TOP 10 RESTAURANTS in ATHENS | Greek Food Guide

welcome to athens greece the cradle of western civilization birthplace of democracy but more importantly home to some of the best food you'll ever eat from mouth-watering meats and ultra-comforting to burna food to flaky pastries and delectable desserts athens has a spot for everyone visiting the greek capital greek food may be overshadowed by its more popular southern mediterranean neighbors but we firmly believe that it's one of the best cuisines in the world so today we've compiled 10 incredible places for you to eat in athens obviously there's only so much a short visit to this beautiful city can reveal but we hope you find this list useful nonetheless so let's get started [Music] let's start this list with some classic greek baked goods at mom which is a great way to start your morning they're especially famous for their cheese pie which is simple yet so good to snack on we really love the ultralight filo pastries that they use on their pies and it's impossible to eat without making a mess just because of how buttery and flaky these pasties are of course we couldn't leave without getting your iconic spanakopita or spinach pie as well as other treats such as a beef pie a spinach and feta pocket called kuru and this incredible pugatsu pashi with a light custard icing sugar and cinnamon powder which i could honestly down a handful for breakfast i do feel like those breakfast pies aren't complete without a coffee so here's a great coffee spot not too far from mam called taft coffee it's a very cool artisan coffee shop that sells both modern and traditional drinks i just love coffee bars like these that source their beans ethically and really have a passion for the craft of coffee making [Music] next up what trip to athens isn't complete without a meal at one of the many traditional greek tavernas the wonderful taverna saita in the popular placa neighborhood is the perfect introduction to comforting greek cooking and we were blown away by the amazing food and hospitality here too we started the meal off with their house white wine and some greek coffee of course then moving on to some nice fried zucchini balls with tzatziki and a comforting spinach pie that the owner's grandma actually baked that day the greek taverna classic of stuffed cabbage leaves were some bundles of joy the grilled squid was bouncy and fresh and the veal stew was flaky tender and tasty my favorite dish was the fried salt cod served with scordalia which is a greek garlic and potato dip which honestly wasn't a surprise considering i fell in love with every salt cod dish we had in our europe trip we ended our feast with what is probably the best greek tradition of free dessert after meal because this orange cake made with filo pastry soaked in an orange syrup was probably one of the best cakes we've ever had in our lives this was our first meal in athens and we couldn't think of a better first impression next stop is krinos just outside the very iconic athens central market this iconic spot is known as one of the og's for lucomates or greek donuts and have been serving them since 1923 you can choose from a variety of toppings and flavors but we obviously had to try the plain donuts with this golden syrup they pour on with this wooden stick like a syrupy syrupy golden shower no wait no no not that golden shower the donuts themselves are equally crispy as they are fluffy and light and of course they pair perfectly with some coffee also this might be a bit of a faux pas but we also dipped their spanakopita into the remaining syrup which honestly a very alpha move to be clear we didn't get the spanakopita specifically for this purpose but make sure to add kinos to your athens food bucket list greece is very well known for its pitas gyros and meats and you can get all of that and more at othanasus which is a popular spot right next to syntagma square there is one dish in particular that is the epitome of ugly delicious late night smashed out of your mind cooking and that is the yogurtloo special plate it's a mound of grilled meat drenched with their delicious tomato sauce and yogurt over a bed of very spongy pita that has soaked all the juices and sauces that make for a very heavenly bite i mean how can you say no to this we even got a pork yellow platter with some flavorful shavings of charred meat and of course a pizza wrap for good measure oh and also you remember that cat i would just stay beside our tables waiting to be fed begging for food oh yes i do i just want to point out that one of my favorite things about athens is the millions of cats we encountered and stopped to pet so cute oh wait there's a cat right here a bit of a chunky girl though girl othanasis is a massive restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating but even this legendary spot fills up quick and judging from their delicious food it's easy to see why i love juicy greek meat oh wait that didn't sound right anyway next stop is sisteria toa which is a short bus ride from the center of athens this is the ultimate meat lover's destination a vegan's haunted house if you will they've got a variety of grilled meats to choose from whether it's sausages lamb pork or beef then it comes to your table in what can only be described as a literal archaeological dig site of grilled greek meats with a mound of fries and bread to top it all off just look at the sheer protein density of this platter how can any sane person think no no i'm not somewhat turned on by the side of this let's start with my highlight which was this juicy and meaty greek sausage called luca nico then some succulent barbecue pork some smokey pork tenderloin and finally you must order the iconic kokoretsi which looks like some michelin man looking meat but it's actually lamb intestine wrapped around some awful which may not be for everyone but you might as well try it when you're already in athens also make sure to get a mandatory greek salad decide because we are all about health and balance here at locavore cysteria taurinio was definitely one of our greatest food experiences in athens [Music] okay that's enough meat for now so here's a great seafood spot in the city neighborhood which fittingly enough is called atlanticos but first you gotta wet your appetite with a traditional greek spirit called ozo and clear your sinuses with some grilled chilies which caught my brother here off guard because the spice went up his throat then moving on to some super crispy fried prawns and anchovies that are so good to snack on which also go perfectly with a squeeze of lemon finally their sea bass was so simple but pure with some very flaky and sweet flesh and of course you can't go without ordering this massive hunk of fried and battered cod with our beloved scordalia of course and i mean just look at how juicy and flaky this fish is it's no surprise athenians dish out amazing seafood being a coastal city and all and atlanticos is one of the best spots in central athens to