We shall start with Athens first and then go to the Athens Riviera.
ESTIATORIO MILOS
The original Estiatorio Milos in Athens opened many years ago beneath the Hilton Hotel — a beautiful, high-ceilinged restaurant. Over time, Milos expanded to various cities around the world, including New York, London, Montreal, Miami, Las Vegas, and Los Cabos. Known for its white tablecloths and sharply dressed servers, Milos also offered an extensive list of ouzo and wines. The display of fresh fish on ice, the cold and hot appetizers, and the desserts made it a truly enjoyable place. The Athens location closed during the pandemic, and later the Hilton went into renovation. Milos then reopened nearby, this time as part of a small boutique hotel. The interior design resembles the old one, but it is a slightly smaller venue. The bar, previously integrated into the restaurant, now has its own separate area.I used to frequent the original Milos and considered it the best fish restaurant in Athens. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the new location. It’s now a place popular with businesspeople during lunch and a mix of tourists and locals in the evening. If
you’re staying in central Athens, you can easily walk there and still enjoy a very good meal.In restaurants like this, I believe it’s best to choose one of two dining styles: either opt for a light meal — one or two salads followed by a grilled fish — or go heavy on the appetizers and skip the fish entirely. Doing both feels excessive. And of course, there’s always room for dessert or ice cream.Among their most famous dishes is the salt-crusted sea bass, but it’s not particularly exceptional. If you’re unsure of what to order, consider larger fish like grouper, white grouper . grouper or dentex (trancha) either in portions or whole depending on your party size.
HERVE
Opened two years ago, Herve is listed in the Michelin Guide but has not yet earned a star. I actually went there assuming it had a star and was very surprised to learn otherwise — in fact, I was convinced it might be awarded a second star within a year or two. I still believe it will definitely earn its first star soon.Herve offers a 16-course tasting menu, with each dish served in two or three bites. The cuisine is international and includes meat, fish, and poultry. If you have any dietary restrictions, they can accommodate that if you inform them in advance.It’s a small restaurant with a capacity of about 35–40 guests, though it’s not always fully occupied. The tasting menu is very filling and each course has a distinct character. The restaurant was founded by three chefs, one of whom is also the sommelier. As a result, the wine list is extensive and reasonably priced. Many wines are also available by the glass. The kitchen is flanked on both sides by bar seating, reminiscent of a sushi bar, accommodating around 15 guests. The garden area has seating for another 15, and the indoor space includes a table for 5–6 people. Many guests, myself included, prefer eating at the bar, as it allows for direct interaction with the chefs and the opportunity to watch the food being
prepared. The chefs also explain each dish they serve. There is no bread or olive oil service, and the entire experience lasts around three hours. There’s no view, but if you want a pre-dinner drink, their cocktails are excellent.The restaurant has no sign. When you make a reservation, you receive a digital access code. Upon arrival, you enter this code into a keypad to unlock the door — only those with the code can enter. Closed on Sundays and Mondays, Herve is a must-visit fine dining restaurant.
THE ZILLERS
Another excellent restaurant in central Athens is The Zillers. One of the few Michelin-starred restaurants in Greece, The Zillers is located on the rooftop of a boutique hotel bearing the same name. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, and one of its main attractions is the breathtaking view of the Acropolis in all its majesty. The sight becomes even more stunning when it’s illuminated in the evening.The restaurant also overlooks Athens’ largest cathedral, which is fronted by a magnificent square. If you lean slightly over the terrace railing, you get a clear view of this grand public space. During major Orthodox religious holidays, elaborate ceremonies are held in the cathedral that continue onto the square. Following these events, all church bells in the city ring for about five minutes, and although I personally don’t care for fireworks, they are often part of the celebration — creating a unique and memorable atmosphere. The building was originally the residence of a German architect named Ziller. It was later purchased and converted into a boutique hotel, with the rooftop opening as a restaurant under the same name. During the day, it serves coffee and tea, and after 7:00 PM, it transitions to dinner service.The restaurant holds one Michelin star, and its head chef Pavlos Kiriakis gained experience in well-known restaurants across the
U.S. and Europe. He creates refined Mediterranean and Greek dishes. Once a month, he invites a chef friend from another country for a special collaborative event known as the “Four Hands Dinner,” which has become one of the restaurant’s signature experiences.There are two tasting menu options at Zillers — a short and a long version — each with wine pairing options. If you’re in Athens, I highly recommend having an evening meal here and sitting on the terrace to enjoy the extraordinary view.
