15 restaurants in Athens, editor-picked for monday dinner. Open on monday, the day most kitchens go dark. All restaurants in Athens.
Mavro Provato ★ 4.5
pangrati · Arrianou 31-33, Pangrati
Hours: Mon-Sat 13:00-00:00, Sun 13:00-19:00
Mavro Provato in Pangrati is the daily Athens mezedopoleio favourite for small-plate Greek cooking with regulars on the pavement from 14:00.
Tip: Book three days ahead for dinner; lunch tables on the pavement are walk-up only from 14:00 onwards.
Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani ★ 4.5
psyrri · Sokratous & Evripidou 1, 10552, Athina
Hours: Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00
Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani on Sokratous is the Athens deli-mezedopoleio for Asia Minor cured meats: Karamanli pastourma, sausages and small plates.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The deli counter runs 08:00-21:00 if you want to take meats home with you.
Diporto ★ 4.5
psyrri · Sokratous 9, Athina 105 52
Hours: Mon-Sat 08:00-19:00
Diporto on Sokratous and Theatrou has poured Attic retsina from barrels in Athens since 1887, a basement koutouki with no sign and a handful of daily dishes.
Tip: Lunch only from late morning until the pans empty, often by 17:00; no menu, no English spoken.
Atlantikos ★ 4.4
psyrri · Avliton 7, Psiri, Athina 10563, Greece
Hours: Daily 13:00-01:00
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.
Tip: The annex across the lane opens at 18:00 weekdays and 13:00 weekends; book the original room.
Manimani ★ 4.4
koukaki · Falirou 10, Koukaki, 117 42
Hours: Daily 14:00-23:00
Manimani in Koukaki cooks the food of the Mani peninsula in a neoclassical building near the Acropolis Museum: cured pork siglino and handmade pasta.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Sunday lunch from 14:00 is the easiest service for booking a window seat.
Karavitis Tavern ★ 4.4
pangrati · Pausaniou 4 Pangrati, Athina 11635, Greece
Hours: Daily 13:30-01:00
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.
Tip: No reservations are taken; arrive before 21:00 weeknights and before 20:30 on Friday and Saturday.
Taverna tou Oikonomou ★ 4.4
petralona · Kydantidon 32, Athina 118 51
Hours: Mon-Fri 19:00-01:00, Sat-Sun 13:00-00:00
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.
Tip: No microwave and no menu; you point at the trays. Closes when pans empty out, often by 22:00.
Tzitzikas kai Mermigas ★ 4.3
syntagma-historic-centre · Mitropoleos 12, Athina
Hours: Sun-Mon 13:00-23:00, Tue-Sat 13:00-01:00
Tzitzikas kai Mermigas on Mitropoleos has cooked Greek small plates with seasonal ingredients off Syntagma Square in Athens for three decades.
Tip: Lunch from 13:00 is the easier seating; book three days ahead for Friday and Saturday dinner.
Klimataria ★ 4.3
psyrri · Plateia Theatrou 2, Athina 105 52
Hours: Daily 12:00-00:30
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.
Tip: Live music runs most evenings from around 22:00; book a fortnight ahead for the weekend.
Athinaikon ★ 4.3
exarchia · Themistokleous 2, Athina 106 78
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30-00:30
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.
Tip: The Mitropoleos sister room is the modern outpost; the Themistokleous original is the destination.
Taverna Saita ★ 4.3
plaka · Kydathineon 21, Plaka, Athina
Hours: Daily 12:00-00:00
Taverna Saita on Kydathineon is the rare Plaka room in Athens cooking for locals. The Zacharopoulou family has fried bakaliaros skordalia here since 1970.
Tip: Pavement tables face the quiet end of Kydathineon, away from souvenir shops; book a fortnight ahead.
Kostarelos Kolonaki ★ 4.3
kolonaki · Patriarchou Ioakim 30-32, Athina 106 75
Hours: Mon-Sat 08:00-22:00, Sun 10:00-18:00
Kostarelos on Patriarchou Ioakeim is the Kolonaki dine-in cheese deli of three generations of cheesemakers, with 14 cheeses, sandwiches and a short wine list.
Tip: Lunch on the pavement bench faces Kolonaki Square; deli counter open until 22:00 Mon-Sat.
Taverna Platanos ★ 4.2
plaka · Diogenous 4, Plaka
Hours: Mon-Sat 12:00-00:00, Sun 12:00-17:00
Taverna Platanos under the plane tree on Diogenous has fed Plaka in Athens since 1932, a courtyard room where slow-cooked lamb in lemon sauce is the order.
Tip: The courtyard opens late spring; book ten days ahead for the Friday and Saturday warm-weather seatings.
Etnico ★ 4.2
monastiraki · Kolokotroni 22, Athina 105 62
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:00-04:00, Sun 11:00-00:00
Etnico on Kolokotroni in Monastiraki Athens cooks multi-ethnic street food across Mexican, Indian and Middle Eastern menus with sit-down tables and a counter.
Tip: Late-night kitchen runs to 04:00 on weekends; the vegan list is the longest of the Monastiraki ethnic kitchens.
Bairaktaris ★ 3.8
monastiraki · Pl. Monastirakiou 5, 10555, Athina
Hours: Daily 09:00-02:00
Bairaktaris on Monastiraki Square is the tourist-targeted Athens institution. Priced at €€. Kitchen leans souvlaki and taverna. At Pl. Monastirakiou 5.
Tip: The square seating is the experience; the rooms behind serve a longer menu and live guitar music.