It’s a fine time to eat in Athens,” says Diane Kochilas, one of the foremost figures in spreading Greek cuisine around the world. For decades, Kochilas has helped people understand the country’s food through bestselling books, a PBS show, and cooking classes.
“Today, Athens is comfortable in her own skin,” Kochilas says. “It’s a great city, so culturally rich, such great food, and the layers of history, cliche as that may sound, still strike awe in me.”
Photos: Diane Kochilas
Ahead of the release of her latest book, “ATHENS: Food, Stories, Love: A Cookbook,” I caught up with Kochilas about why this ancient city should be on the must-go list of every person who travels for food first and foremost. You can find her full interview here, where you’ll find essential dishes and markets to visit, as well as how the city’s restaurants and food scene have changed over the decades.
For the traveler on a mission, Kochilas offered a quick guide that answers the simple question every food traveler has in mind: If I have one day to taste Athens, where should I go for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
For breakfast
Apostolou Pavlou Street, an ideal place to eat your breakfast of cheese and honey in Athens. Photo: Apostolis Giontzis/Shutterstock
I’d suggest picking up a container of the sheep’s milk yogurt at Strounga, a cheese and dairy shop on Evripidou Street, then walking across Athinas Street to Kolios, a great shop with lots of Greek specialties. There, buy a small jar of honey from a selection of many, then head back to your hotel or take a walk along Apostolou Pavlou Street and enjoy them together, on a balcony or a bench, al fresco. Alternatively, I’d go for the scrambled egg and tomato filled little pie at Harry’s Kitchen on Lekka Street, the delicious Athenian answer to a breakfast sandwich!
For lunch
Lunch….souvlaki? Possibly! Kostas on Filellinon is a favorite place, super simple, kind of like souvlaki essence with no extras, all to go. Or I’d go to hoocut for a more modern take on souvlaki and the pleasure of sitting on Agias Eirinis Square to people watch. I might recommend Olympion too, in Pangrati on the border of Mets, for some great simple home cooking. The bean dishes are divine. One more…so many! A stop at Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani for an amazing selection of Greek cheeses and charcuterie and carnivorous lunch plates is a must!
For dinner
Dinner is more complicated because it depends on whether you want simple (my usual preference), or a bit more extravagant. Seychelles in Metaxourgio is always great for modern Greek taverns fare. Grounded, creative, but not pretentious. I like Koutsou & Co in a little portico on Xenofondos Street for simple but artful Greek fare and an unusual setting – the porticos of Athens are a whole world of surprises. I’d also recommend venturing out to the Kalithea neighborhood for a delicious gourmet seafood meal at Argoura. I’ve got a version of his dolmades with crudo in the book!
More like this