TRAVOLTA
Though not listed in the Michelin Guide, Travolta is a seafood restaurant well worth visiting. Located in the center of Athens, it is a modest yet charming place with wooden tables. Except for Friday and Saturday evenings, it’s usually not too difficult to get a table.The cuisine is heavily focused on mezes and seafood. While you can order fish, there’s such a wide variety of small dishes that you’ll likely be full before even getting to that point.Their signature dish is smoked eel. Travolta stands out for offering dishes with flavor combinations you don’t typically encounter elsewhere.
SOIL
One of Athens’ Michelin-starred restaurants is Soil, where the head chef is Tasos Mantis. In fact, one could say the restaurant is more like a 1.5-star venue, as in addition to its Michelin star, it has also been awarded a Green Star for its commitment to sustainability.Located within walking distance of the Olympic Stadium, Soil serves Greek cuisine with Northern European
influences. The restaurant grows its own vegetables, herbs, and greens on a private farm, and incorporates edible flowers into its presentation. The farm is tended by the chef’s father, adding a personal touch to the operation.At the end of the meal, guests are gifted a small bouquet of herbs used in that day’s dishes — a charming and memorable gesture. The team at Soil takes great pride in their farm-to-table approach:“We grow the vegetables and herbs we cook with ourselves. Nothing gets lost in transport. We harvest in the morning, and cook the same day — no unnecessary energy use, no waste.”This level of commitment to sustainability and freshness is central to Soil’s philosophy, and it would not be surprising to see the restaurant receive its second Michelin star in the near future.
RIVIERA
Everyone knows Athens, but not the Athens Riviera so much. The Athens Riviera, which offers good opportunities, especially between May and November, is an area that leaves a great impression on me in every sense. Beautiful and natural beaches, delicious food, calmness, and sublime nature, in addition to the absence of traffic, make for a wonderful holiday. Starting from the Port of Piraeus, where a Poseidon temple is located, and stretching all the way through Cape Sounion, The Athens Riviera consists of a 65 km long coastline. If you start from Port of Piraeus by car and follow the coast, you can cover this winding road in an hour and a half. You can swim at every point and eat good food along this route. If it’s not July or August, you won’t encounter traffic. Magnificent views are guaranteed. After you leave Piraeus, residential areas start to leave their places for beaches. The Athens Riviera is a very nice summer holiday option. I will talk about the first 25 km part of the 65 km coastline, where people from Athens come to eat and have fun.
The remaining 40 km of the coastline is for those having a longer holiday in one of the many summer residences. The first important place in the Riviera is Glayfada, followed by Voula, Vouliagmeni, Vari, and Varkiza. If you’re someone who likes to eat, being on the Riviera will give you pure joy as you’ll be able to taste delicious dishes with different presentations and tastes.
