Prepare yourself to indulge, Athens is a city for three meals a day. For the most part, the best traditional Greek taverns don’t need much of a menu. You sit down, ask to be fed, and eat accordingly.

Diporto

First stop for lunch: an underground tavern run by a pappou, with his son moving between the tables. The chickpea soup is impossibly simple, and somehow tastes alive, waking up parts of your palate you didn’t know chickpeas could reach. A whole loaf of bread arrives at the table, seemingly for the sole purpose of absorbing what remains at the bottom of the bowl.

The Greek salad is simply wonderful - tomatoes fresh from the family garden, with their juices pooling at the bottom of the bowl, making everything taste incredibly fresh.

Oikonomou Tavern

Like most of Athens, Oikonomou Tavern is understated and to the point. Come with a large appetite - there are far too many dishes worth ordering.

Start with the horta and feta, alongside the beans, then let the table slowly fill with whatever catches your eye. The stuffed cabbage leaves are insane.

ΛΙΝΟΥ ΣΟΥΜΠΑΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΣΙΑ / Linou soumesi

Linou returns to simplicity in the most experiemental away. Paradoxically, some of Greece’s most traditional flavours and dishes are made to feel completely new. The tension between old and new runs through everything - the sparse, industrial space, the plating, the ingredients. It feels thoughtful without becoming overly precious.

Manari Taverna

If you are a big meat eater, go to Manari. It is a more polished take on the Greek taverna, centred around excellent cuts of meat cooked simply and properly. Come hungry.

Athens also has a small but very good vintage scene. Le Second Degré was my favourite find - a tightly curated selection of second-hand and vintage designer pieces, rather than the kind of store you need to spend hours digging through.

If you need a matcha, head to Brush Matcha. I’d recommend the coconut water matcha, especially in the summer when the city becomes a sauna.

Athens is best experienced slowly, and preferably hungry. There will always be another taverna, another glass of wine, another plate arriving at the table that you didn’t technically need to order. Leave room for all of it.

Subscribe now