Savoring Every Bite in Athens, Greece: A Culinary Adventure

During our first dinner at Milos Athens, the stunning white-on-white restaurant within the Xenodocheio Milos hotel, my partner Barry and I gaze at the impressive iced display of fresh fish from across Greece. Nearby, lively waitresses chop fresh oregano into delicate bowls of olive oil for patrons who appear to be local elites. As we enjoy pristine langoustines from Halkidiki, tiny shrimp from Symi, and eel from Amvrakikos Bay—all vibrantly fresh and expertly cooked—Barry and I reminisce about how much we’ve missed Athens.

It has been nearly five years since my last trip to the Greek capital—curse you, pandemic!—and I’m eager to dive back into the culinary scene of a city that beautifully blends classic Hellenic traditions with modern flair. With an action-packed, 48-hour food tour led by two insiders, I plan to revisit beloved tavernas and their contemporary updates, relish the city’s café culture, and indulge in pites (pies), ouzo, souvlaki, and seafood, all while enjoying Greece’s iconic frothy iced coffees to stay caffeinated and relaxed.

To emphasize our food journey, we’re staying at Xenodocheio Milos, a gastronomic haven that opened its doors in January 2022 and is co-owned by renowned chef Costas Spiliadis (of the Estiatorio Milos empire). This 43-room hotel, situated near Syntagma Square, elevates the dining experience with its restaurant, which champions local farmers and fishermen. (Breakfasts also feature organically sourced local ingredients, and the full restaurant menu is available for room service.) Our room’s welcoming gift? A sumptuous roasted pear drizzled with star anise-infused syrup.

We’ll kick off our first day with an old friend, Carolina Doriti, the Athens director for my favorite global tour operator, Culinary Backstreets, and the author of the upcoming Greek cookbook Salt of the Earth.

Our morning begins at the takeout window of Harry’s Kitchen, a cozy pie bakery that opened in 2018 on a quaint pedestrian street just a short stroll from our hotel. Owner Harris Satiridis, cheerful and gray-haired, inherited the recipe for the flaky crumbly dough from his grandmother, while his wife, Yiouli, prepares the various fillings from recipes that have been passed down through the family.

Their classic three-cheese tiropita is bursting with feta, anthotiro (a whey cheese), and Cretan graviera (which resembles mild pecorino), all enhanced with fragrant mint. “Mint is great for digestion,” says Satiridis as he hands us another pie known as kayiana, filled with fluffy scrambled eggs blended with tomatoes, cheese, and oregano. It’s a breakfast fit for champions. “Can you believe pites have been Athenian street food since, what, 5 B.C.?” ponders Carolina.

It’s now 11 a.m. In search of premium coffee, we meander through the narrow, historic commercial streets of the center, where shops specialize in unique items like doorknobs and buttons. Some streets feel like they’re trapped in a time warp, while others have recently become pedestrian-friendly. Each block seems to feature either a boutique hotel under renovation or a trendy coffee shop like Dope Roasting Co., our next destination.

Dope Roasting Co. opened three years ago in a beautifully restored 19th-century neoclassical building. Its creator, Antonis Tsaroukian, is an evolutionary biologist with a PhD from the U.S. His Greek Armenian family has been in the coffee roasting business for over a century, but Tsaroukian has innovated the traditional Athens coffeehouse model, transforming it into a stylish, open space adorned with plants and natural materials, complete with an artisanal bakery.

Everything here is crafted on-site, from chewy, crusty baguettes to superb bagels, from fruity sodas to roasted turkey for sandwiches. When I order a frappé, Carolina gives me a quick lesson: frappé refers to the old-school instant Nescafe version, while freddo is the espresso-based upgrade.

“Here at Dope,” Tsaroukian explains, “we use 24-hour cold brews, which we call cryo.” So, I opt for a frothy cryo-cappuccino to accompany our delicate truffled turkey sandwich and a perfectly mortadella-stuffed baguette. The cinnamon rolls are indeed as amazing as advertised.

Just a short walk away, the enticing aroma of souvlaki draws us to the famous Varvakeios Market. Carolina wrinkles her nose at the new sushi spot, calling it “overpriced and inauthentic,” as she leads us past butchers displaying an array of innards to the Evripidou street entrance, where Tasos Perdikis diligently fans his charcoal at Volvi. “Charcoal is essential for souvlaki,” explains Perdikis, who comes from a family of six generations of butchers in Northern Greece. “We use special kermes wood from Mount Athos.”

“Tasos is really setting himself apart here,” Carolina notes. Alongside the classic pork skewers, he offers soutzoukakia—meatballs tied to Smyrna (modern-day Izmir on the Turkish coast), a dish that accompanied Greek refugees during the forced population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923. We decide on meatballs topped with “everything”—onion, tomato, a hint of mustard, and a spicy sauce made with Florina peppers—as Perdikis shares his secret: top-notch freshly ground meat from the market, a medley of spices, a splash of ouzo, “and lots of love and expertise.” Opening his new establishment during the pandemic was a significant gamble, but now, witnessing the market come back to life, Perdikis can’t help but smile.

A leisurely walk eastward takes us to the Keramikos district. The last time I visited, parts of it were covered in graffiti and felt abandoned, but now, according to Carolina, “real estate is booming,” with foreigners purchasing entire apartment blocks. At the Tuesday farmers' market here, vendors display the season's first peas, mounds of bitter wild greens, and delicate fresh grape leaves perfect for dolmades.