DOURAMBEIS
Dourambeis, located on the west of our route, is a seafood restaurant founded in 1932 the very near Microlimano. It’s still run by the same family who found it. The second and third generations of the family work together to run the place now. Unlike other restaurants in the region, Dourambeis is not located by the sea; in fact, it doesn’t even have a view of the sea. However, it’s well known by the locals, and although it’s a big restaurant, it’s packed most of the time, especially on the weekends. Dourambeis has an open-air terrace as well as a closed area. Their wine and ouzo menus are rich. Two things about this place particularly caught my attention. The first one was the special oven in the kitchen, and the second was the low quality of its service and its waiters. A waiter, by its meaning, is the person that waits for you at your table. They are supposed to stay at a distance from the table to give privacy, but they’re always in your eyesight. They don’t serve but always observe if you need anything at any given moment. When you raise your head to ask for something, they come closer and ask what you need. Then, they go inside for a few seconds, convey your need to the server, and the server brings your ask.According to a British tradition, there’s a runner that complements the waiter and the server. The runner cleans up the table. If there’s a sommelier, they take your wine order and do your refills. These four roles, waiter, server, runner, and sommelier, make up a good restaurant service, which in these times are very rare to encounter. At Dourambeis, the waiting system does not function well. The most important aspect of Dourambeis is its kitchen. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, and neither have they anywhere else. There’s a stove in the kitchen that is 4 meters long and one meter high, and its body part is made up of several layers of metal. On top of it, there is a thick volcanic rock. A fire, provided by natural gas, enters the furnace from several places, and a temperature of 2000 degrees Celsius is created inside. This heats the volcanic rock to cook food. An attendant carefully opens the covers of the stove and checks the fire. The temperature on the surface of the stove is not the same everywhere, something they specifically regulate. A few chefs cook fish and other seafood on this stove.There are also old-style hand-held wire grills, some of which reach one meter in diameter. If a sea bass that weighs 6 kilos will be cooked, they cut the fish in half into two fillets, one on the bone, put it on the stove, and cook on the volcanic rock. Small grills are used if they’re going to cook two or three shrimps. The juices coming out of the cooked ingredients flow over the volcanic rock with an inviting sound, and the beautiful smell of the food spreads around. I think this technique makes a difference in taste. In Dourambeis, it’s possible to come across flavors you haven’t tasted before. I tried a small monk fish grill here that I haven’t tried elsewhere before. They place 10 small monk fish with bones, each about the size of a shrimp, on the stove and cook shortly without adding anything else. The result is delicious. There are also different shrimp styles, freshwater crayfish, and other Aegean fishes that are cooked with this style. Another nicety about this place is the tomatoes on top of a huge table at the entrance. These tomatoes, which they grow themselves, taste so delicious that I got the taste of an August tomato in November. Before you start your dishes, they bring you some of these tomatoes along with some salad. They prepare your meal while you’re busy with your salad. You have the risk of being full
early if you get your hands on the bread, so it is better to stick with the salad.
VAROULKO
In my opinion, Varoulko is the most refined seafood restaurant in Greece. Holding a Michelin star, Varoulko is located in Mikrolimano, an area similar to Tarabya in Istanbul. It’s a charming place with a row of cafés and restaurants right by the sea, and a small marina filled with little boats just in front.I usually prefer to visit restaurants around lunchtime or mid- afternoon, around 15:30. During my time in Athens, this restaurant was typically open in the evenings, and since I didn’t want to sit indoors, I avoided making a reservation. One day, when I called to book, they informed me that the season was approaching summer and they had started taking reservations from 13:00 onwards. The garden wasn’t open yet, but they managed to set up a table for me on the balcony.I had a meal at a white tablecloth-covered table with excellent service, consisting of dishes that could be found at any good fish restaurant — but each one was delicious and subtly refined with attention to presentation. The portions were neither large nor small, but just right.What truly set this place apart was the efficiency of their service system — the waiter, server, and runner coordination was exceptional. And of course, there was also a sommelier. The owner and chef of the restaurant is Lefteris Lazarou, whose father worked in ship kitchens. From a young age, Lazarou worked alongside his father, traveling to many countries and learning about different cuisines. Working in cruise ship kitchens became his greatest training ground.He brought all that experience, along with his personal culinary perspective, to Varoulko, which he opened in 1987, and has developed into the restaurant it is today.
