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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 15 January, 2023
Expert travel writer: John Malathronas

Athens is famous for the diversity of its culinary offerings; from simple ouzerias, where meze are served with glasses of ouzo, to Michelin-starred restaurants showcasing the New Greek Creative Cuisine, which serves traditional dishes with a contemporary twist.

What to try 

Street food is one of the city’s major culinary pleasures; snack on souvlaki (meat skewers with pita bread), various pittes (filo pastry pies) such astyropittes (cheese pies) spanakopittes (spinach pies) or zambonopites (ham pies), and koulouria (dough rings with sesame seeds, sometimes stuffed).

For a sweet treat, try loukoumades (deep-fried dough rings with cinnamon and honey) – they’re the city’s favourite.

Although snubbed by many, try the local retsina wine, an Attica staple since ancient times.

Also see John’s round-up of traditional Greek foods you must try in Greece.

The dining scene

For the full spectrum of culinary experiences, try one of the small tavernas in Koukaki or Petralona, a fish taverna at Mikrolimano in Piraeus, and one of the more expensive restaurants at Chalandri or Kifissia.

For more upscale eating, chefs such as Lefteris Lazarou – the first Michelin-starred chef in Greece – and Ettorie Botrini are the hottest tickets in town. For the ultimate culinary treat, Spondi was the first two-starred Michelin establishment in Greece.

Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience

Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -
Patrons of Brettos bar smile at the camera. The bar behind them is lined with rows of multicoloured bottles up to the ceiling
Experience

Brettos

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

Pop into Brettos, the oldest distillery in Athens, for a shot of ouzo or mastic liqueur. The cosy interior, lined with multi-coloured bottles and barrels, dates from 1909.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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Frozen Yogurt served with topping with fruit and chocolate in paper white cup, on wooden counter
Experience

Fresko

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

Before you visit the Acropolis, cross from the metro exit to Fresko (Dionysiou Areopagitou 3) and order a tub of frozen Greek yoghurt with fresh fruit.

Best for ages: 4+ | Free

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Mikrolimano
Experience

Mikrolimano

Mikrolimano, Central Greece, Greece

An amphitheatric harbour – and the best-looking spot in Piraeus – with shoulder-to-shoulder fish tavernas where you can taste the day’s catch.

Best for ages: 18+ | Free

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A Greek souvlaki made with pita
Experience

O Kostas

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

As you walk around Monastiraki, pass by Plateia Eirinis and join the queue outside Kostas, the most famous hole-in-the-wall souvlaki-seller in Athens, with its secret-recipe tomato sauce.

Best for ages: 13+ | Free

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Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Small-Group Athens Food Walk

Small-Group Athens Food Walk

Athens

Join us on a delicious journey around Athens through 4 of the city’s most foodie neighbourhoods to experience Greek gastronomy. Our small-gr...

€49 | Rating 4.93 / 5 [272 ratings]

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Athens Street Food Walk

Athens Street Food Walk

Athens

Immerse yourself in the best Greek street food while exploring Athens and hanging out where the locals do, ending with a final amazing photo...

€49 | Rating 4.98 / 5 [56 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Athens Small-Group Food Tour

Athens Small-Group Food Tour

Athens

Walk along the historic streets of Athens while indulging in traditional Greek cuisine. This tour allows you to savor a wide variety of loca...

€55 | Rating 4.87 / 5 [585 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

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Athens Street Culture & Food, off-the-beaten path, afternoon

Athens Street Culture & Food, off-the-beaten path, afternoon

Athens

- 3h duration, starting & ending point at a centrally located metro station, Kerameikos station (blue line) - Small-group tour, limited to 1...

€55 | Rating 4.87 / 5 [57 ratings]

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Tour supplied by:

Viator Logo

Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first

Athens4

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

A modest, excellent-value hotel, superbly sited for the Monastiraki nightlife and with comfortable, family-friendly suites.

Official star rating:

COCO-MAT Hotel

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

An informal, welcoming hotel with a home-from-home feel and wonderful Acropolis views from the leafy roof terrace.

Official star rating:

Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

One of the most glamorous resorts on the Athens Riviera, this hotel occupies a pine-clad peninsula with its own private beach and promenade.

Official star rating:

Hotel Asomaton

Athens, Central Greece, Greece

A new art-focused hotel with a lovely rooftop pool and terrace, bringing a New York city buzz to one of Athens’ oldest neighbourhoods.

Official star rating:

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Athens

Central Greece, Greece

Antiquities galore, contemporary culture, scintillating nightlife and fantastic food: there’s something for everyone in Greece’s cosmopolitan capital that’s continuously reinventing itself.

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