In Attica, the region surrounding Athens, the sea is never far away. It is remarkably easy to get into the car and, within half an hour—or an hour at most—dip your feet into the water at one of the region’s many beaches.
What comes after, however, is perhaps a little more complicated.
As the sun begins to sink and our stomachs start growling after hours of swimming and sunbathing, we have to tame our hunger, resist the urge to sit down at the first taverna we come across, and choose wisely.
We want authentic places serving good food in beautiful settings. Right by the sea or just a little farther inland. Classic mezedopoleia—casual Greek restaurants specializing in small plates—or gourmet restaurants. The only requirement is that they have that certain something that makes them stand out, or speaks directly to the heart.
More often than not, we actually decide where we are going to eat first and then choose where to swim. And perhaps that is the safest strategy. When the sea is rough, a lazy day on the beach can still save the day. But when the food is bad too, the disaster is complete.
So, here is our golden ten: ten places where, on a hot summer day, we can head straight after our swim and eat well. Some are laid-back little tavernas, others are premium restaurants. There are choices for every mood and every budget.
Throw a beach coverup around yourself, slip on your flip-flops and enjoy.
O Angelos in Psatha
An endless beach of fine pebbles and turquoise waters. Psatha is an oasis, and remarkably close to Athens: in just a little over an hour, we can leave the sweltering city behind and dip our feet into paradise.
Of course, one Sunday last summer, when we accepted an invitation from friends and set off from home at around 9 a.m., it took us two hours on the road and what felt like an eternity to find somewhere to park by the sea. That is how crowded it had become. Once a well-kept secret known mainly to residents of Alepochori, Megara and the surrounding area, Psatha is now widely known.
At least we were richly rewarded for the ordeal. An excellent swim was followed by an even better meal at O Angelos. And the best part? We did not even have to move the car. Our friends, who have known the area for years and know their food, had already secured a spot at the far end of the beach.
Just a few meters farther on, where the bay narrows and leaves only a little room for swimmers, is O Angelos.
There are other tavernas here, but we came on a recommendation—and did not regret it. The tables at this classic fish taverna are practically in the sea, set on a small pier over the water.
Children played on the rocks beside us, jumping in and out of the water, while the table filled with all the meze we dream of eating on a day like this: generous salads, feather-light fried calamari, grilled octopus, grilled prawns, mussels and a fresh cod weighing a kilo or more, fried to perfection and cut into portions.
Crisp and served with skordalia, the traditional garlicky potato-and-bread dip, the cod was the crowning glory of an unforgettable meal—and the reason O Angelos has remained one of our favorite destinations for fish outside Athens.
Sardelaki Me Thea in Vouliagmeni
After years in Glyfada, Sardelaki has earned its place in the hearts of fish lovers in Athens’ southern suburbs. It is an honest, straightforward restaurant with good food and a pleasant atmosphere, and most of the time those two things are enough to guarantee a lovely Sunday by the sea.
And because the concept proved so popular—and especially because finding a table at Sardelaki on weekends became increasingly difficult—the same idea was transferred not merely close to the sea, but right onto it.
Specifically, to Vouliagmeni Beach, opposite Lake Vouliagmeni and directly over the waves, Sardelaki Me Thea offers everything its Glyfada sibling does, but in a dreamlike setting.
Displays of ultra-fresh fish and seafood greet us at the entrance. Shortly after we sit down, a tray of appetizers arrives at the table—almost impossible to resist—and from there we can choose between meze to share with ouzo and ice, or serious fish dining accompanied by wine.
Downstairs from the main dining room there is also a private space available by reservation only, with a more refined menu and tables literally beside the water.
It feels as though the sea itself is inviting us to take a dip while we wait for the next course.
I Chira in Vravrona
Few people would probably have predicted that the little canteen that opened nearly 30 years ago on Vravrona Beach, just outside Loutsa, would eventually become one of Attica’s most cult-favorite meze restaurants.
I Chira, whose intriguing name naturally raises questions—it literally means “the widow”—won over the locals, became known to day-trippers, expanded and eventually turned into a proper restaurant, one worth visiting whether or not you plan to swim.
Alongside the classic meze—fried and grilled calamari, octopus, crisp anchovies, steamed mussels and the usual suspects—I Chira also serves raw preparations. That is compelling evidence that the fish here is genuinely caught fresh each day, and that the kitchen is not content to rely on easy solutions.