DELTA
Located about 15 minutes by car from central Athens and heading toward the sea, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center is a place Athenians hold dear. Funded by one of Greece’s most prominent shipping magnates, Stavros Niarchos, the center includes a large park, cafés, and several cultural institutions. It houses the Greek National Library and the National Opera House, both designed in a modern architectural style. The vast fountain pool, areas for children to skate and cycle, bakeries offering a variety of savory pastries, and cafés serving snacks like crepes, salads, and pizza make it an ideal spot for families. The restaurant Delta is located on the 5th floor of one of the center’s buildings. It accommodates around 60 guests for dinner and just as many at the bar, and it offers panoramic views. Several things impressed me here, and I’ll share them in order. To start with, Delta has two Michelin stars and a green star for sustainability. The fruits, vegetables, and herbs used in their dishes come from their own farm. The restaurant opened only a year ago, yet earned its stars within a few months. The cuisine is created by two equally recognized chefs, Thanos Feskos and Georgios Papazacharias. I’m certain that Delta will achieve its third star within the next year. They offer a 14-course tasting menu, with each course being no more than three bites. The cuisine is international but with their own unique interpretation. We visited as a party of two. I opted for the pescetarian menu with no gluten, while my friend requested a lactose-free pescetarian menu, and also mentioned an almond allergy. Soon after, they brought out a fluffy bread that we couldn’t believe was gluten-free, along with both olive oil and a butter-like spread (which was not butter). In fact, the bread was one of the courses on the tasting menu, but had been specially adapted to meet our dietary restrictions. We liked the bread so much that we asked if
we could take some home. They said they had only prepared the two we ate, but if we visited again, they might be able to make extras. On our next visit, they remembered this request and surprised us with two beautifully packaged loaves to take home. Another standout aspect of Delta is that the chefs design the menu daily based on guests’ dietary needs, allergies, and preferences almost everyone receives a customized menu. I was also impressed by the service staff’s attitude. On both visits, the same female server attended to us. She knelt to eye level while taking our orders, which made communication easier and more personal something I really appreciated. She had clearly tasted every dish in its various forms — vegan, vegetarian, seafood, and meat and was able to explain each one thoroughly. The food runner who brought our dishes also answered every question in detail. The waiter-server-runner system worked seamlessly, exactly as it should in a fine dining restaurant.At green star restaurants, environmentally conscious choices often mean no tablecloths — and Delta follows this rule. But the lack of linen was more than made up for by the outstanding food.Each dish was served on a uniquely designed plate. The first course was a sandwich with caviar — a round piece of bread topped with a non-dairy cream- like base, caviar, and edible flower petals. Just two bites — but a real explosion of flavor. Even during our second visit when we chose the vegetarian menu, I asked them to include this dish again as a small indulgence. As the season changes, so does the produce — and so Delta changes its main menu every three months. I’m already excited about what I’ll get to try on my next visit to Athens. When making a reservation, you inform them of your dietary preferences, and the restaurant tailors the tasting menu accordingly.
PAPAIOANNOU
If you want to cook fish and preserve its juice, you must follow the 4 cm rule at 200 degrees Celsius. Let’s say you bought 2 kilos of seabass. Keeping one-half bony, divide it into halves, creating two fillets. Don’t get the scales out.Pour a little bit of olive oil on the oven tray and place the fish fillets skin side up. At the thickest point of the fish, insert a toothpick until it reaches the bottom. Measure the depth of the fish using the toothpick and multiply the centimeters by 4. This will tell you how many minutes the fish should be cooked at 200 degrees Celcius in a turbo oven. So, if the thickness is 3 cm, the cooking time is 12 minutes. This is the way they cook fish at this fine restaurant.With great sea views and efficient service, you will enjoy many local starter dishes before your fish.
ITHAKI
Ithaki is a restaurant with several chefs from different cultures because there are great Japanese, French and Italian dishes on the menu. Greek dishes are fusion versions of classical dishes. As you may know, there’s feta cheese in Greek Salad. Some restaurants grate it, some add it to the salad in a single piece, and some serve it by dividing the cheese into small pieces. In Ithaki, however, they’ve made a foam out of feta cheese. This restaurant is located by the sea and has comfortable armchairs.They have an extensive wine and drinks menu. It’s a bit more expensive than the other restaurants in the area. You can find all kinds of fresh fish in this place, and they’re delicious. They have different interpretations of cooking fresh fish and vegetables. I really like their cauliflower tempura with white truffles grated on top. Sea bass also has fresh black truffles. This restaurant, open since 28 years and getting better every year under the leadership of
Ms Karamanli , they can serve up to 140 people at a time, is close to the Four Seasons Hotel.
MATSUHISA
Matsuhisa is the name of the founder of world-famous Nobu restaurants. Matsuhisa Nobu lived in Peru for many years and learned the cuisine well. Then, he created a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines. In 1987, he opened a restaurant with his first name in Los Angeles and became very successful. The famous actor Robert de Niro, who loves this restaurant, offers Matsuhisa to open a new place together, and the first branch of Nobu opens in New York, this time using the chef’s surname. Matsuhisa Nobu wants Nobu to be a different brand and keeps running his original Matsuhisa too. You can see Matsuhisa branches in a couple of places around the world, and one of them is located in the garden of the Four Seasons Hotel in Athens. Located on a peninsula, the hotel overlooks a wonderful bay. I think it’s one of the best Four Seasons hotels on the seaside. Matsuhisa has no affiliations with the hotel. It’s a high-quality restaurant that faces west, allowing you to watch the sunset. Matsuhisa Nobu has brought his right-hand chef to Athens, practically channeling all his power here. Don’t come to Athens Riviera and think you should not eat Japanese food. Definitely spend an evening at Matsuhisa’s beautiful bar sometime between May and October, watch the sunset and taste the great food.
