Guide to Athens Food: Eat Like a Greek
Today, I'm in Athens, Greece! And I'm hungry. So, let's find out what to eat here!
The thing about being in Athens is, they speak Greek. So even food you might be familiar with, like lamb chops or yogurt, sounds like something you've never heard of when you're looking at a menu. In Athens, the menu could be the kind you hold in your hand or it may be written out on a sign or a wall. Some menus have pictures and English descriptions of the food, but you won't find this everywhere. So it's helpful if you know what to eat when you're in Athens and, what it is you're eating.
I did a lot of research into Greek food. Which means, I ate a lot in Athens. So now, I can tell you what I liked, what you might want to try, what it's called and how much you should and shouldn't spend on it. This is my guide to Greek food and eating in Athens!
The Most Important Meal of the Day
So, let's talk about breakfast. Greeks typically do not have a big breakfast. Strong Greek coffee, a little yogurt, fruit and pastries are pretty much what they eat. And that's fine. But I'm American, not Greek, and I'm a person who wakes up starving.
A lot of people can't eat a big breakfast when they wake up. That's not me. I want to eat everything. I want eggs, biscuits, something more substantial. So if that's you, I suggest you avoid the super traditional Greek restaurants for your first meal of the day. Greece is full of places that cater to tourists, so it's very easy to find American-style and English-style breakfast here. Because British people are like us Americans and they like a big breakfast.
For example, my first morning when I woke up in Greece, I went to Syntagma Square, which is where their government buildings are located, and ate at a cafe in like a shopping retail type store. It's called Public Cafe and it was only okay. A little pricey, and the service was not awesome even though I was like, the only person who was there.
That's another thing about Greece. People here don't get up and out super early. It's a very relaxed vibe here, so you won't see a ton of early morning activity.
But I'm mentioning this cafe even though I didn't totally love the experience because you can also get a sim card for your phone here If you need one. The process was very quick and easy and the person who waited on me did speak English, so I recommend this spot if you need a sim card.
Finding the Greek Food
I had lunch in Agia Irini Square, which is a very pretty area that has a ton of places to eat. I wanted to eat at a specific place but they turned me away because they were too crowded, so I picked a place at random and had a gyro, which is a sandwich inside a pita pocket.
I also had yogurt sauce, tahini, because they serve that with a lot of dishes, and fried zucchini because you can find that everywhere in Greece. It was really good. That was at Eatery Bairaktaris. The prices and the food were both good, and I do recommend. They also made space for me and that other place didn't, so there you have it.
But the main reason I was here was not for zucchini. It was for the donuts. If there is one place you eat in Greece, make it this next place I went. It's famous, and there is a good reason for that.
Welcome to Lukamades. This is, essentially, a donut shop. But it's like a donut shop the way the Mona Lisa is a painting, which means this is one of the best donut shops in the world. Lukemades are a type of Greek donut and you will see them on the menu at restaurants and bakeries in Greece, but the place called Lukamades is the best place to get them.
It's a small shop in the square and it's easy to find because it's where the line goes out the door. It's also on a corner, and that makes it easier to see.
There is an enormous selection here and the line moves quickly, so don't be daunted by that. Greek legend holds that people have been eating these donuts in Athens for over 2,000 years. So clearly, they've had time to perfect the recipe. Try them, you won’t be sad you did.
For lunch one day, I stopped at Bairaktaris and this place I highly, highly recommend.
It is a cafe that's been family owned since 1876!! I had fried eggplant and fried squid. And at first, i wasn't totally anazed by the eggplant. I found out that was my own fault.
As I was sotting therr, a man I assume was the owner saw me eating the eggplant plain and figured I had no idea what I was doing, so he personally came over and put some salt and olive oil on the eggplant and that really did add a lot of flavor!
It took things up to a new level and the food was absolutely amazing.
Then, he gave me a free dessert after I paid the bill! It was a nice yogurt drizzled with honey and a cake like thing. And while I was eating, a man started to play a strange guitar and one of the waiters started to sing!!
It was pretty much as Greek as anything could be. It was a total experience, with scenery and atmosphere and food and I can't suggest this place enough.
