Bon Appetit

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• Steki Tou Ilia read more ›
  (5 Thessalonikis Street, Thissio. Tel. 210 342 2407)
  Traditional taverna specialising in juicy paidakia (spare ribs).
• Bliss read more ›
  (24A Romvis Street, Syntagma. Tel. 210 325 0360)
  Coffee and cold drinks, salads, pasta - everything organic, Fairtrade and hand-made - at very fair prices.
• Sto Kapaki read more ›
  (37-39 Trifyllias Street, Ambelokipi. Tel. 210 691 4061)
  Sweets, salads, mezedes, ouzo, raki… this tasty little café is an oasis in the concrete jungle.
• Kokkines Koutales read more ›
  (12 Messogion Avenue, Ambelokipi. Tel. 210 771 3333)
  Home-style cooking at very reasonable prices and served in a comfortable setting.
• Nikiforos read more ›
  (7 Laskaridou Street, Ambelokipi. Tel. 210 698 4057)
  Classic Greek taverna with an excellent price-to-quality ratio, albeit a little rough around the edges.
• Steki Tou Ilia read more ›
  (5 Thessalonikis Street, Thissio. Tel. 210 342 2407)
  The name in English is Ilia's Place. Order some of Ilia's famous paidakia (spare ribs) and tuck in.

• Cipollino read more ›
  (4 Dervenion & Asklipiou Streets. Tel. 210 363 2780)
  Good Italian food and interesting wines at outdoor tables on pedestrianised Dervenion Street.
• Cucina Povera read more ›
  (13 Evforionos & Eratosthenous Streets, Pagrati. Tel. 210 756 6008)
  This restaurant is more about the wine than the food, with 300 Mediterranean vintages to choose from.
• Krissa Gi read more ›
  (23 Aghiou Konstantinou, Maroussi. Tel. 210 805 6666)
  Dishes inspired by Crete in a modern-style taverna setting. Plan to arrive early, it gets very busy.
• Fishbar read more ›
  (4 Milioni Street, Kolonaki. Tel. 210 361 6098)
  Tuck into delicious seafood dishes while sitting at a table on the busy and ultra-hip, pedestrians-only Milioni Street.
• Chez Lucien read more ›
  (32 Troon Street, Ano Petralona. Tel. 210 346 4236)
  The nearest thing to an authentic French bistro in Athens-cosy and cute, with great food, reasonably priced wine and an even cheaper set menu.
• Kerasmata read more ›
  (6 Kriezi Street, Kastella, Piraeus. Tel. 210 411 8600)
  Soft lights and natural stone create a warm, earthy and stylish atmosphere, while the food blends tradition with new ideas.

• Qor read more ›
  (18 Omirou Street & Aghiou Tryfonos, Kifissia. Tel. 210 801 1117)
  Chic and sophisticated Japanese fusion restaurant that has migrated across the Ionian Sea from Italy's Milan to the leafy suburb of Kifissia in Athens.
• Kuzina read more ›
  (9 Adrianou Street, Thissio. Tel. 210 324 0133)
  The stunning view of the Acropolis would be reason enough to eat here, but the neo-Greek fusion cuisine provides another just as good.
• Oro Toro read more ›
  (108 Pentelis Avenue, Vrilissia. Tel. 210 810 0150)
  The place to come for Argentinian-style meat feasts with an ambience of understated luxury and high-class service.
• 1055 read more ›
  (Regency Casino Mont Parnes, Mt Parnitha. Tel. 210 242 1234)
  The name refers to its altitude above sea level. It's a bit of a trek, but the ride up in the funicular is great fun and you get a decent food with spectacular views at the top.
• Nisiotissa read more ›
  (150 Pentelis Avenue, Ano Vrilissia. Tel. 210 803 2957)
  Oddly enough, for a seafood restaurant halfway up a mountain and miles from the nearest coast, Nisiotissa is hugely popular with Athenians.
• Dakos read more ›
  (6 Tsakalof Street, Kolonaki. Tel. 210 360 4020)
  The arrival of Christoforos Peskias, one of the best regarded chefs in Athens, has brought new flair and panache to this chain of Cretan restaurants.

