Eating out in Athens

The Greeks are renowned for their hedonistic lifestyle and the long nights they like to spend eating, drinking and dancing. Few other places on earth can match the city's lively nightlife scene. Late dinners (taken at around 10pm) and nightclubs that fill up after midnight, are extremely typical here so don't be alarmed by the empty tables if you show up early for dinner!

Several factors make dining and partying so pleasurable in Athens. First there is the contagious joy shown by Athenians as they savor their food, dance on any available surface including tables and chat endlessly. Secondly, the picture perfect scenery, be it a traditional taverna located in a vine-covered backyard in Plaka or a seaside fish restaurant in Piraeus, will add to your enjoyment. Finally, the pleasant weather means that you can dine and party outdoors for most months of the year. What better way to end the day than by dining under the stars beneath the Acropolis?

From gourmet to fast-food, Athens has it all… and for every budget.

Cafes, bars, restaurants and tavernas in Athens

Sometimes one can have the feeling there are more restaurants in Athens then there are people but this number also creates a big diversity in food. You can find almost any kind of food in Athens and you do not have to go far to find it. We recommend that you try out the local traditional Greek cuisine. You can always have hamburgers at home.

In Athens, as well as throughout Greece, eating out is a way of life. Restaurants are more than places to have a bite before the evening entertainment; very often they are the entertainment. Whether in a local tavern or one of the most elegant restaurants, Greeks take their time over food. Breakfast is light; lunch is eaten in the mid afternoon and dinner usually doesn't start until 10pm.

Open the menu of a Greek restaurant and the parade of Greek food begins. Start with appetizers such as horiatiki salata (tomato, cucumber, olives, and feta cheese), taramosalata (a fish roe spread) or melitzanosalata (eggplant salad). Continue with the entree with a choice of grilled meat, souvlaki or gyros. There also is a wide assortment of seafood such as octopus, squid, red snapper, or lobster. For drinks, besides the usual beverages, you can have ouzo or the popular wine retsina. Dessert can include pastes (sweet cakes with cream), baklava (syrup cake), loukoumades (fritters with honey or syrup), kataif (shredded filo soaked in honey) and pagoto (ice cream).