Its greatest strength, however, lies in its frying pan and its pots. The seafood pastas, prepared in several variations, are rich, mouthwatering and fragrant with the taste of the sea.
We would definitely order one for the table. Dishes like these are meant to be shared.
Giorgakis in Daskaleio
At virtually every seaside resort in Greece, whether on the mainland or on an island, you will find those classic tavernas that serve everything: meat and fish side by side.
Giorgakis, which has been operating since 1982 at Daskaleio’s first little harbor, is one of them.
But it stands out for two main reasons: the setting—magical, on an elevated terrace surrounded by pine trees overlooking the sea—and the food, deeply delicious without any particular fuss or elaborate culinary philosophy.
Simple flavors, good ingredients and talented hands in the kitchen. That is what Giorgakis has to offer, and that is why people who come to Keratea for a swim choose Daskaleio.
They know that afterward, once the sea has worked up an appetite, they can sit on Giorgakis’ little balcony with an ice-cold beer or a glass of ouzo and eat the best that the sea—or the land—has to offer.
Astakos in Glyfada
At Glyfada’s bright-white Second Marina, where fishermen set up their stalls displaying the freshest catch they hauled from their nets at dawn, you will find Astakos.
It is an attractive restaurant with a hint of island charm, from its wicker chairs to its light fixtures. The breeze carries the scent of the sea, while the tables stretch all the way to the beach pebbles.
The relaxed atmosphere in the dining room—especially at dusk, when we watch the sun go down and feel that we could stay here forever—is the perfect counterpoint to the fires burning in the kitchen, where the wood-fired oven is hard at work producing the restaurant’s star attraction: its impressive cooked dishes.
The time spent as head chefs by Angelos Bakopoulos and Aristotelis Zervas has left Astakos with great ideas and deep, satisfying flavors in dishes such as fricassee with fillet of meagre fish baked in a clay pot, and cabbage rolls with fish of the day and avgolemono, the classic Greek egg-and-lemon sauce.
A fantastic tuna tagliata is cooked over the fire—the tuna also appears in a tigania, a Greek-style skillet preparation—while children go crazy for the tiny fried calamari, which arrives piled high on the plate and is eaten like popcorn.
Bungalow 7 at Asteria Glyfada
Staying on the Athens Riviera, which has always been a favorite escape for Athenians whenever they feel the pull of the sea, we reach the Asteria area, which has enjoyed many glorious chapters throughout its long history on the Riviera.
We park the car and prepare for a completely different experience.
Bungalow 7 is a space unlike anything else in Athens. Inspired by the glamorous seaside residences of the Astir resort in years past, the restaurant sits literally over the sea. Huge glass windows blur the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, while the interiors resemble a modern country house, complete with a dining room, bedroom, living room and striking marble fireplace.
This may not be somewhere we can casually walk into wearing a swimsuit, but we certainly arrive in high spirits and ready to explore the menu created by chef Dinos Foteinakis.
It is a Mediterranean menu focused on fresh fish—raw or cooked—as well as premium cuts, exactly as one would expect from a good restaurant on the Athens Riviera.
Wine labels from both the Greek and international wine worlds, along with inventive cocktails by Dimitris Karapanos and Vasilis Sgouromallis, complete the experience, accompanied by the sounds of DJ sets held every Sunday lunchtime and on other occasions.
Krabo Beach in Vouliagmeni
The umbrellas on the beach at Zoska Bay in Kavouri say it better than we ever could: come here for your swim, and afterward you don’t even need to change.
With a pareo around us and saltwater dripping from our hair, we climb onto the wooden deck, settle onto a sun lounger or one of the sofas piled high with cushions, and enjoy the perfect summer setup.
Cool cocktails, lounge beats, beautiful people and a relaxed atmosphere—that is precisely what we need on a hot summer afternoon.
Created by architect Yagos Ayiostratitis, who is also a co-owner, Krabo has become, quite naturally, a classic summer destination on the Athens Riviera. Its appeal lies largely in the way it combines a cosmopolitan atmosphere and the convivial spirit of a gathering with friends with outstanding food.
The dishes overseen by Petros Fotinis, a trusted collaborator of Panagiotis Giakalis, who cooks for The Margi, are modern and imaginative, with a comforting quality that comes as a surprise.
Fresh fish of the day, grilled or raw, ribs and pasta, wonderful salads and classic appetizers with a twist round out a highly tempting menu.
But the absolute highlight—and a very good reason to keep coming back to Krabo—is the platter of fresh sea urchin with spicy gremolata.