PELAGOS
Pelagos is a Michelin-starred restaurant located inside the Four Seasons Hotel in Athens, with a capacity to serve around 100 to 120 guests. The head chef, Luca Piscazzi, along with two
other chefs, are Italian, but the restaurant offers an international menu. Guests can choose between two tasting menus, one short and one long. During the ordering process, you’re asked to indicate your dietary preferences — vegan, vegetarian, or pescetarian — as well as any lactose or gluten sensitivities, or food allergies. The kitchen then prepares the dishes accordingly.The restaurant’s signature dish is a cold pasta: a small portion of spaghetti topped generously with black caviar, served in a chilled sauce. It’s a two-bite dish but packed with luxurious flavor. Chef Luca Piscazzi has spent significant time on Greek islands, becoming well-versed in their local culinary traditions. His focus is on highlighting the rich flavors, aromas, and textures of the ingredients he uses, while also ensuring that guests can recognize and appreciate what’s on their plate.The plating style at Pelagos is distinctive — far from classic — and reflects a unique artistic interpretation for each dish.Being located by the sea with a view of the sunset, Pelagos offers a stunning setting, making it an excellent choice especially for dinner.
BARBOUNAKI
This is a sister restaurant of Papaioannou equally good, simpler and less expensive. You get the same tomatoes , the salad and a similar fish selection by the kilo. No cotton table clothes , not exactly on the water but has a great sea view. They have the same eel with a better side salad and most importantly a great Greek fava which you cannot get in the sister restaurant. There are many branches; my choice is the one near the Four Seasons hotel on the Astir Peninsula.
BLUE FISH
Because the riviera’s coastline is fairly jagged, some restaurants look to the west, and some look to the east. The ones that look west offer you peerless views of the sunset. Those that look east, however, can offer you a great glimpse of a full moon rise when it’s that time of the month. Blue Fish is on the water and has a sunset view. In addition to the very Greek starter dishes, the way they serve fresh line-caught fish here is rather unusual. Say you are a party of four. You may choose a fish of around 3 kg from their display on the ice. They separate the fish into three different parts. They slightly boil the head and take the flesh off the bones, including the cheeks and mix it into a Greek-style pasta dish and serve as the first course. Then, they take a whole fillet off the bone, divide it into big chunks, and serve them seared with a special sauce as the second starter. Then, they grill the remaining fillet on the bone juicy and serve it on the bone as the main course with some virgin olive oil sauce. All these courses are combined with a perfect “baby” spinach salad on the side. It is advisable to start with this 4-course bonanza and be patient to order the small Greek dishes later, depending on the appetite left. For the desert, do not order anything but cross the street to an ice cream parlor called “Bufalo Gelato” to eat a custom-made ice cream plate with fresh fruits and nuts of your choice on top of the buffalo milk or vegan ice cream of your choice. The only down side is you will never enjoy other ice cream plates anywhere else anymore.
AKTI
Akti is a nice fish restaurant by the sea. It’s also located in Vouliagmeni, close to the Blue Fish, and serves Greek cuisine along with international dishes. It has three different areas: closed, open, and semi-open. Open space is ideal. Business people go to Akti for lunch, and people from the area fill the place in the evenings. It has its own beach. A Greek friend of mine had taken me there for lunch before, and I left very pleased then, so I went a couple of times with other friends again. We made reservations for 9 p.m. and when we arrived, the place was almost empty. People started to come in around 10 PM when we were halfway through our dinner. After 10 PM, the place became very crowded very quickly, and a DJ performance began. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun; apparently, after midnight, the place turned into a Greek-style all-hands-in-the-air kind of party. They also do happy hour dining with a DJ from 4 pm on weekends.