The flea-market square and the alleys around Agia Irini, the daily home of Kostas souvlaki and Bairaktaris, the rooftop bars looking at the Parthenon.
Bairaktaris on Monastiraki Square is the tourist-targeted Athens institution. The family has run the souvlaki and taverna room here since the late 19th century.
Signature: Souvlaki, Bifteki, Mousaka
Order: A pork souvlaki pita with extra tzatziki and a glass of the house retsina.
Tip: The square seating is the experience; the rooms behind serve a longer menu and live guitar music.
Mama Roux on pedestrianised Aiolou is the long-running multi-ethnic Athens room near Monastiraki, an all-day brunch and dinner spot popular for the Sunday plate.
Signature: Sunday brunch plate, Pulled pork, Veggie burger
Order: The Sunday brunch plate or the pulled pork sandwich with a glass of the house red.
Tip: Brunch is bookings only on Saturday and Sunday; weekday dinners are walk-in friendly through 22:30.
Lukumades on Aiolou and Agia Irini Square in Athens is the modern loukoumades shop with filled and topped doughnuts in a hipster-leaning counter near Monastiraki.
Signature drink: Filled and topped loukoumades with espresso
Tip: The injected loukoumades with cream are the order; queue runs longest on summer weekends.
A for Athens is the rooftop bar above the hotel of the same name on Monastiraki Square, with the head-on view of the Acropolis that defined the genre in central Athens.
Signature drink: Acropolis-view cocktails at sunset
Food: Mediterranean small plates
Tip: Sunset on weekends fills 45 minutes before the doors open; arrive by 18:30 in summer.
Couleur Locale on Normanou is the multi-floor Monastiraki Athens hideaway with a rooftop terrace that climbs to a clear view of the Acropolis and Plaka.
Signature drink: Day-to-night Acropolis-view cocktails
Food: Tapas and finger food
Tip: The rooftop terrace on the 2nd and 3rd floor is the destination; the ground floor is the queue.
360 Cocktail Bar on Ifaistou is the corner-of-Monastiraki rooftop with the head-on Acropolis view that Athens guidebooks default to, with 60 cocktails on the carte.
Signature drink: 60 cocktails on the menu with a panoramic terrace
Food: Small plates and pizzas
Tip: The corner sofa is the photograph; book at 18:00 on summer Fridays for the sunset slot.
Six d.o.g.s. on Avramiotou is the Athens arts space and bar with a lush back garden in the centre of Monastiraki, with a constantly changing live-music line-up.
Signature drink: Garden cocktails with a back-room music programme
Food: Brunch and bar snacks
Tip: The back garden is the destination; check the website for live-music nights before booking.
Lazy Duck on Agia Irini Square in Athens is the elevated cocktail bar in the Ernst Ziller neoclassical building that used to house Tailor Made, with tables on the square.
Signature drink: Elevated cocktails in a neoclassical room
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: The square seating is walk-up; the ground-floor room takes bookings after 21:00.
Kostas Souvlaki on Agia Irini Square in Athens has fired the pork souvlaki pita with its house tomato sauce since 1946, a counter run by the same family for three generations.
Try: Pork souvlaki pita with tomato sauce
Tip: Open weekdays until 17:00 or until the meat runs out; closed Saturday and Sunday and cash is preferred.
Bairaktaris on Monastiraki Square is the long-running Athens souvlaki counter from the late 19th century, with a takeaway pita window onto the square open until late.
Try: Souvlaki and gyros pita
Tip: The pita window faces the square; the sit-down room behind is a separate tip and bill.
Falafellas on Aiolou near Monastiraki in Athens is the central falafel pita counter, where the takeaway pita is built on order with tahini, salad and chilli.
Try: Falafel pita with tahini and salad
Tip: Queue runs longest at lunchtime; the meatball pita is the variant the regulars order instead.
Lukumades on Aiolou and Agia Irini Square in Athens is the modern loukoumades shop, where the classic Greek doughnut comes filled with cream or topped with chocolate.
Try: Loukoumades doughnuts with fillings and toppings
Tip: The injected loukoumades with cream are the order; queue runs longest on summer weekends.
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.
Try: Pork souvlaki pita with tomato sauce
Tip: Open weekdays until 17:00 or until the meat runs out; closed Saturday and Sunday and cash preferred.
Falafellas on Aiolou near Monastiraki in Athens is the central falafel pita counter, fresh-built takeaways under EUR5 with tahini, salad and chilli.
Try: Falafel pita with tahini and salad
Tip: Queue runs longest at lunch; the meatball pita is the regulars' variant.
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.
Try: Filled and topped loukoumades
Tip: The injected loukoumades with cream are the order; queue runs longest on summer weekends.
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.
Try: Souvlaki and gyros pita
Tip: The pita window faces the square; the sit-down room behind is a separate bill.
Mama Roux on pedestrianised Aiolou is the long-running multi-ethnic Athens room near Monastiraki, the city's reliable all-day brunch spot with a Sunday queue.
Order: The Sunday brunch plate with eggs, bacon and Greek-coffee finish.
Tip: Brunch is bookings only on Saturday and Sunday; weekday dinners are walk-in friendly.
Couleur Locale on Normanou in Athens runs a rooftop brunch from 11:00 with finger food and tapas, the rooftop view of the Acropolis from the 2nd and 3rd floors.
Order: Brunch tapas with a cocktail and the rooftop Acropolis panorama.
Tip: Rooftop fills before 13:00 on summer weekends; the ground floor takes the queue overflow.
Bairaktaris on Monastiraki Square in Athens runs until 02:00 every night, the long-running souvlaki counter that has fed the after-bar crowd since the late 19th century.
Try: Souvlaki and gyros pita
Order: A pork souvlaki pita with extra tzatziki and a glass of the house retsina.
Tip: The pita window faces the square; the sit-down room behind is a separate bill and longer wait.
Falafellas on Aiolou near Monastiraki in Athens runs the falafel pita counter until 23:30, the takeaway window built fresh with tahini, salad and chilli.
Try: Falafel pita with tahini and salad
Order: The classic falafel pita with extra tahini and a side of pickled chilli.
Tip: Queue runs longest at lunch; late-night orders move fast through the open kitchen.
Lukumades on Aiolou and Agia Irini Square in Athens runs the loukoumades counter until 23:00, the post-dinner doughnut destination with cream fillings and espresso.
Try: Loukoumades with honey or fillings
Order: The injected loukoumades with cream and a double espresso to go.
Tip: Queue runs longest on summer Friday and Saturday evenings; doughnuts are made to order.