The coast of Athens is home to some of the best and highly revered restaurants and bars in Greece. If you are planning on stopping off on your boat trip to Athens this year, we have compiled a list of 10 restaurants you have to try right on the Athens Riviera.
Krabo
Despite being only a 15-minute drive from the centre of Athens, Krabo is a beach restaurant located in its own secluded bay, offering full-service sunbeds and cabanas in addition to the incredible restaurant, and a menu which is largely inspired by the Aegean Sea. Due to the location right on the coast of the Athens Riviera, the menu features a lot of seafood, including sea bass, fried squid, and sea urchin with all local ingredients and catches. The restaurant also offers other options for all types of people, including a lot of traditional Greek dishes such as Greek fava beans puree, tsoureki and orzo.
Special Diets: Vegetarian, Gluten Free
Island
One of the most famous restaurants in Athens is the club and restaurant Island, which is built right into the rock and offers a fusion of cuisines, all signed by the award-winning chef, Nikos Skliras. Originally a Mediterranean menu is now more creative with the influence of other cuisines, as well as a sushi and Asian-fusion section of the menu. Not only that, but Island is also one of the only restaurants to invest in their own cellar, which is home to a collection of wines and cigars.
Special Diets: Vegetarian
Swell
One of the best café-bars on the coast of Athens is that of Swell. With drinks for any time of day, such as coffee and smoothies, or cocktails and sangria, this lounge is a great place for breakfast or lunch. If you are looking for some lighter food, such as pizza or a ciabatta sandwich, Swell is a brilliant place to relax if you are tired from a day full of adventure with the watersports at the nearby Vouliagmeni bay, or diving and exploring the caves at Vouliagmeni lake.
Special Diets: Vegetarian
Ark
Taking inspiration from the traditional Mezze style of Greek dining, Ark restaurant is a fine dining experience which offers small plates of traditional Mediterranean food, so you can try a variety of dishes. From crayfish to bulgur, with traditional Greek pies, Ark is not only a restaurant but a bar and coffee shop. Offering some unique types of cocktails depending on your mood, from ‘happy and sunny’ to ‘after hangover’, the cocktail bar is a must-go for an experience you have never had.
Special Diets: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free
Ithaki
Regarded as the most famous restaurant on the Athens Riviera, Ithaki is one of the most stunning restaurants in Athens and is a great choice for you if you are looking to bump into some celebrities. If you have a high budget and want to treat yourself, Ithaki offers you a choice of high-quality foods, such as wagyu beef and lobster, which you can eat while overlooking the incredible scenery of the coast and sipping on some wine hand-picked by a sommelier to compliment your meal. Located in the neighbourhood of Lemos, the restaurant boasts views of the Akti Vouliagmenis Bay and is in a convenient location to visit the beautiful Lake Vouliagmeni across the water after your meal.
Special Diets: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free
Tylixto
One of the locals’ favourites is the restaurant Tylixto, which specialises in Greek wraps. The restaurant which is located in the heart of Vouliagmeni spins ‘souvlaki’ on its head. Traditionally a Greek fast food of skewered meat, Tylixto shows locals and tourists alike that street food can be enjoyed in a luxurious way. While they specialise and are known for their souvlaki, the restaurant sells a variety of Greek food including gyros, pies and falafel.
Special Diets: Vegetarian
BlueFish
This famous seafood restaurant is one of the more expensive restaurants on this list, while also being one of the most highly recommended. The Greek fusion restaurant prides itself on its fresh catches, and although they have a small menu, it can be enjoyed in multiple ways, including by sharing plates, with the catch of the day also being a popular choice. They are most famous for their ‘Head to Tail’ dinner menu, which includes the chef cooking four courses, based on four parts of the fish. Additionally, the restaurant regularly has specialist menus, such as ‘Gastro-Wine nights’ and ‘The Head to Tail & Wineries Storytelling Menu in 4 Acts’.
Special Diets: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free
Kastelorizo
Kastelorizo, named after the Greek island of the same name, is a Mediterranean restaurant with original seafood recipes overlooking Varkiza marina, making it a great place to visit during your charter around Athens. Although the main menu is popular and full of popular dishes such as mussels, octopus and risotto, what really sets this restaurant apart is the set menus. At only €33 per person, you can get 5 courses, including a salad, soup, fish dish, main and any dessert from the main menu, as week as half a bottle of wine yourself. Some popular dishes chosen for the set menu include orzo with shrimp, freshly caught grouper, and fish soup, this is the place to go if you are a lover of all things seafood.
Special Diets: Vegetarian, Vegan
To Kafeneio
For a lighter meal, check out To Kafenio. A 15-minute drive from the coast, the café-restaurant lives up to the famous Greek concept of hospitality ‘Xenia’. Selling traditional Greek food at an affordable price, To Kafeneio is always popular among both tourists and locals. Unlike other restaurants on this list, the traditional dishes are not revolved around seafood, featuring dishes such as dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), saganaki mastelo (fried cheese meze) and feta puff pastries with Cretan honey.
Special Diets: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free
Baba Au Rum
If instead of the food you are looking for a unique drinking experience, one of the most popular cocktail bars on the Athens Riviera is Baba au Rum. Selling both traditional cocktails, as well as uniquely crafted ones, it is obvious the bar has a lot of love for the craft, and has been named one of the 50 best bars in the world. From Avant-Garde Cocktails such as the ‘Pearl Fishers’ or the ‘Les Fleurs Du Mal’, to homemade soda and seltzer, there is something for everyone, with a charming atmosphere and bottles of their personal rm you can purchase online if you are missing it on your return home.
Special Diets: n/a
