Athens dining now spans classic Greek seafood, neighborhood meze, creative wine-bar cooking, and some of Europe’s most ambitious fine dining. This countdown balances destination restaurants, local favorites, and chef-driven rooms that show the range of the modern Greek capital.
#10 Cerdo Negro 1985
Cuisine: Mediterranean / Spanish-influenced
Neighborhood: Kerameikos / Gazi
Price: $$
Best For: Creative wood-fired cooking in a relaxed, local-feeling setting
Must Order: Wood-fired pork, seasonal small plates, and house bread
Why It Made the List:
Cerdo Negro 1985 brings a distinctive Iberian-Greek energy to Athens, with a compact menu that feels personal rather than overproduced. The wood-fire cooking, neighborhood atmosphere, and serious flavor make it one of the city’s most rewarding casual reservations.
Known For:
- Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition
- Wood-fired cooking
- Brother-run hospitality
- Kerameikos neighborhood energy
#9 Nolan
Cuisine: Greek-Asian / Contemporary
Neighborhood: Syntagma
Price: $$
Best For: A polished, central Athens meal with playful cross-cultural flavor
Must Order: Fried chicken, noodles, and seasonal shared plates
Why It Made the List:
Nolan remains a key Athens address for diners who want something more inventive than a traditional taverna without committing to a formal tasting menu. Its compact Syntagma setting, creative kitchen, and Greek-Asian point of view make it especially useful for a stylish lunch or dinner near the historic center.
Known For:
- Greek-Asian cooking
- Syntagma location
- Compact modern dining room
- Creative shared plates
#8 Seychelles
Cuisine: Modern Greek / Meze
Neighborhood: Metaxourgeio / Kerameikos
Price: $$
Best For: Lively, ingredient-driven Greek plates with friends
Must Order: Seasonal meze, grilled seafood, and vegetable-forward specials
Why It Made the List:
Seychelles captures the more informal side of modern Athens dining: loud, flavorful, and rooted in Greek ingredients without feeling old-fashioned. It works because the food is approachable, the room has energy, and the menu makes casual ordering feel exciting.
Known For:
- Creative meze
- Buzzing neighborhood atmosphere
- Seasonal Greek ingredients
- Casual group dinners
#7 Pharaoh
Cuisine: Modern Greek / Wine Bar
Neighborhood: Exarchia
Price: $$$
Best For: A stylish dinner that can turn into a late-night Athens scene
Must Order: Cretan-influenced plates, grilled dishes, and Greek wine
Why It Made the List:
Pharaoh has become one of Athens’ defining new-generation restaurants by pairing Greek culinary memory with a music-driven, wine-bar sensibility. The Exarchia dining room feels current and atmospheric while still keeping the cooking recognizably rooted in Greek tradition.
Known For:
- Exarchia location
- Greek wine program
- Audiophile-style atmosphere
- Modern takes on traditional Greek cooking
#6 Cookoovaya
Cuisine: Contemporary Greek / Seafood
Neighborhood: Ilisia
Price: $$$
Best For: Ingredient-led Greek cooking with a confident open-kitchen feel
Must Order: Whole fish, raw seafood preparations, and seasonal Greek classics
Why It Made the List:
Cookoovaya is built around the idea that great Greek food starts with sourcing and restraint. The restaurant’s polished but generous style makes it a strong bridge between traditional Athens dining and the city’s more chef-driven present.
Known For:
- “Wise cuisine” philosophy
- Open kitchen
- Greek producers
- Strong seafood and wine program
#5 Hytra
Cuisine: Modern Greek / Fine Dining
Neighborhood: Neos Kosmos
Price: $$$$
Best For: A refined modern Greek tasting-menu evening
Must Order: The gourmet tasting menu
Why It Made the List:
Hytra gives Greek flavors a technical, contemporary frame, turning familiar ideas into elegant fine-dining compositions. Its combination of modern design, tasting menus, and a serious bar program makes it one of Athens’ most complete upscale nights out.
Known For:
- Modern Greek tasting menus
- Michelin-recognized dining
- Elegant plating
- Rooftop-style city-night mood
#4 Varoulko Seaside
Cuisine: Seafood / Greek Fine Dining
Neighborhood: Piraeus / Mikrolimano
Price: $$$$
Best For: A landmark seafood dinner by the water
Must Order: Seafood pasta, grilled fish, and signature Greek seafood dishes
Why It Made the List:
Varoulko Seaside is one of Greece’s landmark seafood restaurants, with chef Lefteris Lazarou’s name closely tied to the country’s modern fine-dining movement. The Mikrolimano waterfront setting gives the meal a sense of place that feels unmistakably Athenian.
Known For:
- Lefteris Lazarou
- Michelin-starred legacy
- Waterfront setting
- Greek seafood fine dining
#3 Soil
Cuisine: Modern Greek / Farm-to-Table
Neighborhood: Pangrati
Price: $$$$
Best For: A serene Michelin-starred tasting menu with a garden-driven identity
Must Order: The seasonal tasting menu
Why It Made the List:
Soil stands out for its calm, ingredient-focused vision of Greek fine dining, shaped by chef Tasos Mantis and a strong connection to nature. The neoclassical setting and garden-led menu make the experience feel intimate, polished, and distinctly Athens.
Known For:
- Michelin star
- Garden and nature-driven menu
- Neoclassical house setting
- Chef Tasos Mantis
#2 Spondi
Cuisine: French / Haute Cuisine
Neighborhood: Pangrati
Price: $$$$
Best For: A classic special-occasion fine-dining dinner
Must Order: The tasting menu with wine pairings
Why It Made the List:
Spondi remains the benchmark for old-school fine dining in Athens, with a long Michelin history and a romantic courtyard setting. It offers a more classical counterpoint to the city’s newer experimental restaurants, making it essential for diners who want precision, service, and ceremony.
Known For:
- Long-running Michelin recognition
- Courtyard dining
- French haute cuisine
- Special-occasion atmosphere
#1 Delta
Cuisine: Contemporary Greek / Progressive Fine Dining
Neighborhood: Kallithea / SNFCC
Price: $$$$
Best For: A destination tasting menu and Athens’ most ambitious fine-dining experience
Must Order: The full tasting menu
Why It Made the List:
Delta is Athens’ clearest destination restaurant, combining high-concept Greek ingredients, fermentation, sustainability, and a dramatic cultural-center setting. Its two-Michelin-star status gives it international weight, but the experience still feels deeply connected to Greece’s landscape and pantry.
Known For:
- Two Michelin stars
- Green Star sustainability focus
- Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center setting
- Progressive Greek tasting menu