• GB Corner read more ›
  (Grande Bretagne Hotel, Syntagma Square & Panepistimiou Street. Tel. 210 333 0000)
  The most famous meeting point in Athens, occupying the smartest address in the city. An historic restaurant in the equally historic Grande Bretagne Hotel, where the local elite have wined and dined, wheeled and dealed, it continues to live up to its long and formidable reputation with chef Bertrand Valegeas at the helm.
• Edodi read more ›
  (80 Veikou Street, Koukaki. Tel. 210 921 3013)
  Smart and sophisticated, with paintings by Greek artist Eggonopoulos decorating its walls and a confident culinary style that lives up to its high reputation. Edodi has famously dispensed with menus, opting instead for a theatrical presentation of the dishes it prepares in the form of raw ingredients at your table.
• Hytra read more ›
  (7 Navarchou Apostoli Street, Psyrri. Tel. 210 331 6767)
  Creative Mediterranean cuisine from local chefs Nikos Karathanos and Yiannis Parikos, including some excellent new dishes this year. The menu also features a tapas section designed by star Spanish chef Martin Berasategui, whose restaurant made the world top 50 in Restaurant magazine last year.
• Varoulko read more ›
  (80 Pireos Street, Keramikos. Tel. 210 522 8400)
  Michelin-starred chef Lefteris Lazarou performs culinary miracles, unlocking the secrets of foodstuffs often overlooked by high gastronomy. His restaurant remains well-appointed but relaxed in tone and now also features a rooftop terrace with a view of the Acropolis.
• Apla read more ›
  (135 Harilaou Trikoupis Street & Ekali Road, N Erythrea. Tel. 210 620 3102)
  Bright and airy space that manages to do a lot with very little in the way of décor. In the kitchen, highly-regarded local chef Chrysanthos Karamolegos is in charge and continuing a life-long effort to take classic Greek and Mediterranean cuisine to new culinary and gastronomic heights.
• Spondi read more ›
  (5 Pyrronos Street, Pagrati. Tel. 210 752 0658)
  Considered by many to be the best restaurant in Greece, Spondi's supremacy was last year confirmed by the famous Michelin guide, which rewarded the restaurant's decision to hire French chef Eric Frechon (of Paris' Hotel Bristol) as consultant, giving it two of the guide's highly coveted stars.

After Dark

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• Fantaseed read more ›
  (8 Triptopolemou, Gazi. )
  A favourite haunt of twentysomethings off the ever-busy Gazi Plaza, with arty leanings and companionable atmosphere.
• Code read more ›
  (35 Triptopolemou Street, Gazi. Tel. 210 345 8110)
  Jazz, funk, cocktails and a Greek-island atmosphere on the Gazi Plaza.
• Kipos tis Kalashnikov read more ›
  (87 Emmanuil Benaki Street, Exarhia. Tel. 210 381 3685)
  Uncompromisingly alternative, multi-stage venue that hosts frequent live events, happenings and exhibitions.
• Key Bar read more ›
  (37 Praxitelous. Tel. 210 323 0380)
  Cosy and compact, with arty leanings and great drinks, this bar is never dull.
• T Palace read more ›
  (3 Vassileos Georgiou Street, Syntagma. Tel. 210 322 2210)
  Plush and up-market, choose this spot for a posher night on the town.
• Marabou read more ›
  (113 Panormou Street, Ambelokipi. Tel. 210 691 0797)
  Up-beat, youngish bar with a penchant for jazz and blues.

• Cubanita read more ›
  (28 Karaiskaki Street, Psyrri Square. Tel. 210 331 4605)
  Salsa, merengue, chacha and other Latin sounds that raise the temperature on sultry summer nights.
• Lazy read more ›
  (1 Pentelis Avenue, Vrilissia. Tel. 210 689 5535)
  This popular, intimate club and bar features mostly local rock acts to an appreciative crowd.
• An Club read more ›
  (13-15 Solomou Street, Exarhia. Tel. 210 330 5056)
  Underground, literally and metaphorically, this legendary club hosts mainly alternative and indie rock bands.
• After Dark read more ›
  (31 Didotou Street. Tel. 210 360 6460)
  Smallish venue without great pretensions but good acoustics, favouring rock music.
• Alchemistis read more ›
  (3 Christokopidou Street & Karaiskakis, Psyrri. Tel. 210 321 6240)
  Small bar with a bare, monastic look and lots of live events in the basement.
• Ghost read more ›
  (26 Lepeniotou Street, Psyrri. Tel. 210 323 6431)
  Dark, surreal and suggestive, with frequent live events.

• Ammos Beach read more ›
  (Palea Loutra, Alimos. Tel. 210 985 5848)
  Smack on the beach, as the name implies, with a party attitude and a fondness for dance music.
• Prova Club read more ›
  (Nea Makri Beach, Zouberi. Tel. 22940 94060)
  Big summer club on the coast with a circus theme and mainstream music.
• Fuzz read more ›
  (22 Vouliagmenis Avenue, N Kosmos. Tel. 210 922 0802)
  Dedicated dance venue with a massive dance floor and industrial look.
• Glow read more ›
  (46 Kifissias Avenue, Maroussi. Tel. 210 618 0603)
  Hi-tech and handsome, with a distinctly modern ambience, Glow is populated by the well-heeled suburbanites of north-east Athens.
• Letom read more ›
  (26 Dekeleon Street, Gazi. )
  The former Motel has reinvented itself and resurfaced in Gazi with a fun, new look that's dominated by the mirrorball elephant at centre stage.
• Kalua read more ›
  (6 Amerikis Street, Syntagma Square. Tel. 210 360 8304)
  The legendary Kalua is back after an absence of many years and is once again packing the punters in with its special mix of mainstream music and mad fun.

This month...

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Tips

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