Restaurants in Athens

There are loads of restaurants in the Athens Plaka, Psiri and surrounding area. If you try these out you will know what a good restaurant should look, taste and feel like, and be less likely to get a disappointing meal in one of the tourist joints. If you have any faves you want to add, take a picture and send me a review. Remember that if you order fish it is often sold by the kilo so before you choose make sure you know the price since it can vary greatly from one fish to another. House wine is cheaper than bottled wine and if often better, as it should be. Vegetarians can find plenty to choose from even in the meatiest restaurant.

Restaurants In The Plaka

Byzantino

This is the restaurant of choice for many locals in the Plaka. From the outside there is nothing to distinguish it from the other more tourist-type places except for the great location in the small park on Kydatheneon street, but the food is better and influenced by the Greek clientele. I like the spinach pie (spana- ko -pita), their fish soup (psa- row -soupa) which you can get it with or without a plate of fish. Of course they have the Greek salad (hor-ee- ah -tiko), eggplant salad (mel-eetsana salata), yogurt dip (satziki), and all the standards. It's not cheap but it's not expensive either. I love their roast potatoes (fourno pahtahtes) and chicken (kotopoulo). They have bottled wine and cold beer and ouzo and mezedes. The menu is in several languages including English. Look for strange and funny translations on menus here and all over Greece. It's a high form of entertainment for travelers. Galeos is not red snapper which is what all the menus tell you. It's shark, kind of a humorous translation. You can walk right in and see the food. Either ask the cook or waiter how to pronounce whatever it is you want, or drag your waiter in and point to it. It's perfectly acceptable behavior. After lunch you can buy a newspaper at the kiosk across the street and have a coffee while reading about what's going on in the rest of the world. At night they have mostly grilled food and it can get pretty festive. These are some of the best waiters in Athens too. Very attentive, fast and they all speak English.

The Hani

A few years ago two members of the Byzantino staff bought one of the tourist restaurants on Adrianou street and opened The Hani. A Hani is a sort of inn for travelers and the clientele here are a mixture of Greeks and travelers from all over the world. The food itself is straight out of the Byzantino cook book as you would expect since that is where the cooks come from. With live acoustic bouzoukia music, an outdoor garden in the back and tables right on Adriannou Street where you can watch the people parade, combined with a nice mezedes platter, fresh fish, grilled meats, oven cooked meats and vegetables and salads and appetisers and wine by the carafe or bottle, the Hani is a good place to begin your Greek food adventure. Waitors speak English too. The Hani is at 138 Adrianou street. Try their Psaronefi (roast pork loin) and their Rouqfort Salad if you are bored with Greek salads. Open for lunch they have AC in the summer.

Thespidos

If you continue walking up Kydathenaon street past Adrainou and begin climbing the steps you will come to this very nice restaurant that is not too expensive and it is in a relatively quiet location. Sit outside next to the ruins of ancient Athens. If you order mezedes and a salad you won't even need a main course. But if you have a large stomach everything here is good and though you will see other tourists around it is still traditionally Greek and you will also see many locals. If the lower areas of the Plaka are too hot. Tom Mazarakis loves this place.

The Plaka Restaurant

Right on the corner of Kydatheneon and Geronta street on the small square is the Plaka Restaurant which has been serving locals and travelers for years. They specialize in Greek oven dishes, grilled meats and fish and features some specialties from Asia Minor like my favorite Lamb and Vegetables from Smyrna . You can order from the menu or go inside and choose what you like. They also have a large selection of fish which is on display in the glass-case. You can even choose which cut of meat you want from their choice of pork-chops, lamb-chops and steaks. Their home-made red wine is good and lets you off easy the next morning. Also try their lamb fricasse (lamb with escarole and egg-lemon sauce). My mom says their grilled octopus is the tenderest she has ever eaten. Try the Thrapsala grilled. It is giant squid with their special oil and lemon sauce. Waiters speak English and are helpful if you can't decide and like most restauarants in the Plaka the menu is in English and a couple other languages and has plenty to choose from. You will be treated to fruit or desert if you mention this site so don't be shy. Actually if you mention my website to any of these restaurants maybe I will be treated to fruit and desert too.

