How to Eat Your Way Through Athens Like a Tourist

We have all been there. A friend from abroad—or even from another Greek city—sends a message: “I’m coming to Athens. Where should I eat?” And that is where things get difficult. Because we do not simply want to recommend the most famous places. We want to show them the Athens we love.

The Athens that smells of freshly baked cheese pie in the morning, where we stop for coffee without rushing, where after a swim we eat fried calamari by the sea, sip a spritz just before sunset, watch an open-air film beneath the Acropolis and end the night with an ice cream cone in Koukaki.

So, if we had to create the ultimate food-filled route for someone who wants to discover the city through its food rather than a cookie-cutter travel guide, it might look something like this.

For a hearty Greek breakfast

If there is one place that proves a Greek breakfast can be an experience in its own right, it is Akra in Pangrati. From early morning, the display counter fills with the aroma of bread baked fresh every day using flour sourced from small producers across Greece, while the selection changes with the seasons and the ingredients available.

We do not leave without trying the famous pepper pie with graviera cheese and a soft-cooked egg, or the rooster sandwich with mustard-pickle mayonnaise, graviera and tomato—two of the firm favorites among the regulars.

See more

Another must is the ladenia, a traditional Greek flatbread topped with tomato, mizithra cheese and a soft-cooked egg. For the more traditional among us, fried eggs with apaki—a smoked, cured pork from Crete—and potatoes are just the thing. The frying pan will be working overtime.

We can take our goodies to go or sit down and take our time, embracing a philosophy built around pure ingredients, clean flavors and the idea that, in the end, less is more is the most delicious recipe of all.

For Greek coffee and homemade cheese pie

From Pangrati, we head downhill towards Vouliagmeni, because as much as we love modern coffee shops, a properly made Greek coffee never loses its appeal.

Aqua Marina takes us back to the summers of the 1970s, to the golden age when this iconic corner pastry shop was at the height of its fame and fashionable Athens passed through its tables every day.

Even today, all these years later, Greek coffee is prepared with care. The famous cheese pie baked in a tray is made every morning with fresh ingredients and warmed in a sandwich press until crisp on the outside and deliciously juicy inside.

And if we are suddenly in the mood for something sweet, the display cases conceal little treasures from the old-school urban pastry tradition: serano, almond cake, snow-white cream pastries, Viennese pastries and the beloved “little mouse.”

We do not leave without trying the Chicago ice cream, the shop’s signature specialty.

For seaside snacking

Let’s forget organized beaches for a while. If we want to show someone how Athenians actually spend a summer day by the sea, we take them to A’ Limanakia in Vouliagmeni, a series of rocky coves and swimming spots along the coast.

And since we have made it all the way to Limanakia, there is an unwritten rule: we do not leave hungry.

Before heading down to the rocks, a stop at Lefteris’ Canteen is part of the summer ritual. Since 1969, it has been serving coffee, ice-cold beers and everything needed for a full day by the sea—from toasties and sandwiches to chilled soft drinks and ice cream.

After that, nature takes center stage. Turquoise waters, rocks that become our sun loungers and tiny coves emerging as we walk along the coastline. It is one of those places that reminds us that we do not need much to have a perfect summer day.

Just a towel, good company and a stop at Lefteris’.

For fried calamari after a swim

Has the swim worked up an appetite? Sardelaki in Vouliagmeni is one of those places that is hard to forget.

See more

The tables look out over the sea. Reservations are not accepted, but the wait is part of the experience. Is it worth it? More than worth it. Because good things take time.

The highlight is the fried baby calamari, a rare delicacy that is difficult to find elsewhere, with a crisp coating and a flavor that tastes unmistakably of summer and lemon.

Another particularly lovely touch is that all the appetizers arrive together as a welcome on one enormous platter, allowing us to pick whichever one takes our fancy.

For an afternoon spritz

After the sea, Athens changes pace. The sun begins to sink, the heat becomes more bearable and an ice-cold spritz feels almost mandatory.

Drupes Spritzeria in Koukaki has managed to bring a little of Italy’s effortless, easygoing spirit to the heart of Athens.

See more

Spritzes start at €6, accompanied by authentic Italian cured meats and cheeses, music that instantly puts us in holiday mode, and one of the city’s most distinctive settings: instead of conventional tables, parked Vespas double as stands for our drinks.

Cheers!

For Instagram-worthy photos and dinner beneath the best sunset

Because every visit to another city requires souvenirs, what could be better than real-time photographs capturing the good moments as they happen?

