Whether you’re up for the kind of dining that’s worthy of the ancient Epicurean philosophers or you prefer a good chunky souvlaki, the Greek capital has it covered, says Melanie O’Shea
bite-size break.
KAFE CULTURE
Greeks are passionate about their coffee and the traditional ibrik style of brewing dates back to the Ottoman Empire (just don’t call it Turkish coffee in Athens). Head to Mokka (mokka.coffee/en), a kafenio where this king of coffees is cooked in individual briki pots over hot sand – it’s rich and powerful enough to fuel a morning’s wanderings. Ask for it ‘glykos’ if you want some sugar to temper the strength, or take your sweetness in the form of date baklava and floral loukoumi (the Greek name for Turkish delight).
Did you know the Greeks also invented iced coffee? If it’s sweltering, take a step up from a mere frappé with the creamy perfection of a freddo cappuccino or a shot of freddo espresso at Picky (thepicky.gr), the ideal cooling pick-me-up after a day of sightseeing.
STREET SOUVLAKI
Athens’ street food is some of the best in the world and there’s nothing more archetypally scoffable than a souvlaki. Be prepared to queue at Kostas (Pl Agias Irinas 2), a local favourite since 1946, to taste their wonderful under-€4 pitas stuffed with marinated skewered meat (veal or pork), tomato, yogurt, onions, parsley and a dusting of paprika.
Stay traditional and follow it up with a trip to nearby Lukumádes (lukumades.com), by the Holy Church of St Irene (there’s an Acropolis branch too), for their classic dough balls, served warm and topped with cinnamon and honey (although they do other less traditional toppings too). A final stop has to be gelato specialist Mona Lisa (Adrianou 48) for a refreshing fruit ‘popsicle’ to reset your palate.
TAVERNA TIME
Athenians will argue all day about which are the best tavernas. Dopios (dopiosrestaurant.gr) uses local suppliers and experiments with seasonal ingredients to create inventive dishes, including the zingiest of almyriki (tamarisk) greens, great courgette fritters and the wonderful ‘Dopios dog’ with lefkada sausage.
So far we haven’t delved further than the Historic Triangle, north of the Acropolis. East of there in the chic Kolonaki neighbourhood is a great traditional taverna, Oikeio (Ploutarchou 15). The salads and traditional meat dishes are staggeringly good and the atmosphere is shady streetside perfection. For cutting-edge modern Greek cooking