Bakaliaro

If you should be lucky enough to be here before the weather gets too hot you may notice several basement restaurants. These are called Bakaliarzidikos and they specialize in fried codfish. There are three of them, the oldest being Domigos near the corner of Kydatheneon and Adrianou Streets right underneath Brettos Ouzo. The reason they are not open in the summer is because with all the ovens and fryers it's just too hot. But these restaurants generally have some of the best homemade wine (khee-ma) and the codfish (bakaliaro) served with garlic dip (skordaya) is out of this world. The tables are cramped and you can tune in to the conversation next door as easy as your own. It's very friendly and full of local Athenians, expatriates and smart people. Just about anything on the menu is good and your clothes will smell of codfish for days to come. The best Bakaliaro place in my opinion and the one I usually go to is Saita located a block from Nikis street on the corner of Kydatheneon and Sotiros run by George (photo). They also serve steaks, chops and other Greek specialties and have perhaps the best barrel wine in the Plaka. They play good old Greek music and have an authentic atmosphere that you won't find in other Plaka restaurants. This is my primary winter hangout in the Plaka.

Psaras Fish Taverna

Psaras was my favorite restaurant in the Plaka. One of the oldest Tavernas in the Plaka, dating back to 1898, this is where my friends and I spent many an evening. Who cared if the waiters were rude and got mad at you if you didn't order enough, or spilled hot fish oil on my friend's expensive dresses not one but two times. What was the big deal if everytime we ate there the bill was padded with stuff we didn't order and never received? Even after my friends and I one at a time declared we would never eat there again, we always came back, because the food was great, the wine delicious and because it was on the steps of the Plaka far from any cars, it was like being on an island. They could insult us, not recognize us after hundreds of visits, ruin our clothes, rip us off and laugh at us when we left, and we did not care. For some reason Psaras went out of business. But now it is back, with new tableclothes, a new decor (a whole new restaurant in the same beautiful spot), new waitors (the old ones are probably in prison or selling chestnuts in Omonia), new cooks (the old ones were over 100 and probably died), and food and wine that is better then the old Psaras. The menu is in English and the waitors and staff are pleasant and very helpful. It's on the corner of Erotocritou and Erehtheos streets up the steps that lead from the Plaka to the Acropolis. I love the soupes (cuttlefish). Try the Cretan Salad too. (Last time I was here I lost my phone so ask if they found it yet.) It is a little more expensive than the other restaurants on this page but nice atmosphere. They have made millions off my website and I asked them to donate to the cost of having my Athens Guide translated into Chinese. They wouldn't do it. I suppose I could have removed them but that would be un-ethical. A better idea is to have everyone who reads this ask them to donate to help me get my Athens Guide translated into Chinese.

The Diros

The Diros is the favorite restaurant of my friend George at Fantasy Travel which is lucky for him because it is just two doors down from his office. Getting him to eat anywhere else is almost like pulling teeth but I don't really mind because I like the place. Diros was actually a very old restaurant called The Corfu which was located in Syntagma that closed many years ago and reopened with the same staff in their present location on Xenofontos street. This is one of the last of the old-time restaurants and is still frequented by the old polititians and Greek celebrities as well as many people in the business community. Air-conditioned in the summer it is a good place to be when it gets really hot in July or August and very cozy in the cool months. If you want good food in a clean environment with excellent service come here for lunch or dinner. To find the Diros go to Syntagma Square and walk up Nikis or Fileninon. If you walk up Nikis take your first left, if you walk up Filenenon your first right.

Eden Vegetarean Restaurant

If you are a vegetarean I suggest going to the EDEN Restaurant on the corner of Misicleos and Lissiou streets. To find it just walk down Adrianou towards the Monistiraki flea market, and turn left on Misicleos and walk up the steps. I love their eggplant salad. If you are looking for a purely vegetarean restaurant it's the best. (and the only). Vegetarrean's who have used my website and gone here have raved about it. Also check out The Noodle Shop on Apollonos street between Patrou and Pendelis streets. I left Athens the day before it opened but it looked great and had lots of vegetarean stuff on the menu. It has dishes from Thailand, China, Viet-nam and many other countries in the far east.

Peristeri

For backpackers and budget travelers this small taverna-estiatorio on Patroou street has been a hangout since I was in highschool and I was very pleased to find it still open one night while taking a shortcut from the Plaka to Psiri. In the daytime the place is air-conditioned on very hot days and at night they have tables across the street in the entrance of a parking garage. No maybe it is not the most romantic setting but their homemade wine is excellent and the beers are cold and they have a good selection of food on display inside so deciding what you order is easy. The roast chicken and potatoes were good. I had the pork in red sauce and that was fine too. My friend Dorian said they had the best beefteki he had ever tasted. Dorian is prone to exaggerate but they were pretty good. The waitor and sometimes night-manager is Markos who is a very charming young guy from I don't know where. You can find Peristeri by walking down Apollonos street and turning right or down Metropolis street and turning left. This is probably the most authentically working-class restaurant in the Plaka.

