The land of the Ancient Gods and the city that introduced Democracy to the western world knows how to celebrate life, and that’s through food. Eating Greek dishes isn’t merely an activity to fill your stomach, it’s to be appreciated and enjoyed with good company, hence mealtimes can go on for two, sometimes three hours in Greece. Here, then, are my top recommended Greek dishes to try when in the capital city and can certainly be enjoyed at the restaurants recommended here.

Meze

The Greek version of Spanish tapas, meze is made for sharing and can be eaten to accompany an alcoholic drink or as a main. It consists of a variety of dishes including dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), tzatziki (yogurt and garlic dip), any number of Greek or Cretan salads (with feta or local homemade cheese) and meat, cheese and spinach pies with filo pastry.

Koulouri

Very popular for a snack as you wander around the sites, and eaten regularly by the locals, koulouri is a simple ring of bread sprinkled with sesame seeds or cheese and olives and is sold from koulouri stands all over the city.  To koulouri tou Psyri is the bakery that supplies the majority of stands in the Athens area and is located in Psyrri.  You can buy them directly from here too.

Souvaki