Restaurants

If you are in Athens during warm weather -- and you more than likely will be -- you will quickly discover that to the Athenians (as to most Greeks) dining outdoors is just as important as the meal itself. As with the rest of the rebirth that the ancient city is experiencing, culinary offerings are undergoing a renaissance. Traditional Greek cuisine is undergoing its own reinvention in the hands of new chefs (most of them trained abroad), while classic foreign cuisines are also becoming well represented. Three new restaurants have been awarded the prestigious Michelin star. Athens has become such a foodie haven in recent years that even Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa noticed and chose Athens to host his fourth European and newest restaurant.

However, those seeking authentic Greek cuisine have no reason to worry: In spite of the booming restaurant industry's recent love affair with the new and trendy, traditional tavernas have not gone out of style, and indeed have been cropping up all over the place (with the excellent Mamacas restaurant in Gazi being the trailblazer when it first opened its doors in 1998). These tavernas put an edgier spin on their predecessors with lighter fare, catering to a mostly younger clientele, and pay more attention to pleasing the city's increasingly refined palates. Even though it is impossible to cover the entire city's offerings, I have tried to highlight the best and most exciting restaurants, from the traditional tavernas and mezodopoleia or ouzeries, where you can enjoy many small dishes, to new tavernas, fusion restaurants, and more.

Be aware though that dining in Athens (like in any other European capital) will rarely come cheap at the quality restaurants. If you wish to dine with the locals, keep in mind that Athenians do not dine before 10pm, so plan accordingly. Your tip should be 10% to 15% on top of the bill (check first if it is already included in the bill). Menus can be found in both Greek and English (if not, the waiter will help you with suggestions.) Since 2002 restaurants are required by law to offer nonsmoking seating. You may or may not find this law enforced and the current E.U. nonsmoking law that went into effect in 2009 will not have a major effect on the city's countless warm season al fresco dining and drinking establishments.

A Note on Credit Cards -- Much has changed in Athens, but one thing remains the same: Many Athenian restaurants still do not accept credit cards, especially tavernas and "lower brow" places. Consider yourself warned.

The Plaka

Some of the most charming old restaurants in Athens are in the Plaka -- as are some of the worst tourist traps. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you head off for a meal in the Plaka.

Some Plaka restaurants station waiters outside who don't just urge you to come in and sit down, but who pursue you with an unrelenting sales pitch. The hard sell is almost always a giveaway that the place caters to tourists. (That said, remember that announcements of what's for sale are not invariably ploys reserved for tourists. If you visit the Central Market, you'll see and hear stall owners calling out the attractions of their meat, fish, and produce to passersby -- even waving particularly tempting fish and fowl in front of potential customers.)

In general, it's a good idea to avoid places with floor shows; many charge outrageous amounts (and levy surcharges not always openly stated on menus) for drinks and food. If you get burned, stand your ground, phone the tourist police (tel. 171), and pay nothing before they arrive. Often the mere threat of calling the tourist police has the miraculous effect of causing a bill to be lowered.

Quick Bites in Syntagma

In general, Syntagma Square is not known for good food, but the area has a number of places to get a snack. Apollonion Bakery, 10 Nikis, and Elleniki Gonia, 10 Karayioryi Servias, make sandwiches to order and sell croissants, both stuffed and plain. Ariston is a small chain of zaharoplastia (confectioners) with a branch at the corner of Karayioryi Servias and Voulis (just off Syntagma Sq.); it sells snacks as well as pastries.

For the quintessentially Greek loukoumades (round doughnut center-like pastries that are deep-fried, then drenched with honey and topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon), try Doris, 30 Praxitelous, a continuation of Lekka, a few blocks from Syntagma Square. If you're still hungry, Doris serves hearty stews and pasta dishes for absurdly low prices Monday through Saturday until 3:30pm. If you're nearer Omonia Square when you feel the need for loukoumades or a soothing dish of rice pudding, try Aigina, 46 Panepistimiou.

Everest is another chain worth trying; there's one a block north of Kolonaki Square at Tsakalof and Iraklitou. Also in Kolonaki Square, To Kotopolo serves succulent grilled chicken to take out or eat in. In the Plaka, K. Kotsolis Pastry Shop, 112 Adrianou, serves excellent coffee and sweets; it's an oasis of old-fashioned charm in the midst of souvenir shops. Oraia Ellada (Beautiful Greece), a cafe at the Center of Hellenic Tradition, opens onto both 36 Pandrossou and 59 Mitropoleos near the flea market and has a spectacular view of the Acropolis. You can revive yourself here with a cappuccino and pastries.