There are countless places to enjoy the sunset in Athens. Far fewer combine the view with a genuinely good dinner.

Prasini Tenta on Mount Lycabettus is one of them. The city literally stretches out at our feet, the sky changes color minute by minute, and the only thing left to decide is what to order.

See more

The menu revolves around contemporary Mediterranean flavors, with refreshing salads, carefully prepared meat and seafood dishes, as well as cocktails that perfectly complement the setting.

It is the kind of place we initially choose for the view, but return to for the food.

And with that… we have our shot.

For traditional Greek home cooking

If we want to show someone what a real Greek mageireio—a traditional, home-style Greek cooked-food restaurant—means, Pandora in Koukaki is one of the first addresses that comes to mind.

There are no reinvented recipes here, nor elaborate plating. Instead, there are gemista—vegetables stuffed with rice and herbs—ladera, vegetables cooked slowly in olive oil, home-style casseroles and stews, and all those dishes we enjoyed as children on Sunday afternoons, hoping there would be leftovers so we could pick at them again the next day.

See more

The portions are generous, the flavors authentic, and the atmosphere recalls the family table that always has room for one more friend and one more plate.

For hot, crisp galaktoboureko

Some desserts can be eaten at any time of year and at any hour of the day. Galaktoboureko, the classic Greek custard pastry, is certainly one of them.

See more

At Plyta in Pangrati, it is served exactly as it should be: hot, with crisp layers of filo pastry that shatter satisfyingly with every bite, rich custard and just enough syrup—without becoming heavy.

It is no coincidence that it took more than 15 attempts to arrive at the recipe they serve today.

And while the food is excellent, there are plenty of people who come back for one reason alone: a whole tray of this galaktoboureko.

We cannot blame them.

For open-air cinema

If there is one summer experience we would recommend to every visitor to Athens, it is an open-air cinema.

And if we had to choose just one, it would be hard not to settle on Cine Paris.

In the heart of Plaka, Athens’ historic neighborhood beneath the Acropolis, the ancient monument seems almost to become part of the screen, giving every screening an extra touch of cinematic magic.

Of course, the film is only half the experience. The other half is waiting at the bar.

Here, we can forget the usual cinema snacks and accompany the movie with a refreshing cocktail—the Cine Paris Spritz is one of the standouts—or explore more unusual spirits and quality labels.

For hungry cinephiles, the food goes well beyond the usual. There are hot dogs with crispy onions, pizza, breaded salmon bites, truffle chips with honey mustard, and caramelized popcorn that is particularly difficult to share.

After the end credits roll, nobody at Cine Paris seems to be in a hurry to leave.

And perhaps that is the most Athenian characteristic of all.

For ice cream at the foot of the Acropolis

The hardest decision of the evening is not which movie to watch. It is which ice cream to choose.

And Dolce Far Niente makes that decision even harder.

Small, elegant and unmistakably Italian in style, it makes fresh gelato every day in flavors that leave us facing a very sweet dilemma.

See more

If we are traditionalists, there is excellent chocolate, strawberry and pistachio. But if we like to experiment, our cup can hold velvety ricotta, aromatic limoncello and bitter almond, as well as apple pie or yogurt, peach and apricot.

The only certainty? One scoop will hardly be enough.

Just a few steps away, Django has built up a devoted following thanks to its authentic artisanal gelato, made daily from natural ingredients.

See more

Classic flavors sit alongside more creative choices, but they all share the same qualities: intense flavor, the right texture and the unmistakable sense that they have been made with great care.

Among its signature flavors are Fior di Latte, Crema Catalana with a caramelized crust, and the distinctive smoked hazelnut.

If we prefer something more refreshing, the seasonal fruit sorbets are always an excellent choice.

There is even peanut butter sorbet.

For ice cream overlooking the Athenian Riviera

And because summer is no time to put limits on pleasure, our next stop brings us to yet another ice cream—this time right by the sea.

In Vouliagmeni, overlooking Laimos and the Athenian Riviera, sits one of the city’s best-loved ice cream parlors, with a following that borders on fanatical.

The display at Waffle House is a genuine temptation, with countless flavors and even more options for syrups, nuts and toppings.

From chocolate with Mavrodaphne, the sweet Greek red wine, and Greek Islands Chocolate, to Choco Oreo Mascarpone Espresso, refreshing raspberry sorbet and tropical pineapple-coconut, there are flavors here that venture far beyond the ordinary.

Classic, unusual, adventurous—whatever we happen to be craving, it is already waiting for us.