Food culture in Greece is typically important for a Mediterranean nation, the era of the supermarket meal deal has failed to conquer this land. It is certainly more in the style of Turkey and Lebanon than France and Italy. You could even go so far as to say it’s Europe’s most oriental city, given its proximity to Asia Minor. You are more likely to find Za’atar than Porcini here. The food culture seems to embody the meeting of these two Mediterranean styles and the results are astounding. As varying empires – Phonecian, Persian, Greek, Roman and Ottoman – ebbed and flowed across these beautiful peninsulas and islands so their food traditions passed back and forth. It is culinary globalisation stretching across millennia. The result is an extremely diverse range of delicious offerings- fish, meat, veggies, flour and dough. All contesting for second spot: Gyros stands tall as the undisputed king of Greek street food. These naan-like wraps holding lamb, pork or whatever else you may choose are truly delicious and ever present. They are the staple of night time eating, soaking up Ouzo or Tsipouro. Not so much stomach lining as an all out soakage of alcoholGreek food is both unique and also firmly part of the wider Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food culture. When something is so delicious it is easy to understand why it has spread across borders and cultures. Greek food is ubiquitous all over the world. The Greek Empire may have been a ‘2nd division’ effort compared to the Roman and Ottoman Empires but Greek food is definitely first division when it comes to global appeal and spread. Falafel, hummus and baklava are just too good not to bring with you. Athens has a range of tasty and cheap places to eat in every region of the city. Although, I will be focusing on the food in the Psyri and Exarcheia districts, as well as a few other places that are dotted around. I would suggest that you will find cheaper and tastier street food in these areas than you would in the more touristy areas such as Plaka. When there is so much quality around it is hard to pack enough meals into the day!
A delicious Gyros from Cookoomela!
Psyri
This district of Athens sits in that gentle middle ground between the rough edges of Exarcheia and the tourist centric Plaka district. Side streets, lined with abandoned buildings and covered in graffiti, juxtapose with clumps of smart restaurants and lively little bars. This diversity alongside its proximity to popular sights, such as the Acropolis and Monastiraki Square, means that it is a bustling district, always noisy – this isn’t the place for a quiet meal and/or drink – and typically colourful for Athens. One of the more unusual places to wander past is the extraordinarily decorated Little Kook café. As the seasons change, so does their elaborate decoration, they had just packed away an army of elves, Santas and all the other members of the Christmas cast (sure to be a hit with kids who want to stretch Christmas out beyond December). It may not be at the top of my recommendations as a place to eat but it is certainly worth looking at. I did not choose to eat here as the elaborately adorned walls drew me in out of curiosity rather than for their culinary offerings. In this district you will find a wide range of more traditional tavernas. Great places to try a range of classic Greek dishes such as courgette fritters and perfectly paired salads. The salads are stand-alone but the mixtures of tangy feta, succulent olives and tomatoes make them a meal in themselves. If you would rather just grab one of the cheap options then I would argue the best place to start is Falafellas. This is not much more than a kitchen and a window through which your food will be passed. They only do a few things but they focus on ensuring these are all as good as you could hope. One easy way to find this place is by looking out for the ever-present queue. I thought it would be silly not to try their falafel wrap. All of their offerings range from €3 – €5 and there is no doubt they are worth it. It was delicious, plenty of spice but this complemented all the other flavours rather than bullying them into submission. They were doing a roaring trade and it is clear why. All I would say is to watch out for the juices running out of the bottom of the wrap. They caught me slightly by surprise!
The remarkable view from the A is for Athens rooftop bar.
Just around the corner is another delicious and unassuming spot for some slightly different Athenian food. Feyrouz is a little bit too posh to be described as street food but their prices are equally as reasonable for the quality of food they have on offer. The decor is very minimalist and inside were just a couple of well dressed Athenians. Similarly to Falafellas, you should expect to pay between €3 – €6 for one of their offerings. There is a far greater range of treats available here including some pretty remarkable looking desserts such as their hazelnut Halva, a Persian word that means the same thing from Greece to India. Their signature ‘Feyrouz’ wrap is not to be missed too. The combination of flavours was a real treat. With minced beef, babaganoush and pomegranate molasses being just a few of the ingredients it is no surprise that it was such a flavoursome experience. Finding such high quality Lebanese food for such reasonable prices was a real treat and is another place certainly worth visiting. Whilst its origins are firmly Lebanese, there is undoubtedly an Athenian attitude present here too. If you are looking for a unique opportunity then I would recommend going for a Greek coffee on the roof terrace of A is for Athens. There are a range of cafes and restaurants which are lucky enough to have a roof top spot to enjoy the views of Athens but this cafe is as good as any other. As you may expect, it isn’t really about the quality of produce available in these cafes but more about the extraordinary view of the Acropolis. From the seats of A is for Athens this truly unique global landmark is directly in front of you. Budding artists would find this as an ideal vantage point, capturing the Acropolis at different times of the day, at different times of the year. It is certainly worth the overpriced coffee, a regular Greek coffee was around €6. The views are as good as anywhere I’ve seen in a city. The remarkable profile of the Parthenon is unique across the world. After one drink you will feel as though you have had your fill but it is certainly worth it just for the experience, right up there with having a room facing the Taj Mahal. The service was incredibly attentive and if you wanted to, there was a nibbles menu too. If you feel as though this is unnecessary, the nearby Hill of the Nymphs also offers great views of the Acropolis and all you have to do is amble up the paths and seat yourself on any one of the rocky outcrops that dot the top of this hill.
A range of tasty options from Krasopoulio tou Kokkora.
