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Athens Restaurant Recommendations

First trip to Athens. Any restaurant or food recommendations. Prefer to stay away from touristy restaurants and dine with locals

Posted by
3961 posts

A couple of our favorite restaurants in Athens are Mani Mani and Psaras Taverna. We ate at Mani Mani 3 times. Both restaurants required reservations. We didn’t feel they were “touristy.” Edited to add: For a view of the Acropolis at night: Peacock Restaurant on rooftop of Hotel Hera.

Posted by
11034 posts

To Kati Allo-- Chatzichristou 12, Athens, Attica, Greece

On the 'back side' of the new Acropolis Museum

When we were there it was unusual to hear other customers speaking English.

Did a dinner and lunch( twice).

Posted by
11056 posts

Up the in the lovely Kolonaki residential neighborhood, above the Cycladic and Byzantine Museums, you will find a traditional Athenian urban taverna. Kafeneio, Loukianou 26, tel:2107237757. We ate outside, delicious food. We walked there and back from the Grand Bretagne.

Posted by
1573 posts

"For a view of the Acropolis at night: Peacock Restaurant on rooftop of Hotel Hera."

How was the food?? Or should I go there for just a drink?

Posted by
23178 posts

Forwarded to the Big Man ----

Posted by
7280 posts

Janis mentioned Mani Mani above, and that was our top place. We ate there twice, on the same trip. We were also staying a very short walk from there, south of the Acropolis.

Posted by
7280 posts

Food recommendations:

Fish, any time you can get it. Octopus is also a star - if it’s on the menu, it should be on your plate!

For breakfast, plan on plain Greek yogurt, and load it up with fresh fruit.

Posted by
3961 posts

@Bob, regarding Peacock Rooftop at our hotel- the cuisine was okay. That said the meal didn’t compare to Mani Mani.

Posted by
1016 posts

We were underwhelmed by To Kati Allo, despite the recommendations in RS guides and this forum. But it is authentic and "local."

Our favourite in Athens was frankly touristy, but in a good way. Greek folk music, grape vines. Its called Geros Tou Moria and its on the Mniskleous Steps, between the Acropolis and Monastiraki. Here is the Google Map: https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Geros+Tou+Moria+Restaurant/@37.9732851,23.7277227,21z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x14a1bd3d4f8f12bb:0x17466327c0a7d24d!2sMnisikleous,+Athina+105+56,+Greece!3b1!8m2!3d37.9743238!4d23.7283477!3m4!1s0x14a1bd17f8fd55c9:0x9ae5fa11788cb99d!8m2!3d37.9733!4d23.7278?hl=en

Posted by
245 posts

From 2018 trip: Athinaikon Restaurant at Mitropoleos 34 . Swanky, a locals favorite, great service & food - reservations mandatory. Central Athens Hotel at Apollonos 21 - not the cheapest but far better than the price would indicate. Included breakfast great. Rooftop cafe limited menu but very good with a good view.

Posted by
7280 posts

With a Michelin Star, and absolutely the most welcoming staff and the most relaxing atmosphere in Athens - plus amazing food, too - we had a wonderful dinner at Botrini’s in 2018. It was very reasonably priced, for a Michelin restaurant.

Here’s an article about Athens Michelin restaurants - Botrini’s is the final one in the story, so I’d say they saved the best for last.
https://www.thisisathens.org/restaurants/fine-dining/michelin-star-restaurants

Posted by
3551 posts

I also highly recommend Mani Mani. Fabulous sous. vide entrees. Easy to find but up the stairs.
Reasonable price with high quality ingredients.

Posted by
1117 posts

Prefer to stay away from touristy restaurants and dine with locals

The farther you move away from the Acropolis and Plaka, the less touristy you will get. :-)

I am generally all for "restaurants where the locals go", but in Athens, I am not so sure if that will work.

Posted by
3183 posts

Well our favorite meals were definitely not gourmet. We loved getting a gyro and a beer for 2.50 euros. A bargain! We have tried getting a gyro here in US after getting back and none of them can compare. And the price, at least triple!
We ate at Mani Mani twice. It was good, but not excellent.

Posted by
12 posts

We have been in Greece 2-1/2 weeks now. We stayed in Athens for 4 nights in the Psiri neighborhood. If you like meat, including gyros, go to Aischylou Tavern Grill House on the back streets. It's delicious, funky, a lot of locals. We also enjoyed Rick's recommended Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani, a cheese and meat deli near the central market with a restaurant attached and above. It seemed to us that Psiri was less touristy than the Plaka and Syntagma Square area.