Living in a country that has been praised over the centuries for its culture and gastronomy, food has always played an important part in my life. That’s partly thanks to my mother (a great home cook), who taught me how to love food at an early age, and partly down to being born and raised in wonderful Athens – 35 years later, the food scene here excites me just as much.
The best part? It’s got it all. Small underground taverns that almost no one knows about. Fine dining restaurants that everyone knows about. On my list of the best restaurants in Athens you’ll find modern takes on traditional Greek dishes, Far East inspired restaurants, Anatolian menus, mouthwatering sweets, European cuisine and more. Though Greeks mostly love to just grab a souvlaki and stroll around the scenic little streets of old Athens, we never say no to something more special. Here are my favourite restaurants in Athens, right now.
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Demetrios Ioannou is a writer and photographer based in Athens. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.