Platanos

There is another old restaurant worth going to in the Plaka called Platanos. To find it walk down Adrianou towards Monistiriki. Turn left on Mysicleos street and then take your first right which is Diogenous street. It's in the platia. Go inside and see what they have. Everything is as good as it looks. Great place to eat at night. Be sure to sit outside unless it is cold. This taverna is popular with both Greeks and foreigners who live in Athens as well as those who come year after year. Next door is the Greek Music Museum which is my favorite museum in the city. Each display has headphones so you can hear each instrument in context and in a variety of styles. Sometimes they have concerts in the courtyard and when they do that is the background music for your meal. If you continue walking you will come to the famous Tower of the Winds, right around the corner..

Air-Conditioned Restaurants

Of course when it's 100 degrees outside, food only becomes secondary. Still you don't want to eat lousy food just so you can stay cool, so try the Diros (above) or one of my favorite restaurants, Terina on the square at the intersection of Kapni Karea and Adrianou Street across from the wall of Hadrian's Library. It has an extensive international menu, is a good place for breakfast too and it stays open late. It also has great coffee, cakes and ice-creams and an extensive bar with all sorts of traditional and exotic drinks. Not exactly traditional but sometimes you have to leave the past behind and embrace the present. When it is outdoor weather Terina's tables and chairs cover a quarter of the square. If you want to have the most amazing meze to go with your ouzo order the Seafood Pikilia . You won't find a better Pikilia in all of Athens. They have some really good salads too. If you are tired of Greek food go here because it is more of an international menu. The same guy owns Hermionion and just about every restaurant on the square with Terina as well as Psaras.

Ouzo Cafeneons

Kouklis

Where Tripodon, (the road that goes around the Plaka side of the Acropolis) connects with Epiharmou is an ouzerie known locally as Kouklis. You will see a building with a people-packed balcony covered with vines and above in the 2nd floor windows, even more people. Order a small carafe of ouzo or their terrible red wine, a cross between Welch's Grape Juice and Manachevitz. The specialty here is flaming sausages (loo- kah -niko). Wait until the fire is out before eating. Also try their trout (eh- pes -tropho), giant beans in tomato sauce( yee -gen-des) and anything that looks good on display inside or what one of your neighbors is eating. It's a popular place for both young Greeks and adventurous tourists and their tables can spread out down steep Epiharmou street. The food is OK. Most people come for the atmosphere. It must be listed in every guidebook.

To Kafeneon

Just below Kouklis on Epiharmou street is one of my favorite ouzeries. Though Kouklis has always been popular I have preferred To Cafeneon's menu and ambiance, though there is not much difference between the two in price. If you are sitting on the street be aware that you are at a serious angle and maybe not as drunk as you think, though you will notice that things on the table with high centers of gravity tend to fall over easily. The same may go for you after an ouzo or two. On cool evenings it is one of the nicest places to sit indoors. This is a great place to come in the winter with a fireplace and tsipuro that will warm you inside and out.

O Glikis

Behind Byzantino restaurant on the corner of Geronda and Eperidou streets is yet another ouzerie called O Glikis. I haven't been there in a few years but it is popular with young Greeks not just at night for ouzo but in the daytime for coffee too. If you are looking for a nice quiet spot to write letters, read the paper or just bliss out on your environment then try this place. If you are not sure what to order in an ouzerie, then ask for the pikilia, which is an assortment of stuff from the menu on one big plate or a saganaki which is hard to mess up. You don't have to drink ouzo either. All ouzeries have Beer and wine and soda too. Very few tourists come here. It is mostly a student hangout. (Right next door is the old taverna Xino which is worth going to for grilled meats and other taverna fare.)

Paradosiako

This Ouzerie on the corner of Voulis and Nikodimou is not exactly quiet, in fact its a lot like sitting in the middle of a traffic jam. But the food is great and the people who own it, Dimitris and his wife Eugenia are entertaining and fantastic cooks! Well, actually she is the cook and Dimitris is the waiter. Try their always fresh seafood, octopus, fried kalamarkia and galeos. Food-wise this is the best of the ouzo cafeneons in the Plaka. They have daily specials and pretty much everything here is good. They have a special sausage called soutsouki that has a curry flavor and this is what I get often. If they have fresh fried gavros (anchovies) go for that. In fact that is the fish of choice for many people because it is usually the freshest. The place is small and there are not many tables but they make use of what little space they have and you are close enough to your neighbor to easily make friends. I could eat here every day. Maybe the best Greek salad in Athens. One of the few places that serves grilled sardines when they are in season. Most people come here for meals but if you get here during off hours there is no better place to drink ouzo and eat seafood mezedes in the Plaka.

