Situated close to the bountiful Aegean Sea and with beautiful weather in the summer, Athens offers pure culinary delight in terms of fresh and locally sourced food. Athens’ best restaurants highlight classic Mediterranean cuisine, but when it comes to where to eat in Athens there is also an array of options hailing from other parts of the world. Cooked by skilled and passionate hands in an array of high-class dining establishments, the elite gastronome can enjoy a meal fit for the Gods of Mount Olympus. These are our picks of the best restaurants in Athens, Greece.
Spondi
Alfresco dining at Spondi
Thanks to its two Michelin stars, Spondi has become a point of reference not only for Athenian gastronomes but for those throughout Europe.
Located close to the first venue of the modern Olympics, the Panathinaiko Stadium, Spondi has streaked ahead in terms of taste and presentation. The head chef serves a menu that changes according to the seasons and his creative imagination. The food is artful and packed with exquisite flavors, and touched by a hint of exoticism.
Upon request, Spondi offers private dining on its immaculately decorated first floor. As one of top restaurants in Athens, Spondi was voted to a spot on the Elite Traveler list of Top 100 Restaurants in the World 2017.
Papadakis
The Acropolis sits in the distance on the Papadakis terrace
Papadakis may not be among the handful of Athenian eateries to boast a Michelin star, but it is arguably one of the best places to experience authentic Greek cuisine. Sitting on the foothills of Mount Lucabettus in the upmarket area of Kolonaki, it offers respite from the hustle and bustle of Athens and boasts views of the stunning Acropolis from its shaded dining terrace.
The restaurant is the brainchild of Argiro Barbarigou and first opened its doors in 2005 when she moved a restaurant of the same name from its original site on the island of Paros. It has since become a culinary pillar of the community and is regularly filled with well-heeled locals who come to experience some of the finest seafood available in the city.
Only serving the best and freshest seafood available, the menu changes as often as the sun sets. The daily specials are usually exquisite while the Paros Island Chickpeas – slow-cooked for 15 hours – are a must for any diner.
Estiatorio Milos Athens
Estiatorio Milos in Athens
Twenty years after Costas Spiliadis opened the first Estiatorio Milos in Montreal and almost a decade after opening in New York City, in January 2004 Estiatorio Milos finally returned home to Athens.
Despite the intervening decades, the restaurant’s mission has remained the same: simplicity, elegance and exquisite organic food. The fish served to diners is line-caught by a group of local fishermen, delivered daily and seasoned with authentic, clean and simple ingredients.
The beautiful green veranda offers a wonderful summer oasis from the bustling city. For the discerning traveler, Milos offers a beautifully decorated private dining area, or for a true Milos culinary delight, a chef’s table can be booked for that perfect dining experience. Celebrities who have dined at Milos include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow.
GB Roof Garden
GB Roof Gardens with a view of the Acropolis
Situated on the most famous square in Greece, Hotel Grand Bretagne is one of the city’s great dining destinations with the scenic rooftop proving to be particularly enticing.
GB Roof Garden serves the capital’s most sophisticated crowd new Mediterranean cuisine in an elegant setting, which is especially captivating with a view over the city.
With executive chef Asterios Koustoudis at the helm, the restaurant serves dishes such as carre and leg duet of lamb, olive gnocchi with Florina peppers confit and yoghurt, and sea bass confit in olive oil and green vegetables with steamed oysters and truffle.
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