12 casual dining worth the trip across Greece, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Greece guides.
Diporto ★ 4.5 · Athens
psyrri · Sokratous 9, Athina 105 52
Diporto on Sokratous and Theatrou has poured Attic retsina from barrels since 1887, a basement koutouki in Athens with no sign and a handful of daily-changing dishes.
Tip: Lunch only from late morning until the pans empty, often by 17:00; no menu, no English spoken.
Mavro Provato ★ 4.5 · Athens
pangrati · Arrianou 31-33, Pangrati
Mavro Provato in Pangrati Athens is the daily mezedopoleio favourite for small-plate Greek cooking, Greek wine by the glass and a sidewalk of regulars after 14:00.
Tip: Book three days ahead for dinner; lunch tables on the pavement are walk-up after 14:00.
Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani ★ 4.5 · Athens
psyrri · Sokratous & Evripidou 1, 10552, Athina
Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani on Sokratous is the Athens deli-mezedopoleio for Asia Minor cured meats: Karamanli pastourma, sausages and small plates with tsipouro.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The deli counter runs 08:00 to 21:00 if you want to take meats home with you.
Karavitis Tavern ★ 4.4 · Athens
pangrati · Pausaniou 4 Pangrati, Athina 11635, Greece
Karavitis in Pangrati has cooked Athens taverna food since 1926, a rustic courtyard with barrels of house wine and the bekri-meze stew that defines the room.
Tip: No reservations are taken; arrive before 21:00 on weeknights and before 20:30 on Saturdays.
Taverna tou Oikonomou ★ 4.4 · Athens
petralona · Kydantidon 32 & Troon 41, Athina 118 51, Greece
Taverna tou Oikonomou in Ano Petralona is the Athens mageirio that has cooked home-style food since 1930, with 15 to 20 daily dishes brought out of the pan.
Tip: No microwave and no menu; you point at the trays. Closes when the pans run out, often by 22:00.
Manimani ★ 4.4 · Athens
koukaki · Falirou 10, Koukaki, 117 42
Manimani in Koukaki cooks the food of the Mani peninsula in a neoclassical building near the Acropolis Museum in Athens: cured pork siglino and handmade pasta.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Sunday lunch from 14:00 is the easiest service to find a window seat.
Atlantikos ★ 4.4 · Athens
psyrri · Avliton 7, Psiri, Athina 10563, Greece
Atlantikos in Psyrri Athens is the central seafood pick: Avliton 7 fires the daily catch on the grill from lunch through to past midnight every day of the week.
Tip: The annex across the lane opens at 18:00 weekdays and 13:00 weekends; book the original room.
Klimataria ★ 4.3 · Athens
psyrri · Theatrou Square 2, Athina 105 52 Greece
Klimataria on Theatre Square in Athens has poured taverna food since 1927, the Psyrri institution where giant barrels line the wall and rebetiko plays most evenings.
Tip: Live music runs most evenings from around 22:00; book a fortnight ahead for the weekend.
Athinaikon ★ 4.3 · Athens
exarchia · Themistokleous 2, Athina 106 78
Athinaikon on Themistokleous is the Exarchia ouzeri of record in Athens, an institution opened in 1932 that moved to its current corner in 1989 with vintage decor.
Tip: The Mitropoleos sister room is the modern outpost; the Themistokleous original is the destination.
Taverna Saita ★ 4.3 · Athens
plaka · Kydathineon 21, Plaka, Athina
Taverna Saita on Kydathineon is the rare Plaka room in Athens cooking for locals. The Zacharopoulou family has fried bakaliaros skordalia since 1970.
Tip: Pavement tables face the quiet end of Kydathineon, away from souvenir shops; book ahead.
Tzitzikas kai Mermigas ★ 4.3 · Athens
syntagma-historic-centre · Mitropoleos 12, Athina
Tzitzikas kai Mermigas on Mitropoleos in Athens has cooked Greek small plates with seasonal ingredients off Syntagma Square for three decades, a long-running lunch room.
Tip: Lunch from 13:00 is the easier seating; book three days ahead for Friday and Saturday dinner.
Taverna Platanos ★ 4.2 · Athens
plaka · Diogenous 4, Plaka
Taverna Platanos under the plane tree on Diogenous in Plaka Athens has fed the quarter 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 or Saturday seatings.