Kapni Kareas

Between Metropolis street and Ermou street right by the small church of Kapni Karea is a tiny cafe ouzerie of the same name tucked in a little side street that is more like an alley. They make great mezedes and it is a fine place to hang out and drink ouzo especially in the afternoon when they have a couple guys playing bouzoukia and singing old Rembetika songs. Often you will come here and the whole cafe will be singing along. They also make sandwhiches, have nice salads and is a good place to come for coffee. By 8pm they are usually closed.

Ouzadiko Bagios

In the area of Keratsini in Pireaus at 89 Platanos is one of the best ouzerie-restaurants in the Athens metro area, called Ouzadiko Bagios. The proprietor is a young man named Bagios Papalambros, the grandson of the Bagios who had the original restaurant. Bagios is an expert on ouzo and has one of the largest and best selections of any of the ouzeries I have visited. We were invited to sample his ouzos and food after Bagios had read an article on ouzo I had written in my Lesvos Guide. He promised to introduce me to an ouzo that would be my favorite and he did. (It was Ouzo Babatzim from Thessaloniki). We also sampled some of the best mezedes I have ever tasted including pastrama-pita, sun-dried tomatoes, fantastic fava, spetsofai, octopus in wine, cheese-stuffed peppers, and an amazing dish made from sea-urchin roe. These were just the appetisers. Then the waitor brought out a big tray of pasta with crayfish in a delicious tomato sauce. From the list of traditional deserts my daughter chose pannacotte with chocolate sauce while those of us still trying to convince ourselves that we were keeping to our diets each had a taste. We ended the evening with a shot of Bellas Tsipuro from the town of Soufli near the Turkish border. Unless you know Athens you will never find this place on your own. But if you phone or e-mail Bagios (he speaks perfect English) not only will he send a taxi to pick you up and make sure you get home, but he will tell you all you want to know about ouzo, mezedes and tsipuro and what goes with what. Never again will you be satisfied with the commerical ouzos once you visit Bagios. Tel:210 4009507 or 6977036478. You can e-mail him too: vagiosp@internet.gr

For more ouzeries see the Psiri section

Restaurants Near the Plaka

Any of the Restaurants in the Meat Market

Best time is late at night. A mixture of workers and people who have stopped for a late meal after a night on the town. Women in mini-skirts and high heels next to butchers in blood-splattered aprons and fishermen in overalls and boots. On stoves giant pots of beans, chickpeas(rivithea), beef, lamb, peas and potatoes are simmering or boiling. Most people are eating patsa , a tripe soup endowed with mysterious life-giving properties that the workers swear by. This summer (2003) we had to spend a lot of time in Athens and Amarandi and I would go to Epeiros restaurant every day for a sort of combination breakfast-lunch. I became very aquainted with the food and I have to say that some of the best I have eaten in Athens has been here. In particular I like their margaritsa which is a tripe soup made with greens and an egg-lemon sauce. Amarandi had roast lamb and potatoes and I thought it was the tastiest lamb I had ever eaten. One day I had pothi which is a sort of marrow soup made from the foot of a cow which is considered medicine for a variety of ailments. The broth is sort of gluey but tastes really good and actually made me feel pretty good. The meat was of a weird texture. The word fatty comes to mind but the cook told me there was no cholesterol. It just looked and acted like fat and I had trouble eating it but Amarandi loved it. Anyway they have a huge selection and they are cooking all day and night. It is also cheap.

Patsa: Half the people in Epeiros are eating either Podi or Patsa and many of these people look like they walked right out of the fifties. If you are feeling a little under-the-weather a hearty bowl of patsa will fix you right up. Hung-over? No problem. Make sure you eat all the strange pieces of meat even though some of it resembles indoor plumbing. You're sure to feel better and it tastes better then it looks. There's no better way to start the day or so they say. Men from the butcher shops yell back and forth and greet each other heartily, then go off to open their stalls for the customers who will be arriving soon. My friend and I did the Patsa test after a night of heavy drinking. I felt better. He felt worse. For more on Patsa see my Guide to Patsa

