the rise of the neo-taverna in Athens
The taverna 2.0 is changing the restaurant landscape in Athens, with a new style of Greek gastronomy evolving alongside the more traditional taverna. Simmering since the pandemic, as Greece tried to bounce back after the financial crisis of 2015, the number of openings is at an all time high.
As homegrown chefs, sommeliers and expats flocked to the city – and migrated south from foodie Thessaloniki, new ideas and expectations germinated. New standards were set, and the idea of a Parisian-style Greek bistronomy – first put in motion by the opening of Seychelles in the Karameikos neighbourhood in 2014 – took off. While many of these neo-tavernas are unified by a few common threads, whether that is championing Greek wine producers, an emphasis on music curation, counter dining and slick design, they still bear the hallmarks of a decidedly Greek food tradition and mentality: kitchens with open fires, plates still big enough for sharing family-style; menus cooked with ingredients that follow the rhythms of the seasons and a warm, intuitive sense of filoxenia (which translates as ‘a love of strangers’). Here, we trace the evolution of Athens’ restaurant movement, which shows no sign of slowing down.
Linou Soumpasis & Sia
Pioneering the first wave of Athens’ new gastronomy was Linou Soumpasis & Sia on Psyrri’s Melanthiou Street. An idea conceived by friends Myrsini (Linou) and George (Soumpasis) on the way to Kimolos one summer, the duo finally opened their restaurant-come-candle shop at the end of 2021 – complete with minimal white interiors, toughened up with studded aluminium tables and chairs, a St John-style nose-to-tail approach and a natural, Greek-focused wine list. Chef Lukas Mailer’s changing menu of (mostly) fish and meat uses simple Greek ingredients and flavours that surprise: think raw shrimp with roasted brussels sprout leaves and fried cod collars with aioli. It now also serves a breakfast menu on white tablecloths – with the veal schnitzel sandwich a star – while a sister bar will open on the same road this spring.
Pharoah
Next followed Pharoah in late 2022 on a scruffy street near Omonia Square, combining a smart listening bar vibe with nostalgic Greek dishes cooked over fire. The joint project of four Greek friends – a food journalist, a chef, a baritoneand a wine connoisseur – it has since been awarded with a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Packed every night of the week, DJs play vinyl behind the bar counter (the most coveted seats), while plates such as horta (wild greens) with manouri cheese, risotto-like trachana and paidakia (lamb chops) are served. All fuelled by homegrown natural wines, including Pet Nats.
Akra
Hot on its heels in the spring of 2023 was Akra in Pagrati, which moonlights as a bakery. Three years later, it is still impossible to get a booking at one of its intimate tables set around an open kitchen and wood fire – or outside under the trees. Founded by two chefs, Yiannis Loukakis and pastry wizard Spyros Pediaditakis, expect riffs on classics such as rooster pasta and grilled octopus. Championing Greek producers, the wine list is excellent and good value, too.
Taverna Ton Filon
A personal favourite, Taverna Ton Filon took over a 1950s taverna in the up-and-coming Kolonos neighbourhood later the same year. Keeping its traditional bones and homely atmosphere, founding partners Yiannis Mousios and sommelier Giorgos Kontorizos managed to create something unpretentiously perfect and Greek. Come summer, all the tables move outside to its very pretty courtyard under strings of lights, while a new bar for counter dining opened in late 2025. Wherever you sit, make sure to order its lemony, oregano potatoes, excellent bread and the chocolate mousse served in a silver coupe – the rest changes daily.
Manari
New for 2024, Manari in Downtown Athens is a modern imagining of the traditional taverna with a cosy vibe and no-waste approach to its meaty menu. The latest project from New York-born Ari Vezené, the visionary who has helped to shape Athens’s restaurant landscape with Birdman and Nolan among others, most of its meaty menu is cooked over an open wood fire. Plates are generous in the traditional style, so come with a big table to share platters of chicken, chops and steaks by the kilo, alongside elevated versions of traditional salads.
Athos
In July 2025, as the neo-taverna picked up even greater pace, friendly Athos opened its doors in the Plato’s Academy neighbourhood, with its three founders all ex-Pharaoh. A generous open fire that nods to one of their Cretan origins, it is the kind of place you get stuck into wine or vials of tsipouro, while sharing plates from its short menu of comforting, traditional dishes that focus on meat and veg, such as chickpea stew.
Plyta
Plyta in Pagrati followed suit last October, quickly establishing itself as a favourite for Sunday lunch. Another slick space with an open, stainless-steel kitchen, it is imagined as a neo-kafenio by the two chefs who brought you Akra, alongside two more, Periklis Koskinas and Marios Korovesis, from the renowned Cookavaya. Set on a square, it is honest and simple, a true neighbourhood joint.
Zigoala
Last December, just ahead of the holidays, a new place in Omonia set Instagram alight with its retro 1970s aesthetic and innovative flavours: Zigoala. It is the creation of Konstantino Dagritzikos – a curator, artist and DJ who grew up in the area – alongside the Greek Palestinian chef Vasilis Chaman, who is also behind Estet Cafe in Thessaloniki. The wine list by Heteroclito – the forerunner of Athens’ natural wine scene – is on point as are the playlists.
Kate Lough
