10 budget eating worth the trip across Greece, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Greece guides.
Kostas Souvlaki ★ 4.7 · Athens
monastiraki · Agia Irinis Square 2, Athina 105 60
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.
Tip: Open weekdays until 17:00 or until the meat runs out; closed Saturday and Sunday and cash preferred.
O Telis ★ 4.5 · Athens
psyrri · 86 Evripidou str. & 20 Epikourou str., 10553
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.
Tip: No menu; the order is pork chops with chips, salad, bread and red wine. Closed Sundays.
Diporto ★ 4.5 · Athens
psyrri · Sokratous 9, Athina 105 52
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.
Tip: Lunch only from late morning until the pans empty, often by 17:00; no menu, no English spoken.
Ariston Pies ★ 4.4 · Athens
syntagma-historic-centre · Voulis 10, Athina 105 62
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.
Tip: Stand-up counter only; closed Sundays. Morning pies fly out before 10:00.
Falafellas ★ 4.4 · Athens
monastiraki · Aiolou 51, Athina 10551, Greece
Falafellas on Aiolou near Monastiraki in Athens is the central falafel pita counter, fresh-built takeaways under EUR5 with tahini, salad and chilli.
Tip: Queue runs longest at lunch; the meatball pita is the regulars' variant.
Krinos Loukoumades ★ 4.4 · Athens
syntagma-historic-centre · Aiolou 87, Athina 105 51, Greece
Krinos on Aiolou has fried loukoumades since 1923 in Athens, the EUR5 portion of doughnuts with honey at the back-counter seated room.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the seated counter at the back is the destination, not the takeaway window.
Taverna tou Oikonomou ★ 4.4 · Athens
petralona · Kydantidon 32 & Troon 41, Athina 118 51, Greece
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.
Karavitis Tavern ★ 4.4 · Athens
pangrati · Pausaniou 4 Pangrati, Athina 11635, Greece
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.
Tip: No reservations are taken; arrive before 21:00 on weeknights and before 20:30 on Saturdays.
Lukumades Aiolou ★ 4.3 · Athens
monastiraki · Aiolou 21, Athina 105 51
Lukumades on Aiolou and Agia Irini Square in Athens is the modern loukoumades shop, where filled or topped doughnuts run EUR4 to EUR8 with espresso to go.
Tip: The injected loukoumades with cream are the order; queue runs longest on summer weekends.
Bairaktaris Pita Window ★ 3.8 · Athens
monastiraki · Pl. Monastirakiou 5, 10555, Athina
Bairaktaris on Monastiraki Square in Athens has a takeaway pita window onto the square, a EUR4 pita that runs until 02:00 every day of the week.
Tip: The pita window faces the square; the sit-down room behind is a separate bill.