Another option if you are looking for somewhere to sit down and enjoy your food slowly is Krasopoulio tou Kokkora. This is a relaxed place, nobody seemed to be in any particular hurry. The food was excellent and reasonably priced too. I would recommend the Melitzanosalata and the Kolokithokeftedes. The former is a sort of aubergine salad and the latter are courgette croquettes. Both were extremely well made and contrasted well as two disparate textures and flavours. I was in a ray of sunshine and on this sleepy side street it felt as though little could go wrong. The waiter was extremely friendly – one tends to remember the service as much as the food, if not more, especially if one’s travelling alone. I wonder, is there even such a thing as a rude Athenian waiter? – and the general atmosphere was of hearty living. The fact that all of these delicious dishes fell in the €5 – €6 price range made the whole thing all the more enjoyable. They even gave me a complimentary slice of honey polenta cake as well as a little glass of red wine mixed with honey and spices. It was the perfect spot to enjoy a little bit of laid back Greek style just off the busier and tackier main streets.
Exarchia
In its role as the centre of Athenian nightlife, Exarchia also performs an admirable side hustle as one of the best spots to find tasty street food spots. The Φούρνος Μαρίνα bakery is the place you would start your day in an ideal world It is a bakery in the French style in that there are no tables or chairs and you just wander in and choose whatever you like from the counter of selection of baked goods. It passes the first, and most important test. Its name is in Greek and it exists to serve the surrounding residents rather than the passing tourists. Hence I’m not exactly sure what I had, although it was some variation on a spanakopita, although in an unusual shape and with a heavy sprinkling of dill. For a couple of euros I had my pockets stuffed with pastries with names I could not decipher to nibble on throughout a day of wandering around. Soldiers might march on their stomachs but writers need sustenance too. I don’t really do the ‘starving writer’ schtick. The prose can be lean but I don’t see why I have to be! The pastry itself was excellent and I only wish I had more time in the day to eat their delicious offerings.
The Cretan Village Salad from Rakoumel.
After a few drinks in one of the many atmospheric bars on Koletti street you will inevitably feel the draw of gyros. Whilst I do eat meat, and some would consider this sacrilegious, I did not choose one of the more traditional places but instead my first Athenian gyros came courtesy of the Cookoomela Grill. Offering a range of vegan gyros they substitute meat for a delicious mushroom mixture. Their gyros are coded by colour and each option sounded as delicious as the last. In the end I had to try two. The pitta itself was delicious and the concoction of ingredients inside definitely did not disappoint. They were extremely friendly here and again the queue of people attested to the quality of the place. It too was not much bigger than just a kitchen but with a few chairs and tables outside it was a perfect pit stop before ambling back across town. Their gyros cost between €4 – €7 and were certainly worth it. After a different evening in Exarchia I thought about going back to Cookoomela but decided that would be too uninventive, even if it was so delicious. I made it all the way next door to the Magic Kitchen. It was equally as delicious. Similar to Cookoomela ,it was just a kitchen and a service hatch with a few tables outside. This time I went for another falafel wrap for around €5 although I was slightly on the back foot as a few minutes before riot police had clashed with a group of protesters and tear gas still hung in the air. Edgy, right? You won’t catch the Conde Nast crowd eating in the vapours of a riot! Although, by this stage it was little more than a mild irritation it was still not the ideal context in which to be making a dinner choice. Obviously there are much bigger issues out there than whether or not you add haloumi into your wrap of choice but at the time it feels pretty significant.
If you would rather a more traditional Greek taverna then I would highly recommend Rakoumel. The decor was simplistic but stylish and the place was packed with older Greek couples and families all enjoying their weekends. Tucked down a side street this seemed the perfect place to rest some weary legs and try one of the many Greek salads on offer. I chose the Cretan Village Salad which was absolutely delicious. It came in a large bowl with enough feta to keep me going for a long time. The feta was seasoned with oregano and olive oil and it formed a delicious combination. For €6.50 I was nourished and my belly was full. They were extremely friendly here and very attentive. At one point, as I lazily stared into the middle distance somebody stole my bag and if it wasn’t for one of the other guests shouting out and then running after the person I would have lost it! Thankfully I got it back, it only had my jumper and a water bottle in it so maybe the would-be thief decided it wasn’t worth the hassle! It was a good reminder to pay a bit of attention, though.
One place which finds itself in the centre of Athens but would be just as comfortable in a tiny village on one of Greece’s many islands is the Pnyka bakery. Having weaved past an H&M and all the other usual chains I felt as though there was no point even looking at any of the food places in the area until I happened to take a small side street and walk past this wonderful place. Racks filled with delicious looking treats and a whole assortment of things which I had never seen before caught my eye. The fact that there was an older Greek couple leaving with bags stuffed full of goodies made me think this place must be worth a look. I chose a couple of pastries which I will admit that I have no clue what they were. They cost me less than €4 and they were an absolute treat. Incredibly flaky pastry and again a strong presence of dill and spinach. It was somewhere I would definitely recommend as a place to grab a few pocket snacks whilst you wander around.
The rules which I stood by in choosing good places for little street food bites or for a full meal are the same I would use for any country or city where I am going with the express aim of eating their cuisine. First of all, if a place is busy then it is usually worth trying. The next, and I would argue this was particularly important in Greece, is to avoid anywhere that advertises in English or has an English name. In Athens I was always keeping my eyes peeled for a bakery or taverna with purely Greek writing. Of course, there are some exceptions such as the Magic Kitchen which are serving more contemporary food and are aimed at a younger market. The last is to see who is eating there. All the places I ended up eating were full of Greek people with the odd tourist tucked in. This guarantees the best atmosphere and is also a sure sign that the place has a good reputation. Created by relaxed people chatting away with good music accompanying their discussions. It feels calm but also packed with possibility. Whatever you do, eat as much gyros as you possibly can and try out all the delicious treats that are on offer in the Greek bakeries.