The More Tourist-Friendly Side of Greek Food
I also went to a sort of specialty cafe in Athens. Now, this place is not super budget-friendly but it is an experience so I think it all evens out And, I kept it budget-friendly by only coming here to order a drink. I got a super fancy coffee, because Greek coffee is kind of a big deal in Athens, and truly, I had the time of my life.
This is the Fairy Tale cafe. There's a ton of pink and it's truly beautiful and they do rotating themes. I don't know how often they change themes, but they focus on a different fairy tale for each theme.
And they run with it. The menus are all full of food and drink that's on theme, the decor is all about that fairy tale and when I was there, they were doing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which is the proper name of the book, and which actually means a lot to me personally, so it was really perfect.
The staff was running around in little rabbit ears, because of the white rabbit, so I asked my waiter if I could take his picture. And he says yes, but only if I take the picture with him. So I was instantly on my feet like yes, totally, where do I stand? And this man gave me my own bunny ears to wear also and we took a picture, I was totally thrilled, and I can't recommend this place enough.
Everyone who comes here gets to be a Disney princess, or in my case, the evil queen, so go to the Fairy Tale Cafe.
And if you don't, then ooooofffff with your head!!
Greek Food on a Budget
I also tried a place very near the ancient Agora called Restaurante Attalos. Now, they are on the ground level so you don't have to pay a higher price for the rooftop, but they do still have a great view here. So, this is kind of a hack if you want the scenic view but without a high price. Look for something on the ground that's still within view of the Acropolis and you'll get a good photo spot, but without that rooftop price.
I had octopus here because that seems to be very popular in Greece and I wanted to try it. I was a little surprised that it came with no side items. It was literally just the octopus, which was really good. But to my American mind, this was confusing because pretty much no matter where you go here, your food is going to come with extra side items. Actually I don't know if that's an American thing or an American south thing, but it was weird to me.
I did get a free dessert at the end of the meal, though, so there is that. The prices here are reasonable and the food was good but I can't really recommend it because I just thought there should be more food. I went here because I wanted to try Greek wine. That's a thing in Greece, they make a lot of wine and this place has a big wine menu.
It was wine. I don't know, I'm actually not a wine drinker so what do I know about it?
The Sweet Side of Athens Food
If you're looking for a good dessert spot, I can suggest Ellyz Cafe. This is known as the Pink Cafe and I'm sorry, but if there is something called Pink Cafe near me, I'm going. I'm really glad I did. The decor was adorable and I had pink cake that was wonderful.
If you want to try Greek cuisine that's less traditional and more modern, I recommend Lolos. They're Known for seafood and I'm in my adventures eating phase, so I got mussels here.
I also ate dolmades, which are grape leaves stuffed with rice, and a very classic Greek dish that I think everyone should try in Athens. Everything here was absolutely amazing and I ate everything, even the free bread.
We talked briefly about breakfast in Athens at the top of this video. Now, I'm going to share a little tip for you if you're having trouble finding a place to get breakfast or you need to kind of hold off hunger while you wait for restaurants to open: find a little bakery.
They're all over Athens and they typically open a little earlier. Even if the person doesn't speak English, you can just point to pretty items that look good and you'll be good to go. That's what I did at the bakery near my rental the day I went to the beach, and it worked out perfectly. I got some sweets and headed to Syntagma Square to see the changing of the guard, which we will talk about in a future post.
And...How About Greek Pizza?
If you watched my videos about food in London, you know that I make it a point to try the local pizza wherever I go. We all have our things. I'm traveling the world trying to find out if anyone can beat the pizza I had in Tennessee, so I had to try Greek pizza.
I got the works: pizza, cheesy bread, all that. It was good, not great, but that's because I was in Athens and not Rome. Or Tennessee. Still the best, and the quest continues.
There's a lot more to the Geek food scene. I'm going to talk about the best street food in Greece in an upcoming blog, so be sure to come back because street food is a really good way to eat well in Athens without spending a lot.
So, stay hungry and don't be afraid to try the octopus!
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