We begin our meal at To Laini, a charming little kafeneio (a café that also serves hearty meals) that opened five years ago, founded by two friends whose families provide most of the fresh ingredients from their farms in Crete. Before long, our small outdoor table transforms into a colorful display of pink pickled wild hyacinth bulbs, tender artichokes bathed in rich village olive oil, and authentic Cretan kohli boubouristous (plump escargots drizzled with a tangy rosemary-infused sauce). After indulging in too much tsikoudia, the traditional grappa-like spirit, a final taste of rakomelo (tsikoudia mixed with honey and orange) has us waddling off to our hotel for a well-deserved siesta.

The following day, our guide is Ari Vezené, one of the most innovative chefs in the country, known for his acclaimed locavore Vezené restaurants in Athens and Santorini. A generous philanthropist, he quietly manages a charity kitchen that provides 300 meals each day for those in need.

We convene in the leafy, upscale Kolonaki district at an elegant bakery called Queen Bee. The striking green-striped croissants here burst with a nutty pistachio praline filling. Owners Angie and Panagiotis Kalyvas share that they aimed to create a Parisian bakery with a New York twist, drawing inspiration from Manhattan’s Daily Provisions. By introducing the concept of “all-day breakfast-slash-brunch,” they have come to be known for serving the city’s most iconic avocado toast, with renowned French Algerian baker Kamil Saci leading their pastry creations.

“What’s captivating about Athens right now?” muses Ari, sipping his freddo. “It’s witnessing individuals from diverse backgrounds switching careers, blending roles, and embracing bold ideas—pursuing their passions over mere profits.”

He exclaims, “And this is Athens as seen through a Berlin lens!” after we hop into a cab headed to Linou Soumpasis k sia, a neo-taverna featuring a sleek concrete-and-steel design in the vibrant Psyri district. Launched last year by a team of restaurateurs from Limnos, it also functions as a boutique selling exquisite candles—“a quintessentially Athenian experience,” Ari remarks.

The streamlined menu exemplifies how young Greek chefs elevate seasonal organic produce into stunningly simple dishes. Highlights include our seared bonito paired with vibrant samphire (sea beans) and fresh peas, a flavorful kakavia fish stew, and a light-as-air taramasalata, a fish-roe dip served with freshly baked sourdough pita. “The taverna 2.0 trend began in [2014] with spots like Seychelles,” Ari notes, “and now young chefs are moving away from the clichés of ‘Zorba the Greek’ octopus and cheap ouzo, reimagining the taverna for the 21st century.”

One of Ari’s newest projects is Birdman, a trendy yakitori-focused Japanese pub in the heart of the city. Imagine Athens infused with Tokyo vibes. Claiming his favorite corner seat at the counter overlooking the binchō-tan grill, he shares how Birdman unexpectedly thrived during the pandemic with its trendy take-out bento boxes, reminiscent of those from Japanese train stations. He also reveals plans for Ikigai, a boutique Japanese specialty market just around the corner.

Soulful funk pulses from the analog sound system as tattooed grill masters present our charred, lacquered skewers of organic, slow-reared, grain-fed chicken from Crete. Yet, Ari is also a devoted beef butcher, so we indulge in the exquisite brisket nigiri and succulent kalbi-style short ribs.

“Every city deserves a Birdman!” exclaims Barry, savoring the daily special ramen steeped in a rich rooster broth, while I complement my crispy Iberico pork katsu sando with a shot of Japanese whiskey. “Athenians weren’t accustomed to bar dining,” Ari explains, “but now my patrons encourage me to take risks and push boundaries.” He gestures towards a sharply dressed man relishing duck gizzards.

The rest of our day unfolds in the Exarchia district with Carolina. Once a hub for students and anarchists, just a 10-minute cab ride from the city center, this neighborhood boasts a lively café scene and striking street art, evolving into a trendy new-bohemian enclave. It’s refreshing, however, to pause at Dimitrios Moiropoulos, a bustling deli that feels like a treasure trove of goods from small Greek producers, serving the community since 1969.

The gracious Dimitrios sets up an impromptu indoor picnic atop a wine barrel. Out comes a plastic bottle of tsipouro (pomace brandy), crumbly sourdough biscuits, Halkidiki olives the size of small eggs, and pork cured with orange and olive oil from Mani in the southern Peloponnese. The aged feta crafted by Corinthian monks is the finest I've ever tasted. “Perhaps it’s made from the milk of sacred sheep and goats?” Carolina speculates. Even the large, burnished flat loaves seem divine, their sourdough starter created by Mani women using holy water and basil stems blessed during mass.

Our culinary journey through Athens culminates on a sweet note at Afoi Asimakopouls, a confectionery and dairy shop delighting locals since 1915. Proud of their heritage, the owners source milk directly from farmers, make their own butter for pastries, and craft exquisite yogurt.

We scoop plastic spoons into earthenware tubs filled with delightfully tangy goat yogurt, topped with a rustic creamy layer. Then, we give in to temptation and indulge in the rich galaktoboureko (a goat milk semolina custard crowned with crispy phyllo) and Ottoman-style kaymak (clotted cream) ice cream, fragrant with sahlep, or wild orchid powder. “This is the Athens I cherish,” Carolina says, enjoying a sugar-glazed bitter orange bonbon. We nod in agreement, feeling the same way.