Two Greek-food chefs recently walked The Guardian through their Athens, and the resulting list reads less like a tourist map and more like a local's cheat sheet — heavy on old-school market tavernas, cheap gyros and low-key wine bars, with a handful of new-wave kitchens mixed in.
Start with coffee. Both chefs name Anana as their regular spot, though Behold The Man in Exarchia gets the cool points — great music and coffee in a neighbourhood famous for its rebellious, anti-establishment streak. The freddo espresso, shaken over ice, is described as Greece's national coffee now.
For the classic Athens experience, it's hard to beat Diporto near the central market: cash only, handwritten orders, giant wine barrels, and no wine list at all — they simply set down wine and water alongside slow-braised chickpeas, beans and whatever fish came in that morning. Nearby, Ipiros inside the meat market does hangover-curing tripe soup and slow-cooked pots from around 10.30am. Those who land at the airport head straight out to Kalyvia for Taverna To Trigono (or its rival Christoforos), where spit-roast lamb, chops and offal come with lemon, oregano and zero fuss — packed at weekends, quieter midweek.
New-wave Athens looks strong too. Linou Soumpasis & Sia is called the most forward-thinking restaurant in the city, maybe Greece — a refined seafood take on humble cooking, in a stripped-back room. Pharaoh (vegetables, fermented wheat), Ateno (Greek salad, stuffed vegetables, mushroom and egg fries) and Ex Machina (chilled fried saganaki, ever-changing seafood broth) also earn repeat visits, while Akra pairs rustic savoury plates with startlingly technical pastries.
Seafood people have options: Travolta, old-school and London-oyster-bar in feel, serves big crudo plates and a tableside prawn and squid skewer — expect to pay, since fish is pricey in Greece. Iodio near Kolonaki is the elevated pick, with a standout raw fish dish under crisp rice paper and warm avgolemono sauce.
Cheap eats are the heart of it. Achilleas in Neos Kosmos still makes its own rotisserie meat for gyros; Hoocut in the centre does a chopped, twice-cooked version; Mandraki in Kaisariani grills spits late into the night, open until about 2am, cheap and often sold out. For rotisserie feasts, Psitopoleio Peloponnhsos does big-format souvla including lamb heads.
Wine-wise, look for light and bright: Assyrtiko is the obvious choice, and Vidiano is the grape worth discovering — crisp, easygoing but with real complexity. Wine bars to note: Wine is Fine, Tanini Agapi Mou and Epta Martyres. For cocktails, Line Athens is molecular and worth staying all night, and The Bar in Front of the Bar hides an even cooler speakeasy, Rumble in the Jungle, behind a second door. Then there's shopping: the central fish and meat markets, charcuterie at Miran, and Saturday farmers' markets — the one around Exarchia is singled out.
For anyone who'd rather eat their way through a city than tick off sights, this is a ready-made itinerary — one part tradition, one part new wave, and heavy on dishes you can't get at home.