Mpairaktaris and To Steki Tou Zikou

On the corner where Ermou meets the Square of Monistiraki there is a small church. Next to it is what looks like yet another tourist-style souvlaki shop/restaurant, but don't be too quick to write it off. If you go inside you will realize that it is one of Athens oldest tavernas, just bending with the times. They have an enormous assortment of hot dishes from which to choose, and if someone in your party wants a souvlaki, this place will bring you the best of both worlds. Outside is cooler but a little noisy, and while inside can be hot, the decor is entertaining. Live music every night in the winter. The barrel wine is hit and miss so taste before you buy. Sometimes it is good and sometimes undrinkable. They don't serve Lesvos ouzo but Sans Rival which is a commercial variety and to me tastes like they made it for tourists. But if enough people ask for Lesvos ouzo maybe they will switch so don't be shy. The owner's name is Spiro and he owns the souvlaki shop next door too which supposedly makes the best souvlaki in Athens though some taxi drivers will tell you that the best are at Thanasis , right across the street. For a more authentic Greek estiatorio walk down Hephastos street in Monastiraki and turn right on Agia Filippou street and go to #10 to To Steki Tou Zikou, which serves traditional Greek cusine at non-tourist prices. Owned by Spiros and Giorgos Zikou whose original restaurant is in the very non-touristy neighborhood of Agios Dimitris, to Steki gives travelers the opportunity to eat in a real neighborhood taverna without having to go to a real neighborhood. Great wine and lots of dishes to choose from.

The Secret Underground Taverna

For a fantastic eating experience, not for the fainthearted try the basement taverna on the corner of Sokratous and Theatrou at the bottom of the fruit and vegetable market. Don't be afraid. It just looks a little rough. There are no menus but you can look around and see what everybody else is eating. Most of the customers are men. It's almost like a private club and it is a little intimidating, but worth it. The wine is great. It comes without even asking for it. The grilled fish ( psa- ree psee- toe )incredible. If you want to play it safe order yellow split pea( fah -va), with bread (psoh- me ), soup( soup -ah) and whatever looks good at the next table. If this place is too intense for you there are always the restaurants in the meat-market.

Athinaion

This unpretentous estiatorion is located between the Dimarchos Square and Omonia and between Aiolis Street and Athinas at 9 Lykoyrgou street on the ground floor of a big old building full of lawyers and notaries and this is where they eat. Walk in and go straight back and choose from roast lamb, chicken, beef, pork, fish, and lots of vegetables. I loved the beets with garlic sauce (badza ria me skorda ya) and the fish soup was delicious. The roasted gavros (anchovies) were delicous as were the vegetable dishes. Upstairs is a simple cafeneon for coffee. If you want to eat like a civil-servant or even a kalofages try this place. It is not open at night though.

To Kioupi

This working-class taverna in Koloniki has been a favorite of locals and businessmen for at least half a century, maybe longer. The first time I ate there was in 1969 and the only thing that has changed is the decour. Even the customers are the same. Walk down the stairs, find a table and then go up to the counter and tell the cook what you want. The waitor will bring it to you. Excellent wine too. Good place for lunch but there is no outdoor seating. If you are staying in Kolonaki this is the cheapest and best place in the neighborhood. But as long as you are in Koloniki you may as well walk up to Platia Examani and eat at the excellent Ouzerie in the park.

Furin Kazan

My inclination was not to include a Japanese restaurant in a Greek Travel guide because who wants to eat Japanese food in Athens? Then I thought about it. Would I eat Greek food in Tokyo? Yes, I would. Then my friend Ana kept trying to get me to eat here but I was either never hungry or "not in the mood for sushi". Finally I relented and went with her to this tiny restaurant on Apollonos between Voulis and Nikis. The place was packed with Japanese. There were no tables available and everyone looked like they were having a great time. So I never got to eat there. But if it's good enough for my friend Ana, and authentic enough for a room full of authentic Japanese, then it can certainly be in my Athens Guide. Anyway Japanese people use this guide too so this is for them. The Korean place around the corner on Voulis Street is pretty good too.

Ariston

Where else in Athens can you get not only tiropita (cheese pie) and spanakopita (spinach pie), but aginaropita (artichoke pie), kolokithopita (zuchini pie), kototopita (chicken pie), prassotopita (leek pie), melitzanotopita (eggplant pie), loukanitopita (sausage pie), manitaritopita (mushroom pie) and just about any pie you can imagine. In fact the one pita they don't have is the infamous tipotapitopita (or zeropita) which are found in many places in Athens and have more pita than they do filling. Ariston is generous with their fillings and one makes a meal, two make a feast. For people on a budget this is a great way to save money and you will want to thank me for telling you about it. The store has been open since 1910 and also has a wide assortment of pastries. It's easy to find at # 10 Voulis street, two blocks down from Syntagma (Constitution Square) right around the corner from the Hotel Astor. Some people say Souvlakis are the national fast food dish of Greece, but I have always been a fan of spanakopita. So it's not a restaurant but you can certainly get a decent meal here and a cheap and healthy one at that.

