosphere.
Restaurants
The listings are devoted mainly to
restaurant meals , grouped according to district and divided into cheap (under ¬13 per person) and less so (over ¬13). Note that some of our recommendations are closed in summer (usually Aug), and for five days or so around Easter; this is usually due to hot, un-air-conditioned locales, or the exodus of their regular business trade.
Tea houses and patisseries
With a couple of honourable exceptions,
tea houses and Continental-style
patisseries are a recent phenomenon in Athens. Quiet, rather consciously sophisticated places, they're essentially a reaction against the traditional and basic kafenía. Most are concentrated around Pláka and in Kolonáki and the more upmarket suburbs. The pedestrianized streets of Milióni and Valaorítou in Kolonáki, in particular, seem to be one uninterrupted pavement café.
Filion , Skoufá 34, Kolonáki tel 010/36 12 850. One of Athens' intelligentsia's favourite cafés. Besides a variety of coffees, snacks and main dishes, it has exquisite chocolates and pastries. A good place to come for a present if you're invited to a Greek's name-day.
Galaktopolio Iy Amalthea , Tripódhon 16, Pláka. Tasteful if pricey, serving mostly crepes, as well as non-alcoholic drinks.
Gelateria Leonardo da Vinci , Dhimitrakopoúlou 42, cnr Dhrákou, Koukáki. Athens' most extensive range of rich and wonderful Italian gelati - not exorbitant for the quality. Also has pasta dishes, beer and wine. Seating indoors and out.
O Glykis , Ag. Geronta 2, Pláka; tel 010/32 23 925. A secluded corner under shaded trees just off busy Kydathinéon in Plaká, frequented by a young Greek crowd. It has a mouthwatering array of sweets, as well as cold and hot appetizer plates.
Oasis , west side of National Gardens, opposite cnr of Amalías and Filellínon. An unexpected haven just off the main avenue, offering ice cream, oúzo and mezhédes in the shade.
Strofes , Akarnanías 10, Ambelókipi, near Alexándras/Kifissiá junction. Claims to serve sixty varieties of tea.
La Tasse , Milióni 8, Kolonáki. One of the most popular of the establishments on this pedestrianized lane, just north of Kolonáki square.
To Tristrato , cnr Dedhálou/Angélou Yéronda, Pláka. Coffee, fruit juices, and salads, eggs, desserts, cakes. Exquisitely decorated but expensive. Daily 2pm-midnight.
Zonar's , Roberto Galli 43 tel 010/32 30 336. Traditional upmarket patisserie moved to new quarters in Makriyianni but with an atmosphere much as it was described as a haunt of Harriet and Guy Pringle and Yakimov, in Olivia Manning's Fortunes of War .
Ouzerís
Ouzerís - also called ouzádhika or mezedhopolía - are essentially bars selling oúzo, beer and wine (occasionally just oúzo), along with mezédhes (hors d'oeuvres) to reduce the impact. A special treat is a pikilía (usually ¬4.50-9), a selection of all the mezédhes available; this will probably include fried shrimp, pieces of squid, cheese, olives, tongue, cheese pies, sausage and other delicacies. Ordinarily, you should allow about ¬20 for two, with drinks, and you never need reservations. As in a Spanish tapas bar, the drink is of equal importance to the food so you don't tend to get as full as in a taverna for the same price. Ouzerís that are more food-oriented are to be found in the restaurant listings.
By far the best hunting ground for ouzerís is along the two parallel roads of Themistokléous and Emm. Benáki and their cross streets between Panepistimíou and Exárhia square. Those included below are typical of at least twenty decent establishments in that area.
Athinaikon , Themistokléous 2, cnr Panepistimíou, Omónia tel 010/38 38 485. An old ouzerí in a new location, but retaining its style - marble tables, old posters, etc. Variety of good-sized mezédhes, such as shrimp croquettes and mussels saganáki simmered with cheese and peppers. Closed Sun & Aug.
Dhexameni , Platía Dhexamenís, Kolonáki. Café-ouzerí that serves drinks and snacks in summer under the trees. The menu is limited, but the setting sublime.
Epistrofi Stin Ithaki , cnr Kolléti and Benáki, Exárhia. Featuring Santoríni wine, this one does a good line in fish and seafood mezédhes. Closed Sun.
Iy Gonia , Arahóvis 59, Exárhia. Mushroom saganáki , meatballs, spicy sausages and octopus are among the delights at this place near the square.
O Mitsos , Platía Halandríou, Halándhri (take bus #A6 or #B6 from Har. Trikoúpi or Leofóros Alexándras to the terminal and it's across the square near the big church). Wonderful cheap spot with divine mussels in mustard sauce, fried fish, sausages and various dips. Well worth the trip. Closed Sun.
Iy Oréa Ellás , Mitropóleos 59, Monastiráki. Tucked inside a first-floor cultural centre with outstanding view of the rooftops of Pláka on the slope towards the Acropolis. This atmospheric café has a small but inspired selection of traditional mezédhes at good prices.
Iy Palea Skala , Lepentiotou 25 and Leokoriou tel 010/32 12 677. Seating inside an old house and on a terrace in summer. Excellent mezédhes and wine to accompany the acoustic house band. Generally packed and lots of fun, reasonable prices.