get some delicious seafood [Music] okay back to the meat department we have a legendary pita spot called lefties of politis near ammonia square but before we start i just want to say throughout the grease trip i caught myself calling every meat rap a giro but as a lot of you have pointed out air only exclusively refers to meat cooked and shaved from those vertical rotisserie spins that's that's been around you know which brings me to left it is hippolytus which specializes in both souvlaki and tsutsoki pita souvlaki being meat grilled on a skewer and sutsoki which is a type of sausage you can see the grilling action right in front of you and the heavenly aromas of the grill linger in the small room as you wait for your pita i got a spicy souvlaki pita with double meat of course which is encased in a pillowy soft pita and filled with a good helping of veggies for freshness the spice was just right and i mean greek pitas are just one of the ultimate street foods of the world and how can you not take a bite and not fall in love let's go back to athens central market and into epidis tavern it's a cozy taverna serving even cozier food you choose your food from the counter but they're most well known for their tripe and beef leg soup i'm not a trying person myself but my brother here definitely is but i can appreciate the rustic and comforting simplicity of this dish the kind staff also mentioned that this and the beef leg soup are very healthy for you because of all the collagen and i mean just by looking at the very gelatinous beef leg you can tell you're gonna get a natural shot of botox adding vinegar and chili to this dish is also a must there are also heaps of other great dishes such as this refreshing marinated anchovy dish that just melted in your mouth some classic greek salad could help and these super comforting greek meatball spice with a touch of cumin and doused with this luscious tomato sauce also yes they do free dessert after the meal and we got some greek halva that day which was really nice and i think free dessert after every meal should be normalized in every country from now on [Music] okay this spot might be overdone and over recommended by literally everyone who's been to athens but for good reason because i cannot recommend deporto underground restaurant enough i know the term hidden gem and hole in the wall may be overused a lot but if there was any dictionary definition this restaurant is it you walk down a graffiti infested building with no signage whatsoever and into the most charming space filled with massive wine barrels and a few tables the charismatic and kind chef who runs the restaurant cooks a variety of different dishes each day and he shows you his specialties for the day uncovering each pot filled with greek culinary treasures but first you need to start your meal with their house wine of course which you can actually pour yourself straight from the massive wine barrels next we dug into some simple grilled sardines greek salad because old habits die hard and this incredible fava dip made with yellow split peas this velvety dip was one of the highlights of the meal moving on to some gigantes or giant greek beans a black eyed peas stew and a rustic greek beef stew with orzo pasta we could really tell both our souls and bodies were being nourished by this meal because this is literally some of the most comforting food that we've ever had in our lives but wait we're not done because we even got some free apples dusted with cinnamon for dessert this was probably our favorite meal in athens not only for the great food but also for the incredible and warm greek hospitality that we experienced during our meal here finally we end our list with some dessert at lucomares that serve well lucomares it's in such a convenient location right in the heart of central athens that we actually ended up going three times unlike clio's earlier on the list lucomares leans more on the modern side of the greek donut spectrum and isn't afraid to serve a ton of different delicious flavors and combinations these donuts are guaranteed to be fresh out of the fryer and you also can't help but be mesmerized as they fry fill and top these golden balls with all sorts of heavenly creams and sauces one day we got a thick bugatti cream and a smooth pistachio praline which honestly was so elite i even decided to experiment with this interesting feta filled and chili pepper honey coated flavor which is a massive feta cheese balm so get this if you're feeling like a savory donut on another day the dulce de leche with its to die for sauce and the subtle but pleasantly citrusy orangey cream just spoke to our very souls it's hard not to enjoy lucomates and honestly we would have gone here more if we just stayed at athens just a little bit longer so that does it for our list but if you've seen any of our other top 10 videos you know we love to slip in a few honorable mentions here and there because it's so impossible to make a definitive list of the best places to eat well well in any city so here they are tocati alo is another great greek taverna serving delicious home style cooking you'll find your taverna staples such as musaka fish soup and stuffed zucchini this is also a great spot if you're near the acropolis museum as it's just a few steps away oh and also if my boy rick steves recommends it then you know this place is good hi i'm rick steves nancy sweethome is another great dessert spot situated in the city neighborhood of central athens you can make an impossible choice from their cabinet display of decadent greek desserts such as greek nefe ekmek cake and of course baklava pair it with some greek coffee even if it's late at night and then you've got the perfect dessert moment finally costas is another legendary pita spot in central athens they've got a concise pita menu of either a kalamaki grilled skewer pita or burger pita you can do what i did and get a burger pita with a separate skewer for the best of both worlds filled with veggies fries and everything nice this is another spot you need to add onto your athens pita list so that about does it for this video we obviously couldn't include every fantastic eatery but do let us know down in the comments what are your favorite spots today in athens are there any places we missed out on we'd love to know also you can check out our full grease playlist over in our channel if you want a more in-depth look of all the fantastic food we ate and also all the cool activities we got up to anyway guys we hope you found this video useful athens is an incredible city and we have the most wonderful time visiting i'm sure you will have a great time as well anyway guys see you on the next video bye

Channel: Locavore Eats

Views: 325,627

Keywords: food tour, food vlog, food trip, travel vlog, travel guide, food guide, greece, greek food, top 10, restaurants, athens, gyros, pita, greek taverna, must eat places

Id: EJL5xA5Av0Q

Length: 13min 57sec (837 seconds)

Published: Wed May 04 2022