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Dress a bit nicer, expect higher prices, and accept that the €6 cappuccino is part of the experience. Better food, lower εστιατοριο ο κωστασ prices, and nobody trying to drag you inside from the street. Great for a dinner that stretches into drinks, then more drinks. If someone is standing on the street aggressively trying to seat you, that’s your cue to walk in the opposite direction. I wouldn’t plan a special dinner here, but for quick bites between sightseeing, it’s perfect.
The higher you get from the main tourist drag, the better the food gets and the lower the prices drop. Dionysos Zonar’s if the view is what matters most. Earlier if you want a quieter meal or you have kids who can’t wait that long.
Walk through the fish market, the meat hall, the produce stalls — it’s noisy, it’s intense, and it’s the most authentic slice of daily Athenian life you’ll find. Walk 10 minutes south from the Acropolis and your food budget stretches 30% further. Here’s my honest guide to where to eat in Athens — organized by neighborhood, because in this city, location determines everything.
Best Traditional Tavernas#
- The walk uphill filters out most tourists — by the time you’ve climbed the steps, you’ve earned your meal and escaped the crowds.
- This is my “safe recommendation” for Plaka — the restaurant I suggest when someone doesn’t want to hunt for hidden gems and just wants a reliably good meal in a nice setting.
- The ingredients are better, the prices are lower, and the experience of sharing a dozen meze plates with friends at 10 PM on a warm evening is just… hard to replicate.
- Modern taverna with creative takes on Greek dishes and an excellent mezedes selection.
- Better food than touristy Plaka, local atmosphere, and nobody chasing you down the street to come inside.
A good taverna meal runs €15-25 per person, which is reasonable for a European capital. Cash preferred at traditional tavernas (some still don’t take cards, or reluctantly do). Classic bakery for tiropita that’s been doing the same thing for decades — because it works. This tiny souvlaki stand might serve the best pork souvlaki in central Athens. Not technically Plaka — it’s a 5-minute walk toward Syntagma — but I’d be doing you a disservice by leaving it off the list.
I was recommended to this Taverna by my hotel (Astoria) and I had my dinner here twice, after lounging whole day on their sunbeds by the sea. The food is so fresh and tasteful, if you don’t come here, you’ll definitely miss out! Have some drinks and then go for dining
Quick Navigation#
After eating here — actually here, in the neighborhoods where Athenians eat, not the tourist strips — I find it hard to be impressed by Greek restaurants anywhere else. Avoid the main tourist strip in Plaka — prices double, quality halves. Delicious food, great service, and a wonderful atmosphere. Thank you guys for the awesome experience!
Modern taverna with creative takes on Greek dishes and an excellent mezedes selection. This is my “safe recommendation” for Plaka — the restaurant I suggest when someone doesn’t want to hunt for hidden gems and just wants a reliably good meal in a nice setting. And bring cash — they don’t do cards.
Popular road trips from Rethymnon
During the day while you are out enjoying a swim or the sun you can stop in for refreshing drinks and get a bite to eat. Then something shifted — a wave of Melbourne-inspired cafes, a couple of New York expats, and a generation of Athenians who decided that eggs Benedict and a €6 bloody mary on a Sunday sounds pretty excellent. Weekend brunch runs 9 AM to 4-5 PM. Check out our guides to best souvlaki in Athens and rooftop restaurants.
No-frills taverna with fair prices and honest Greek cooking. This is where I’d go if I wanted both a decent meal AND the view. Better food than touristy Plaka, local atmosphere, and nobody chasing you down the street to come inside. No — it’s one of Europe’s most affordable capitals for eating out.
Q What days are Kosta’s Taverna open?
Better value than most seafood restaurants in Plaka, where fish prices can spiral quickly. Nothing fancy, nothing pretentious, just good food at reasonable prices for this neighborhood. Long-standing taverna with Acropolis views and notably better food than most view-restaurants.