Psiri Restaurants and Ouzeries

There are a number of good restaurants and traditional ouzeries in Psiri and the area really jumps on Friday and Saturday nights. But any night you go there are bars and restaurants and cafes that offer mostly traditional Greek food, but not exclusively. The area of Psiri begins where Ermou street and Athinas streets meet in Monastiraki. If you are walking down Ermou from Syntagma it will be on your right past Athinas street. If you are walking down Athinas from Omonia it will be on your right before you get to Ermou and the square at Monastiraki. If you are staying at the Attalos or Cecil Hotels you are right on the edge of Psiri.

If you are walking down Ermou and make your first right after Athinas you will pass the Bee restaurant which is a bistro with great salads, pastas, vegetarean dishes and is a hip and possibly gay bar at night. (It is conveniently located at the new entrance to the metro in Monastiraki)

If you keep walking up Maioulis you will come to Rebecca , one of my favorite hangouts, but you probably won't find a table unless you get there early. They serve pretty much all mezedes and Rebecca is known more for the atmosphere then the food, but I like it. I usually get the pikilia which is a pile of different mezedes, some good some not so great. We usually just come here to drink and talk and the food is to keep us from getting too smashed on the ouzo. For better food and a less raunchy-underworld atmosphere try Iliosporo next door. In the winter have a glass of their rakimilo, which is hot raki mixed with honey. They make a fantastic Cretan Salad called Dakos. Delicious marinated anchovies.

If you continue to the square you can eat at Platia Iroon, one of my favorite places in Athens and where I can usually be found when I am in the city whether it is summer or winter. It is a mezedopleon and has about a hundred different dishes. In the winter everyone sits inside and listens to live music and unlike the other restaurants in Psiri these musicians are unplugged and generally superior. The owner, Nikos, from Naxos plays bouzouki here many nights and can tell you many things about rembetika music. (He is also a big fan of Leonard Cohen). If you are in Greece during the winter this is definately a place to go one night or many nights. In the summer the tables and chairs fill the square and waitors and waitresses scurry back and forth across the street with their computerized notepads that places ytour order with the cook before they leave your table. I recommend the Avocado Salad, Fried Peppers Stuffed with Cheese, Cretan Salad, Spetsofai, Naxos Saganaki, Naxos Grilled Sausages, and the pasta dishes which my daughter loves. Order the seafood salad. This was the first Ouzerie to open in Psiri.

If you walk from the square up Ag Anargiri street to the next square there are two or three more ouzeries, all pretty good. If you walk town Takis street and take your first left and then your next right you will come to the Naxos which is like being on the island. It is hard to find but worth it when you do. Naxos is less expensive than most of the Psiri ouzeries. They serve grilled octopus and soupia (cuttlefish) and specialize in the food of Naxos. Right across the street from the church is another ouzerie which I forget the name of but you can recognize it from the photo if you go looking for it. It is on Kristokoupidou street. This place is pretty good too and less crowded than Naxos. Around the corner Aisopou street across the street from the world's best gelato ice-cream shop is a restaurant called Oineas which is decorated with colorful cans and bottles and has a great selection of mezedes, salads and main courses and an extensive wine list. It is Psiri-priced which means you will pay a little more than restaurants in other parts of Athens but unless you are a frugal traveler trying to get by on your parents battered copy of Greece on $5 A Day who does not normally go out to dinner, even at home, the cost of meals in most Psiri places will be what you pay in a good restaurant anywhere in Europe or America.

My favorite place for ouzo and mezedes is a little difficult to find but I am going to try to give you some directions. It is on the corner of Aronos and N Apostoli street and we call it 'the BabaTzim place' because they are one of the few places that carries Ouzo BabaTzim from Serres, one of the best and purest ouzos. They have a really nice selection of meat, fish and vegetable mezedes. The easiest way to find it is to walk from Monastiraki down Ermou (away from Syntagma) and take a right on N. Apostoli where it connects with Leokourou. It is about a block up. You will recognize it because there will be a guy with glasses who looks like Elvis Costello cooking and if you go inside they will have a shelf with ouzo. If one of the ouzos is Babatzim you are in the right place. You can also find it by going down Takis street and turning left on N Apostoli. The real name is Cafeneon Evis and when I am in Athens I am here most nights. Chances are you won't find a seat because there are only about a dozen tables.

