Birdman on Voulis is chef Ari Vezene's Japanese-Greek robata grill: a long open counter for yakitori, kushiyaki and dry-aged niku with Greek seafood and citrus.
Must order: The neck-to-tail yakitori with a few skewers of seasonal seafood from the robata.
Tip: Counter seats see the cooking; book a side seat for two and order across the menu.
Address: Voulis 35, Athina, Athens
The Zillers in central Athens is one Michelin star for refined Greek cooking, in the Mitropoleos boutique hotel of the same name with views to the cathedral.
Order: The rooftop seating with the seasonal tasting menu when the weather is warm.
Tip: Hotel guests book the rooftop bar separately; the restaurant tables face the cathedral.
Delta at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre in Athens-Kallithea holds two Michelin stars and a Green Star for fermentation-led Greek cooking.
Order: The full twelve-course tasting menu with the optional wine pairing.
Tip: Book a month ahead; the architecture is the warm-up so allow time for the foundation walk.
Spondi in Pangrati has held a Michelin star since 2002, the contemporary French kitchen behind the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens that still sets the city benchmark.
Order: The Discovery tasting menu with the optional wine pairing from the Greek-leaning cellar.
Tip: Book three weeks ahead on the site; the courtyard tables open in May for warm-weather candlelit dining.
Hytra at the Onassis Cultural Centre is one Michelin star for contemporary Greek cooking with a top-floor view across Athens to the Acropolis in warm weather.
Order: The seasonal tasting menu; the rooftop summer terrace opens June through September.
Tip: The seventh-floor summer bar is a separate booking from the winter ground-floor dining room.
CTC in Kerameikos is Alexandros Tsiotinis's one Michelin star for creative Greek cooking, in a converted post-industrial space west of central Athens.
Order: The chef's tasting menu with optional wine pairing from the all-Greek list.
Tip: The dining room is small and the kitchen seats are the best in the house, ask when booking.
Soil in Pangrati is Tasos Mantis's one Michelin star plus Green Star for sustainable Greek cooking with Nordic discipline and a fully seasonal carte.
Order: The full tasting menu; the kitchen runs on what arrived that morning from small farms.
Tip: The Green Star menu skews vegetable-forward; flag allergies and preferences when booking.
The Zillers in central Athens is one Michelin star for refined Greek cooking, in the Mitropoleos boutique hotel of the same name with views to the cathedral.
Order: The rooftop seating with the seasonal tasting menu when the weather is warm.
Tip: Hotel guests book the rooftop bar separately; the restaurant tables face the cathedral.
