Top Foods To Try in Athens in 2024

Athens is certainly the most fascinating destination if you love history and culture. On the other hand, it is a great choice for food lovers. In this big city, you will find many types of restaurants and you will enjoy different types of dishes. So, go on reading and find out the top foods to try in Athens.

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Best Foods To Try In Athens

Spending your holidays in Athens means visiting museums and enjoying the Greek sun but also tasting delicious dishes. Above all, in Athens, you will have the chance to try foods and dishes from all over Greece. To clarify, there are many restaurants offering gyros and souvlaki, seafood, Cretan dishes, etc. That is to say, most of the restaurants try to offer you a special food experience and let you meet Greece’s different cuisines.

10. Bougatsa

Bougatsa is certainly the best idea to start your day. It is one of the most delicious breakfast dishes. It is actually something like a pie filled either with cream, cheese, or minced meat. So, either you prefer sweet flavors or salty ones, there are both to choose from.

Above all, a great place to enjoy bougatsa is Creme Royale. There is certainly a variety of delicious foods of that type. Here, you can also enjoy your favorite coffee. Remember that in Greece, we love enjoying coffee time, so you don’t need to be in a hurry.

Address: Athinas, 37

Hours: Monday – Saturday 7 am – 3:30 pm & Sunday Closed

9. Antikristo

Antikristo is a dish coming from Cretan cuisine. If you love eating lamb, then antikristo is the best choice for you who are going to visit Crete. Antikristo means “opposite”. To clarify, the way that Cretans cook antikristo is tο make a pit in the soil to light a fire and place small lambs in a circle on the spit and facing each other.

Of course, it is a bit difficult to find such dishes in Athens. However, there is a great tavern where you can taste authentic antikristo dishes. In the heart of Athens, you will find the tavern “I Kriti” – which actually means “The Crete”. So, here you will certainly taste Cretan cuisine.

Address: Veranzeroy, 5

Hours: Monday – Saturday 12:15 pm – 12 am & Sunday Closed

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8. Mousaka

You can’t leave Greece without tasting traditional mousaka. As you may already know, mousaka is a really delicious plate based on eggplants and minced meat. Summer is the best season to try this dish accompanied by a glass of cold beer.

In Athens, you are going to find several taverns and restaurants that offer this traditional dish. One of my favorites is Arcadia Restaurant. Here, you will find different types of mousaka, even its vegan version.

Address: Makrygianni, 23-27

Hours: Monday – Friday & Sunday 12 pm – 11:30 pm | Saturday 11 am – 11:30 pm

7. Spaghetti With Shrimps

Of course, Spaghetti With Shrimps isn’t another traditional Greek dish, as you can certainly enjoy it in many other countries. However, if you choose seafood like this, you will have the chance to taste fresh Greek seafood.

One of the best restaurants to try spaghetti with shrimps is certainly Rakor Restaurant. This is one of the coolest modern restaurants in the center of Athens where you will taste traditional foods in a gourmet and modern way.

Address: Plateon, 10

Hours: Monday – Thursday 1:30 pm – 12 am, Friday – Saturday 1 pm – 12:30 am & Sunday 12 pm – 11 pm

6. Soups

If you are planning to visit Athens in the winter, for example during the Christmas holidays, then an ideal food option in Athens is soup. Above all, you will certainly find different types of soups, and this is the difficult part; to choose the best soup dish for you.

Most important, you will easily find different restaurants to taste traditional and gourmet soups. Where I like to spend time in the winter is in Salero Restaurant. Here, you will find some really fantastic soups! Moreover, if you are going to visit Athens during the Christmas holidays, you can also check our “Complete Guide To Spending in Athens“.

Address: Valtetsiou, 51

Hours: 12 pm – 12 am | Daily

5. Loukoumades With Honey

After your lunch, in the afternoon, you can taste some loukoumades with honey. Loukoumades are a light dessert made with sugar, lemon, honey, flour, and cornflour. They are like donuts but they aren’t filled with anything.

Some people like adding also cinnamon and sesame while others prefer to accompany them with some chocolate. So, it’s up to you to decide what you prefer out of these two options. Lukumades is certainly my favorite spot in Athens.

Address: Aeolou, 21 & Agias Irinis Str

Hours: Monday – Thursday 8 am – 1 am, Friday – Saturday 8 am – 2 am & Sunday 9 am – 1 am

4. Giaourtlou

Giaourtlou is actually a kebab with yogurt. It is certainly a very delicious dish and cool enough because of the yogurt. To clarify, kebab and yogurt are an excellent combination to balance hot and cold flavors.

Above all, giaourtlou is another dish that you will easily find in Athens’ taverns and restaurants. In some way, it is similar to souvlaki; that popular. That is to say, you can choose among numerous restaurants to try giaourtlou, for example, Alficon.

Address: Ironda, 8

Hours: Tuesday – Friday 7 pm – 12 am, Saturday – Friday 2 pm – 12 am & Monday Closed

3. Soutzoukakia

Soutzoukakia is one of the most adorable dishes for locals in Athens. This food actually is like meatballs but with tomato sauce and it is accompanied either by chips or rice. Above all, it is a filling food. So, you can choose this for lunch especially if aren’t used to having dinner.

In Athens, there are several restaurants that offer soutzoukakia. So, you can try this dish with a green salad. It is a really tasty combination. If you are around Plaka, then choose Anaphiotika Cafe – Restaurant.

Address: Mnisikleous, 24B

Hours: 8 am – 6 am | Daily

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2. Gemista

Above all, gemista is a very popular food among Greeks. That is to say, almost everyone likes gemista. To clarify, this food is actually tomatoes and pepper plants filled either with rice or minced meat.

The ideal season to try this food is in the summer. That is to say, we serve this food cold as it is much more delicious. If you want to try gemista, the Taverna Rozalia is what you need. Finally, don’t forget to ask for a feta dish to make a super combination.

Address: Valtetsiou, 59

Hours: 12 pm – 1 am | Daily

1. Souvlaki

Above all, I couldn’t miss out on the most popular Greek food, souvlaki. You can taste souvlaki in every single place in Greece. Most important, according to dieticians, souvlaki is a full meal.

So, if you are a bit hungry at night, you can choose to eat souvlaki. You can buy it quickly and you are going to eat it easily by hand like a sandwich. You can choose among pork, chicken, or kebab, accompanied with a can of Greek beer. Hoocut is here for you.

Address: Agias Irinis Square, 9

Hours: Tuesday – Thursday & Sunday 12:30 pm – 11:30 pm, Friday – Saturday 12:30 pm – 12 am, Monday Closed