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.
Tip: No microwave and no menu; you point at the trays. Closes when the pans run out, often by 22:00.
Address: Kydantidon 32 & Troon 41, Athina 118 51, Greece, Athens
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.
Diporto on Sokratous and Theatrou in central Athens has poured Attic retsina from barrels since 1887, a basement koutouki with a EUR10 lunch and no menu.
Try: Greek lunch with retsina from the barrel
Tip: Lunch only from late morning until the pans empty, often by 17:00; no menu, no English spoken.
Ariston on Voulis behind Syntagma in Athens has baked filo pies since 1910, a takeaway counter where the spanakopita is the order and a coffee runs under EUR3.
Try: Spanakopita, cheese pie, meat pie
Tip: Stand-up counter only; closed Sundays. Morning pies fly out before 10:00.
Falafellas on Aiolou near Monastiraki in Athens is the central falafel pita counter, fresh-built takeaways under EUR5 with tahini, salad and chilli.
Try: Falafel pita with tahini and salad
Tip: Queue runs longest at lunch; the meatball pita is the regulars' variant.
