Atlantikos in Psyrri is the central Athens seafood pick: Avliton 7 fires the daily catch on the grill from lunch through to past midnight every day.
Signature dishes: Grilled octopus, Sea bream carpaccio, Fried calamari
Must order: The grilled octopus, the sea bream carpaccio and a chilled assyrtiko by the glass.
Tip: The annex across the lane opens at 18:00 weekdays and 13:00 weekends; book the original room.
Address: Avliton 7, Psiri, Athina 10563, Greece, Athens
Klimataria on Theatre Square has poured Athens taverna food since 1927, a Psyrri institution where rebetiko plays live on most evenings from around 22:00.
Signature: Gigandes plaki, Slow-cooked lamb, Stuffed tomatoes
Order: Gigandes plaki, slow-cooked lamb and a half-kilo of the house red from the barrels.
Tip: Live music runs most evenings from around 22:00; book a fortnight ahead for the weekend.
Tzitzikas kai Mermigas on Mitropoleos has cooked Greek small plates with seasonal ingredients off Syntagma Square in Athens for three decades.
Signature: Keftedakia, Kayianas allios, Greek salad
Order: The keftedakia and the kayianas allios with a glass of the house assyrtiko.
Tip: Lunch from 13:00 is the easier seating; book three days ahead for Friday and Saturday dinner.
Manimani in Koukaki cooks the food of the Mani peninsula in a neoclassical building near the Acropolis Museum: cured pork siglino and handmade pasta.
Signature: Siglino, Sausage from Mani, Handmade Mani pasta
Order: The siglino with handmade pasta and a half-litre of the rosé from the Peloponnese.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Sunday lunch from 14:00 is the easiest service for booking a window seat.
Karavitis in Pangrati has cooked the Athens taverna canon since 1926, a rustic room with a courtyard, barrels of house wine and the bekri-meze stew.
Signature: Bekri meze, Stuffed vine leaves, Lamb chops
Order: The bekri meze stew with stuffed vine leaves and a carafe of the house red.
Tip: No reservations are taken; arrive before 21:00 weeknights and before 20:30 on Friday and Saturday.
Klimataria on Theatre Square has poured Athens taverna food since 1927, a Psyrri institution where rebetiko plays live on most evenings from around 22:00.
Signature: Gigandes plaki, Slow-cooked lamb, Stuffed tomatoes
Order: Gigandes plaki, slow-cooked lamb and a half-kilo of the house red from the barrels.
Tip: Live music runs most evenings from around 22:00; book a fortnight ahead for the weekend.
Athinaikon on Themistokleous is the Exarchia ouzeri of record in Athens, opened in 1932 and moved to its current corner in 1989 with vintage decor intact.
Signature: Shrimp saganaki, Marides, Aubergine in oil
Order: The shrimp saganaki, a plate of marides and a carafe of tsipouro from Tyrnavos.
Tip: The Mitropoleos sister room is the modern outpost; the Themistokleous original is the destination.
Taverna tou Oikonomou in Ano Petralona is the Athens mageirio that has cooked home-style food since 1930, with 15 to 20 daily dishes from the pan.
Signature: Daily stew, Stuffed peppers, Pastitsio
Order: Ask what came out of the pan today; the daily stew with a glass of the house red.
Tip: No microwave and no menu; you point at the trays. Closes when pans empty out, often by 22:00.