The best taverna in Psiri is the oldest taverna in Psiri and that is the Taverna Tou Psiri. Owned by Manolis, this traditional working-class taverna was not on my website until now because I had taken an oath of silence from my friend Ana who promised to take me to the best taverna in Athens as long as I did not put it on my website. The best paidakia (lamb chops) in Athens, some say, and delicious keftedes (meat balls) Kolitkithea keftdes (fried zucchini balls), broccoli and cauliflower salad, strong sadziki, great music and the best atmosphere. This is where I had my 49th birthday party and many other big get-togethers. Because the restaurant is slow in the summer and because Manolis added an outdoor garden, Ana told me it was OK to include the restaurant on my website. Finding it won't be easy though. It is on Aiskilou 12 just up the street from Platia Iroon. Right next door there is a very good souvlaki-psistaria too. One more thing. Go easy on the wine at Taverna Psiri. It tastes good but it packs a punch. The day after my birthday I could barely get out of my bed. Now I mix mine with 7-up or soda-water.But taverna Psiri is the kind of place where anything can happen.

On the far side of Psiri near Platia Koumondourou on the corner of Evripidou and Epikourou is a restaurant that few tourists have seen. It is called Telis and their specialty is grilled porkchops or in Greek: hirino brizoles. In fact except for salad and fried potatos that is about all they serve. But people come from all over to eat here during the day. If it is closed or full you can go nextdoor and they serve nothing but hirino brizoles too. So if you are in the mood for pork-chops this is where to come to. This area is also known for its Indian restaurants but most people are a little nervous because the streets are dark and seem scary. They are not as scary as they look but if you want to feel safer come down here in the daytime. There are also lots of Chinese, Indian and Arabic food and clothing shops.

Fokionos Negri Restaurants

Fokionos Negri a long pedestrian street in Kypseli with many cafes, lots of young people and a couple restaurants that I really like. Fokinos is quite a walk from the Plaka area but a taxi there will only cost you about three euro.

One of the restaurants I go to is called 48 Koudounakia . It is a psistaria . That means it has lamb, chicken, pork and kokoretsi on a spit and lots of meat dishes plus salads and appetisers and great wine. The phone number is 210 823-9261. Friendly staff and the restaurant is full of antiques and sheeps bells. It has moved to the top of Fokionos Negri and I have not been to the new location yet but it should still be pretty good. Another Psistaria is Pat-Cute on the northwest corner of Victoria square which may be a little easier to get to because you can go by Metro. Great selection of rotisserie and grilled meats, souvlakia, salads and more.

Probably the best ouzerie on Fokionos Negri is the Mezodopouleon To Tsiporadiko where you sit down and are greeted with a nice glass of tsipuro, the ouzo of the north, which is stronger than ouzo and does not taste like licorice. It tastes like moonshine. Great and varied menu of mezedes. This place is far superior to anything you will find in the Plaka and if you are adventerous enough I suggest you try it. It is at the top of Fokinos Negri # 72. Call and get directions at 210 821-6598. My friend Mike Constantinou of Greece Accommodations showed me this place so if you happen to be working with him ask him to take you there (and then suggest he invite me as well).

Another great place in Fokionos Negri is Bioletta at #60. It is a Mezedopoleo-Ouzerie that specializes in fish but has a very wide menu and delicious food. You can sit outdoors or indoors. If you are inside you will feel like you are in a cozy Greek island fish taverna on a cold day. Outside you can watch the parade of people walking by and enjoy fried gavros, grilled octopus, boiled beets, and so many varieties of fish you will start looking around for the fishing boats. They also have a large selection of grilled steaks, chops and salads. This restaurant has been here since 1961 and if you are adventurous enough to get out of the tourist section of Athens I think you will be quite pleased. This is another of my regular stops.

Believe it or not there is an Applebee's on Fokinos where you can get nachos, wings and all the stuff you don't miss from the USA. Also a Pizza Hut. I would not mention these places but if you have kids who refuse to eat Greek food and are slowly starving to death you can take them here. We use Applebees as a reward for my daughter visiting her Aunt Penelope who lives just around the corner. There is a Starbucks here too.

Seafood Restaurants on the Sea

The small port known as Microlimano is known for its expensive fish restaurants. In fact there is a popular scam going on where a taxi driver takes you to one of these restaurants and you end up paying a fortune and he makes a hefty comission. Remember that in Greece some sea food is very expensive and in many restaurants that is the fish they push . If you do want to go to Microlimano, since it is a beautiful place where you can have a fish meal surrounded by fishing boats, the Fish Taverna Botsaris is one that was not over-priced and the food was quite good. And according to the business card I got from them the Chef is the Captain himself.