We savor it slowly, with a glass of white wine in hand and our feet buried in the sand.
Ntelenia in Agia Marina, Lavrio
A little fish taverna unlike almost anything else you will find in Attica.
Not so much because of its location, aesthetics or atmosphere, but because of the most important thing of all: the flavor.
Yes, Ntelenia is right on the sea. At the far end of Agia Marina Beach, beneath the little chapel of Profitis Ilias in Lavrio, it has wooden tables covered with white paper tablecloths, white chairs, a reed canopy for shade and shallow water that is perfect for letting the children splash around until the first meze begin to arrive.
That is when the difference becomes clear.
Ntelenia serves the traditional seafood we have come to expect from settings like this, but cooks it in completely different ways.
The grilled prawns, for example, come with finely chopped marinated tomato that soaks into the flesh and gives them remarkable depth of flavor. Monkfish becomes a souvlaki. Octopus gets a sharp kick from capers. And so it goes.
There are, naturally, also exceptionally fresh fish of the day that go onto the grill, calamari that emerges from the fryer light and delicate, carefully conceived meze and dishes that reveal real inspiration and skill.
We said it: there is nowhere quite like Ntelenia.
Taverna 37 at Astir in Vouliagmeni
The day we decide to treat ourselves—or someone very dear to us—we will drive down the Athens Riviera, stop at Astir and take a dip at one of Attica’s most iconic beaches.
Celebrities from around the world have swum here. Legendary social stories have unfolded here, and undoubtedly there have been scenes that were sworn never to see the light of day.
Astir Vouliagmeni is a landmark for our city. And it is certainly more than just a beach.
Throughout its many chapters and its long history, Astir has always been synonymous with luxury. Gastronomy is an integral part of that luxury and of the overall experience offered by the ultra-luxurious Four Seasons.
Its culinary expression is Taverna 37, under the direction of award-winning chef Alexandros Koskinas. A native of Corfu, Koskinas draws on the sea and tradition as his culinary reference points.
There are, of course, touches of meat as well—you cannot really avoid them; a restaurant at Astir is expected to offer its guests every option. But the menu primarily plays with the freshness of seafood ingredients to create familiar, honest flavors, adding intensity and subtle touches that bring out their essence.
It also plays with the clichés of the Greek fish taverna. Appetizers arrive on a tray for diners to choose from—and they are so classic that we want to order every single one.
As the sun goes down and the sea takes on beautiful colors, we finish with ekmek—a traditional Greek dessert layered with pastry and cream, here served with ice cream—from the hands of pastry chef Michalis Chatzikalimeris.
And we say goodbye to Astir with the sweetest of smiles.
Koromilas in Agia Paraskevi
Let’s be honest: when we have made no plans and the temperature starts rising, the first thing we think about is putting on our swimsuits, getting into the car and heading for the nearest stretch of sea.
Loutsa, Rafina and Marathon are the safest choices in such cases. They have large beaches where we know we will find at least a little corner to spread out our towel and claim our share of coolness.
And afterward, returning from the sea with an appetite, nothing satisfies quite like a platter of thinly sliced, perfectly grilled lamb chops, accompanied by hand-cut fried potatoes and intensely garlicky tzatziki for an extra burst of flavor.
All this comes in the wonderful, cool courtyard of an old family-run taverna tucked away somewhere between Agia Paraskevi and Cholargos, known mainly to those in the know.
While everyone else, hungry and fresh from the beach, will make their way to some questionable seaside taverna, those who know better will get back into the car and drive a few extra kilometers to Koromilas.
They will settle at one of the tables spread across its gravel courtyard, beneath fig and olive trees that provide shade and extraordinary coolness, and indulge in a full-blown meat feast.
The owners come from Phthiotida, a region in central Greece, and that heritage is a guarantee of the quality of both the ingredients and the flavors.
Salads and appetizers are exactly what we know and expect, made with an assortment of fresh ingredients, homemade spreads and fried dishes that are crisp on the outside and light and fluffy inside.
They pave the way for an incredibly flavorful pork kontosouvli, a Roumeli-style kokoretsi that disappears in the blink of an eye, and a lovingly prepared skillet dish of liver and sweetbreads.
The homemade sausage is another absolute must.
And beyond the lamb chops, Koromilas is also famous for its steaks, which are enormous and wonderfully juicy.
In general, the meal here will not be light—quite the opposite. But when we arrive in our swimsuits, hungry after a day at the sea, we have earned the right to indulge.
