Food & Drinks in the City Center

Tylixto | Monastiraki

Here you may find one of the most delicious Gyros and Souvlaki Pitas in Athens. It is located on Aiolou Street near Monastiraki Square, where you can also find other various street delicacies.

Due to its popularity on social media, there is usually a queue in front and the service is slow.

Guarantee

This small corner shop owned by a family is a favorite of locals as well as tourists. They have a wide list of sandwiches and in addition to that you may customize your own from the high quality ingredients that are displayed under the counter and choose your bread among available sorts. The prices are fare for what they offer and the sandwiches are delicious. Try to avoid going there on the weekends as waiting times might be as long as half an hour. The proximity of it to the Acropolis makes it an ideal stop for breakfast before the hike up to the hill.

Karamanlidika

Karamanlidika, both a traditional charcuterie and a restaurant, is one of our favorite places to eat in the city center. In this restaurant, which was founded by a family who learned the traditional tastes from Cappadocian immigrants and brought these tastes to the Athenian restaurant scene. You may try various appetizers and delicatessen products, especially the appetizers called pastrami and pastourmas, as well as many other dishes prepared for the restaurant guests. On departure, you have the option to take some of their products with you, such as wine, cheese, salami and olive oil.

Krasopoulio tou Kokkora

This traditional Greek restaurant in Psyri offers nice food as well as a pleasant service and atmosphere full of memorabilia such as old advertisements, photos and radios etc. In addition to their Kebabs, we recommend their Colorful Salad served in a crispy Arabic pita.

Kotili

Although it is right in the middle of the touristic area and therefore you are guarantied to be treated as a tourist, the restaurant offers a nice atmosphere with live music and dance almost every night. The food is usually good and the prices are slightly higher than the others in this list, but normal for that area.

Restaurant Scholarhio

A nice family restaurant where you may order and try few different sharing plates of various Greek flavors. In our experience ordering 2 plates per person is ideal to dine here.

To Kafeneio

Another traditional Greek tavern with its authentic decor, delicious food and quality service. In addition to their regular menu consisting of Greek dishes with an often modern twist, they serve a few additional special dishes daily. After the meal, you have the option to try Rakomelo, a traditional drink hard to come by in other places. A reservation might be necessary at busy times.

A Little Taste of Home

This restaurant on a quieter street in the middle of the tourist area, offers middle eastern inspired international and well executed dishes. The prices are high compared to an average restaurant, but the chances are low here that you would get disappointed. They can inform you about the allergens and adapt the dishes accordingly, if possible. Only disadvantage of this restaurant is that some of the waiters insist to explain every detail of the dishes while serving, which might be disturbing for some.

Overoll

It is a place that makes various desserts, especially croissants. We recommend their croissants.

72H Artisanal Bakery

This recently opened artisanal bakery gets its name from the 72-hours rest period that they left the sourdough to ferment. The pastries are so flavorful and their croissants are the best we tried in Athens so far. The variety of the options depends on the season and time of the day you are visiting, but you are sure to find something that would interest you. Unfortunately due to its reputation there is usually a queue in front of it and the prices are high compared to similar places.

Django Gelato Athens

Fresh, natural gelato (Italian ice cream) with unique seasonal flavors.

Old Fashioned Bar

This is a small bar in Psyrri district, which is full of many other bars and restaurants. The reason that we especially like here is the friendly and fun attitude of the staff and the music preferences of the DJ who plays on weekdays, which consists of many classics as well as less known songs and it peaks with Bohemian Rhapsody that everyone in the bar sings with.

Brettos

A beautiful bar popular with tourists, that catches the eye with its decoration illuminated by colorful bottles. You can try their homemade (and often too sweet) liqueurs in countless variety or also homemade ouzos with different alcohol level and distillation properties, which are of very good quality.

Bios

A spacious terrace with lounge chairs where you can sit and enjoy a comfortable atmosphere, along with a distant view of the shimmering Acropolis, making it a beautiful bar to relax in. The terrace is only open in warmer months.