Also the Argos is inexpensive and very good. I went there this January on a beautiful sunny day, looking for another place to send people to that was not over-priced. The owners were really nice and the food was great. When I told them I had a website and I was going to put them on it for free they brought out all the cooks and some giant fish and posed for pictures and then sent me away with two bottles of ouzo and told me that I will never have to pay to eat there again! But remember that even the cheap restaurants do have expensive fish. Read the menu and if you are not sure of the price ask them to show you on the menu. Also some of the fish is sold by the plate and some by the kilo. The price per kilo is next to the fish. The expensive fish have a lot more zeros than the cheap ones.

Dimitri, who owns Paradosiako Cafeneon in the Plaka has just opened with his son a new fish taverna in Pireaus called Sergiani at Akti Trif. Moutsopoulou 25 in Microlimano. I don't usually (or ever) recommend a restaurant that I have never been to but because Paradosiako is such an excellent restaurant it would be hard to believe that his new place won't be as well.

With the new coastal tram it is easy to get on in Syntagma and get off at a seaside fish taverna. If you get off at the stop called EDEM you can go to the fish restaurant of the same name, right on the beach where they serve fresh (and frozen) fish, ouzo, wine, salads at reasonable prices. In the winter the beach is a little gross because whoever cleans it takes his holiday, but if you don't look too closely you will think you are on an island.

The small fish taverna Koufounisia is impossible to find. It is in Kalithea at 215 Likougou and Agias Lavras and really the only way to get there is by taxi and it is nowhere near the sea. But if you can get there you will be glad you went. Famous for fresh fish, octopus on the grill, crabs, mussels, clams and sea creatures you have probably never heard of or seen before. Deceiving in appearance, it was formerly a souvlaki shop. This place was shown to me by Kostas of Dolphin Hellas, so if you are working with him ask him to take you there. Mariana and George are the owners. She speaks English and German and majored in history.

A little further...in fact a lot further in the port of Lavrion is the Korali Restaurant where people eat when they are waiting to catch the ferry to Kea. But if you are doing a day trip to Sounion this is a fine place to eat. Though it is far from Athens I decided to include it because the food was so good.

Rafina is full of small fish restaurants and worth the trip. The town of Anavissos is famous for seafood tavernas. It is on the way to Sounion. Try the Kima psaro-taverna. We ate there and it was excellent. Also the district of Kessariani which is heading up Mount Hymettos and has nothing to do with the sea is known for the seafood restaurants around Anagnesseos Square.

Be aware that sometimes you will flag down a cab and rather then take you to the restaurant you want to go to, he will say he knows a better one and take you to another as I have mentioned above. Sometimes this may be the case, but more then likely he is getting a hefty comission from the restaurant he delivers you to and the bill is going to be ten times more then what you had planned on spending. My advice is to use a radio cab from the hotel. They are less likely to jeapordize their relationship with the hotel if you report them.

The Psistarias of Vari

"In America you have your Silicon Valley ", my friend Nikos told me." In Greece we have Cholesterol Valley ". He is talking about the area called Vari which is to grilled meat as Mikrolimeno is to seafood. The town is located near the coastal town of Vouliagmeni on the road to the airport and is famous for it's collection of psistarias which serve roast suckling pig, roast lamb, roast goat, kokoretsi, paidakia all cooked over hot coals. I would consider a visit to Vari essential for anyone who wants to live like a Greek for one night and the more people you can get together for it, the more fun you will have. We went with George the Famous Taxi Driver and a couple of his taxi driving friends and relatives to a place called Tassos that had great wine and delicious food. Tassos is easily recognizable by the fellow dressed like a Greek shepherd in a foustenella and a shepherds stick waving at the cars. Well, maybe not because lots of places have guys like this in Vari. But if you love grilled meat it is tough to go wrong in Vari. Get a group together and call George or just go on your own. There is not a taxi driver in Athens who does not know where Vari is.

The reality is that the best restaurants are outside of the Plaka and central Athens, some in working class neighborhoods, some in the suburbs. One of the best nights of my life was spent with George the Famous Taxi Driver and his family on Mount Parnes, just outside the city where there is an entire town of restaurants that serve whole grilled lamb, steaks, chicken, pork, kokoretsi, goat and every appetizer you can imagine. The wine was fantastic!