Tucked away in Kolonos, In a neighborhood you wouldn't immediately associate with dining out, chef Yiannis Mousios and sommelier Giorgos Kontorizos took over a tavern dating back to 1954, and it turned out well. So well, in fact, that within a year it became one of the hardest-to-book tables in the city (they deliberately kept the number of tables small: they prefer to serve you like a friend).

The menu changes daily with the seasons; the only constants are the oven-baked potatoes with lemon and oregano, and the taramosalata. Add excellent bottled wines and, in summer, a courtyard full of string lights, and you get the picture. Argous 66.

De manari is the tavern project of Ari Vezené (the man behind Birdman and Nolan, among others), and his modern take on the hasapotaverna , the traditional butcher's tavern. It revolves around meat cooked over an open wood fire: sheep and goat, lamb chops, kofte, grilled chicken, and for the adventurous, some offal. Tables stream out of the covered arcade onto the square, next to the church of Agioi Theodoroi and a stone's throw from the Varvakios market. Tablecloths and better service than before, but the prices have remained fair and that barbecue sizzles. Plateia Agion Theodoron 3.

In Neo's cosmos, three minutes from the metro, the Tomasian family has been making perhaps the best kebab in the city since 1983. Armenian roots: finely chopped lamb and veal with onion and spices, twisted into the juiciest skewers, plus lahmajoun(Armenian “pizza”) and the giaourtlou with yogurt. A tiny, no-frills place where you mostly get takeout or squeeze onto a stool (it fills up with three people). Dirt cheap and genuinely good. Sarkoudinou 43.

We even went here twice in a row, because Akra is so much fun. In the hip Pangrati, In Greek, Akra means “ends” or “extremes,” and that refers to the two poles of the establishment. At the back, the cast-iron wood-burning fireplace; at the front, the bakery station. Chefs Yiannis Loukakis and pastry chef Spyros Pediaditakis (known for their businesses in Thessaloniki) cleverly turned the open-kitchen concept on its head: there is no counter separating cooks and guests; they simply cook along the walls with their backs to you, like home cooks.

The menu changes every single day with what comes in, following a philosophy of minimizing waste (every part of the product is used). Fish or lamb with artichoke, pea purée, courgette, radish, and sour cheese from Syros. Be sure to save room for the sourdough ice cream with hazelnut and the organic milk cake. The wine list is short and predominantly organic.

You can go there for breakfast as early as around nine in the morning, with perhaps the best sourdough bread in the city and Danish rolls (also for takeaway). Aminta 12, Pangrati. 

Akra

Perhaps the coolest place of them all: Pharaoh in Exarchia is a wine bar-restaurant with a Michelin Bib Gourmand and very unique. The kitchen runs entirely on wood fire, charcoal, and a wood oven, with which chef Manolis Papoutsakis serves Greek village dishes in their purest form.

Keftedakia, braised beef with barley, dolmadakia with xygalo yogurt, taramosalata with bottarga. The wine list features some 400 (mostly natural) wines, and the music comes exclusively from vinyl, spun by some of the city's best DJs in a genuine audiophile setting. Behind it all: food journalist Fotis Vallatos, baritone Dimitris Platanias, and wine connoisseur Perry Panagiotakopoulos. Dionisiou Solomou 54.

Pharaoh

In Neo's cosmos stands a neoclassical building with a courtyard and an enormous fig tree: Terrace (Greek for “terrace”). It is simultaneously the showroom of furniture designer Haris Rigalos, who works from a recycling philosophy, and an all-day café, cocktail bar, and restaurant, complete with exhibitions and workshops. Specialty coffee, and during the day brunch, tacos, salads, and a delicious shrimp orzo; in the evening, cocktails on the green terrace. Morning Bar and Annie's Fine Cooking (daily changing menu) are also housed under the same roof. Arty, casual, and a hit with locals.

The Makers Located on Praxitelous (a street that has been extensively renovated over the last decade) is a shop and eatery in one. The company behind the name makes linen and cotton aprons, placemats, and tea towels (they dress entire restaurants and hotels), and between meals, you can simply browse the racks. Upstairs are a workshop and the wholesale business; the open kitchen stands in the middle of the establishment.

The trio behind the business, Teti Haritou, George Ballas, and Ilias Stavropoulos, opened in the middle of the pandemic. For lunch, there is a wide variety of options: rice bowls, omelets made with organic eggs, and salads (the green one with bok choy, mizuna, Manchego, miso dressing, panko, and green olives is highly recommended). Vegan and gluten-free options are also well represented. The savory waffles are a crowd favorite. Sweet treats are also available: yogurt bowls with oatmeal and berries, açaí, ricotta pancakes, or that apple pie on a cloud of pastry cream.

On weekends, locals book a table in advance, so make a reservation. Praxitelous 37; daily from 08:30 to 20:00. 

The Makers