Traditional Tavernas in Koukaki

Where to eat a proper meal in Koukaki

Koukaki sits below Philopappou Hill, close enough to the Acropolis that you catch the rock between apartment buildings. A few streets away from the main tourist route the mood changes: older façades, bakeries, tables on the pavement and the smell of lunch from open kitchen doors.

The food here comes from two directions. There is the older Koukaki of family recipes brought from villages and islands, and a newer one of small plates and restaurants shaped by a more international Athens. This page covers the places for a sit-down meal. For bakeries and sandwiches see Quick Bites and Delicacies; for coffee see Modern Brunch and Coffee.

Regional cooking

Some of the most interesting kitchens in Athens cook from one specific part of Greece rather than serving an all-purpose “Greek” menu.

Mani Mani: food from the southern Peloponnese

Mani Mani cooks the food of Mani, the rugged peninsula in the southern Peloponnese, in a restored neoclassical building. The dining room and plating are modern, but the menu leans on ingredients from the region, including handmade pasta and siglino, Mani’s cured pork. If you have never eaten food from Mani, this is the place to try it.

Dodekapiata: a short menu, done carefully

The name means “12 plates”, and the idea is a focused menu instead of pages of choices. Traditional flavors are cooked with contemporary technique, and there are dishes that change daily. It suits people who want Greek food without a strict re-creation of how grandmother made it.

Meze: order a little, stay a while

Greek eating works best if you forget about starter, main and dessert. Mezedes go in the middle of the table: you order a few plates, someone suggests another, drinks arrive, and a quick dinner turns into most of the evening.

Riza-riza, on pedestrianized Drakou Street, suits that style. You can sit down for a drink, order something small and watch the street, and it is perfectly normal to still be there two hours later.

Fish and seafood

Koukaki is a city neighborhood, not a fishing harbor, so seafood here tends to be cooked in a more contemporary way. At Park Bench, fish and seafood meet influences from outside Greek cooking, including sushi, in a relaxed setting.

Bakeries and sandwich counters

Not every important food place in Koukaki is a sit-down restaurant. The neighborhood bakeries and sandwich counters, including Takis Bakery and Guarantee, are covered in our Quick Bites and Delicacies guide.

Tips for eating out

Athenians eat late, so if you want a quiet table, arrive before about 21:00. Order a few plates to share and add more as you go. Tavernas on the pedestrian streets fill up quickly on summer evenings and weekends, so book ahead where a restaurant takes reservations.

Tourism has brought new customers and new restaurants to Koukaki, and the growth of short-term accommodation has changed the residential side of the area. Eating at family-run places and neighborhood bakeries is one simple way to keep your money in local businesses.