Some openings stand out because they have a clear reason to exist: they give the city a new way to eat (and go out), not just another concept. Sometimes it’s comfort Greek cooking reworked with a contemporary point of view; sometimes it’s high-precision Japan in a genuinely metropolitan setting; other times it’s fish in the centre -without the heavy “seaside ritual.”
Here are the ten places everyone’s talking about right now, and for good reason.
1. Zigkoala (Omonoia)
Zigkoala wins you over by taking the nostalgia of old Athens and translating it into the present. Housed in the former city cookshop “Athinaion,” it channels that classic magireio spirit -open kitchen, honest produce, and a room that feels lived-in from day one. Behind it is Konstantinos Dagritzikos (Six d.o.g.s.), with Vasilis Hamam leading the kitchen: a duo that knows how to build places with pulse and plates with memory, without getting stuck in the past. Expect meatballs, valley shrimp with persimmon, “Palestinian-style” chicken, mutton with xinóchondro (a sour, cracked wheat/fermented grain), plus lemon sorbet with toasted sesame—and genuinely good bread. The wine list leans natural, while the soundtrack feels like an old jukebox spinning classic Greek hits.
2. Onuki @ THE ILISIAN (Ilissia)
Onuki’s Athens outpost is the moment fine Japanese leaves resort mode and steps into a cosmopolitan, city frame. Set at THE ILISIAN and led by Stamatis Skriapas (known for Onuki at Costa Navarino), the experience is all about precision: immaculate knife work, obsessive detail, and a quiet kind of luxury across elegant poolside spaces that feel like a destination hotel—right in town. Seasonality here isn’t a slogan; it’s the operating system. At the sushi bar you’ll find roughly 20 types of fish daily, from fresh shrimp and tuna to a rotating fish of the day, with elevated ingredients like Hokkaido wasabi and scallops. There are also hot dishes and four meat options. The architecture, by Yabu Pushelberg, sets the tone, while the cellar goes deep on Japan: sake, shōchū, rare spirits, and cocktails speaking the language of yuzu, shiso, and matcha.
3. Anthes (Skoufa Street, city centre)
Anthes is the kind of bar-restaurant that gets atmosphere right: busy enough to carry energy, polished and worldly, yet unmistakably Athenian. The culinary direction comes from executive chef Ippokratis Anagnostelis (Kensho Mykonos, Crios Paros), with Konstantina Panagiotopoulou running the kitchen, in a concept that blends Greek memory with Japanese touches—comfort-forward, without losing fine-dining finesse. The menu is built for sharing: amberjack tartare with yuzu, smoked taramasalata on ladenia flatbread, eggplant “like moussaka,” spot-on gyoza, and caramelised cauliflower with tahini and sesame. A strong bar, food-friendly cocktails, and a wine list with island nods round out the night.
4. Plyta (Gouva, Pagrati)
Plyta is one of Athens’ best contradictions: it feels like a neighbourhood place, yet it’s powered by a heavyweight team (Koskinas–Loukkakis–Pediaditakis–Korovesis) and you can taste that experience in every plate. The model is simple: wood oven and charcoal, a tight menu that shifts with the market, and dishes that touch tradition without disguising it. Highlights to start with: rooster pilaf, goat stew spooned over fried potatoes, and the chocolate cake for the finale, the one that makes the table go quiet for ten minutes. Prices sit in a reasonable range for the level, though portions run on the smaller side.
5. Nonnas (Plaka)
In Plaka, Nonnas is interesting because it aims to be modern all-day dining in a high-visibility location -backed by a chef with serious mileage. Ilias Kiazoli makes his first entrepreneurial step here after years in demanding kitchens and roles of responsibility. The vibe is “urban trattoria”: warm, welcoming, anchored by a striking mural that acts as a visual signature, plus an open kitchen so you can watch the choreography and plating. On the menu, the “Old New Recipes” idea translates into comfort with modern clarity: buttery-textured pastas and risottos, meats cooked with confidence, sauces that feel homey but refined, and daily specials aligned with seasonality. Wine matters here, too, the sommelier guides the table with smart pairings that lift Nonnas from “nice spot in Plaka” to a meal with real intent.
