The ultimate insider's guide to eating in Athens

For those of you who couldn't make my retreat last weekend...

Kalimera from a sunny Athens one and all.

On Monday of this week I waved goodbye to some brilliant women who joined me for a weekend-long exploration of my city. For those of you that couldn’t make it but have been sliding into my instagram DMs to ask me where we were eating, the below guide is all you need to know about where to head to for good food in Athens. It’s far more food spots than I could manage to take those on my retreat to and it’s my TOP SECRET places that I tend not to share with others.

As a travel writer, I’m often asked to share my ‘off the beaten track’ spots with the magazines and newspapers I write for but honestly, I’m reticent to ruin the really local joints and tend not to reveal the REAL local spots. For my loyal subscribers though, I’m happy to let you into my secrets.

Below is the ultimate guide to living my Athens. It’s cosy tavernas, late night rebetika joints and the best sea food options if you want to avoid the tourist traps (of which there are MANY!) in this city. I’m also dropping in places to stay to truly get a feel for Athens and essential things to do while you’re here.

If any of you are planning a holiday to Greece this year, I encourage you to save a few days on your itinerary for Athens. Few capitals in the world are as loaded with history as my city. A magnet for visitors and a reason for Greeks like me to take pride in our culture, the remains of the ancient city-state rise up amid today’s energetic urban environment.

In among the crumbling the graffiti-daubed apartment blocks are appealing neoclassical structures, modernist ‘polykatoikies’ and dramatic detail in the sweeping marble staircases and extravagant wrought iron doors, examples of a golden architectural period in the 1960s. The city is a dense, unsystematic mix of old and new, east and west; a site of constructions, reconstructions, renovations and innovations.

It’s a city that is best lived with a local. It’s sprawling and packed with hidden spots that you have to really know about to experience.

Yes, Athens is a chaotic, frenetic meeting point between East and West but in this jungle, balconies drip with tropical flora, farmers’ markets pop up to colour the streets with the primary hues of Greece’s best produce and tavernas spill out onto pavements and plateias (squares), contributing to the rich, cultural tapestry of the city.

Hope you can visit in 2024. Enjoy the guide!