Krinos on Aiolou has fried loukoumades since 1923 in Athens, the EUR5 portion of doughnuts with honey at the back-counter seated room.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the seated counter at the back is the destination, not the takeaway window.
Address: Aiolou 87, Athina 105 51, Greece, Athens
Lukumades on Aiolou and Agia Irini Square in Athens is the modern loukoumades shop, where filled or topped doughnuts run EUR4 to EUR8 with espresso to go.
Try: Filled and topped loukoumades
Tip: The injected loukoumades with cream are the order; queue runs longest on summer weekends.
Bairaktaris on Monastiraki Square in Athens has a takeaway pita window onto the square, a EUR4 pita that runs until 02:00 every day of the week.
Try: Souvlaki and gyros pita
Tip: The pita window faces the square; the sit-down room behind is a separate bill.
Taverna tou Oikonomou in Ano Petralona in Athens cooks home-style mageirio food since 1930, a EUR12 lunch plate from the pan with house red and bread included.
Try: Daily mageirio plate
Tip: No microwave and no menu; you point at the trays. Closes when the pans run out, often by 22:00.
Karavitis in Pangrati has cooked the Athens taverna canon since 1926, a budget Greek dinner of bekri-meze, vine leaves and chops with house wine for around EUR15.
Try: Athenian taverna plate with house wine
Tip: No reservations are taken; arrive before 21:00 on weeknights and before 20:30 on Saturdays.
Kostas on Agia Irini Square in Athens has fired the souvlaki pita with its house tomato sauce since 1946, the EUR3 lunch counter that has fed the city for three generations.
Try: Pork souvlaki pita with tomato sauce
Tip: Open weekdays until 17:00 or until the meat runs out; closed Saturday and Sunday and cash preferred.
O Telis on Evripidou in central Athens has grilled pork chops since the 1970s, the king-of-Evripidou-Street counter where the EUR10 plate comes with chips, salad and bread.
Try: Grilled pork chops with chips, salad, bread
Tip: No menu; the order is pork chops with chips, salad, bread and red wine. Closed Sundays.