6. Sea You Mezeri (Kolonaki)
Sea You Mezeri pulls off something rare in the centre: laid-back fish dining with serious produce and clean technique. It sits on the ground floor of Lemos Centre (Karneadou) and sets the mood before you even open the menu, blue-and-white walls with black wave-like curves, an olive tree in the middle of the room, greenery and mirrors that create a subtle “by-the-sea” illusion. The clincher is the traditional fish counter showcasing the catch of the day, often just in from Chalkida. At the table, chef/co-owner Dimitris Nikolis serves plates with substance and play: shrimp meatballs, anchovy with lemon–capers vinaigrette, Politiki-style cured bonito with pickled onion, red shrimp carpaccio with olive oil and lime, sautéed scallops with an airy potato espuma, baby cuttlefish with ladolemono, and charcoal-grilled squid “kontosouvli” with cuttlefish ink. For comfort lovers, the orzo “paella” with shrimp, mussels and saffron is the one that keeps people coming back.
7. Zappa @ Aigli Zappeiou (Zappeion)
Zappa signals the new chapter for Aigli: a real rebrand with all-day fine dining & bar energy in one of Athens’ most iconic settings. The kitchen is led by Chrysanthos Karamolegos, a chef shaped by technique, discipline, and a clean, confident flavour signature. His cooking moves effortlessly between Greece and the East, aromatic, umami-driven, layered, yet never cluttered. Here, the rebrand has rhythm and substance: a day-to-night experience where the Zappeion supplies the theatre and the food earns the buzz. Throughout the holidays, Zappa pushes its lively identity beyond the plate with themed music nights, disruptive DJ sets and live performances, an evolving programme that underlines the space’s philosophy: creativity, music and high gastronomy as one seamless night out.
8. Hafu (Agioi Theodoroi Square)
Sotiris Kontizas returns with Hafu -Japanese for “half-half”- and places it right where Athens hums: Agioi Theodoroi Square. The space has been rebuilt from the ground up with crisp Japanese cues: wood as the dominant element, calm lines, and carefully set tables that instantly set the tone. From the bar, guests have a full view of the open kitchen—an experience that echoes a sushi counter: you watch technique at work, hear the rhythm, and enjoy the process as much as the plate. The concept is clear: Japanese and Greek elements, blended without showing off. Comfort, precision, restraint and dishes that make you want a second round, not because they’re puzzling, but because they’re detailed. Hafu isn’t selling exoticism; it’s selling balance, and in Athens, that’s a power move.
9. Athos (Akademia Platonos)
Athos comes from people who understand fire, the pace of a dining room, and Greek flavour without folkloric costume. In Akademia Platonos, it sets up a compact, modern cookshop-destination with an open kitchen and live embers: here, “cooking” turns almost primal, everything starts with wood, charcoal and ash. The menu is 18 dishes, complex yet authentic. You begin with a piroshki of handmade dough, minced meat with a Politiki aroma, and chilled xygalo to brighten each bite. Zucchini avgolemono simmers over the wood fire and carries a whisper of smoke; smoked eggplant comes straight from the flames with cheese, tomato, olive oil and oregano. The dolmadakia taste like home, but executed with fine-dining precision. For meat, there’s a sheep/lamb patty cooked in a tava pan, the old way. Food with soul, and one more reason the neighbourhood is rising.
10. Diva (Kolonaki)
Diva is the kind of new opening you call by its first name -like it’s always been there. Athenian and theatrical (as the name suggests), it balances retro charm with contemporary going-out energy. It pulls you in for drinks and keeps you for food: familiar flavours, clean technique, sauces with real punch, no unnecessary frills. The setting is unapologetically sexy, cracked plaster and exposed brick, candlelight, raw marble tables, polished nickel chairs, and lipstick-red menus. You slip through velvet curtains and the “cinematic” evening begins. On the menu, the bestseller is cauliflower tempura, while the sea bream crudo with yuzu and Espelette pepper hints at the kitchen’s direction: crisp, playful, with just enough mischief to make you come back.
