Grilled pork or chicken on a wooden skewer with the meat sliced off into a warm pita with tomato, onion and tzatziki, the everyday lunch and late dinner across Athens.
Skewered meat over coals predates the modern souvlaki by centuries, but the Athens souvlaki-pita built around tzatziki and a charcoal grill emerged in the post-war 1950s. The Bairaktaris family on Monastiraki traces its souvlaki business to the late 19th century. Kostas on Agia Irini Square has fried the pita with its own tomato sauce since 1946. The dish is now the daily food of Athens, costing EUR3 to EUR4 at counter, eaten standing in the square.
2 editor picks for Souvlaki pita in Athens, ranked by editorial score. All Athens signature dishes · Souvlaki pita across every city.
Kostas Souvlaki ★ 4.7
monastiraki · Agia Irinis Square 2, Athina 105 60
Kostas Souvlaki on Agia Irini Square in Athens has fired the pork souvlaki pita with its house tomato sauce since 1946, a counter run by the same family for three generations.
Bairaktaris ★ 3.8
monastiraki · Pl. Monastirakiou 5, 10555, Athina
Bairaktaris on Monastiraki Square is the tourist-targeted Athens institution. The family has run the souvlaki and taverna room here since the late 19th century.