About

About ULTIMATE Athens City Guide

ULTIMATE Athens City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Athens, Greece. We publish 16 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, nightlife, hotels, attractions, art, cinema, beach clubs, fitness + spa, medical & health, shopping, real estate, transport, car rental & sales and greek islands. Together they cover the city centre, the neighbourhoods and the Athens Riviera.

How we choose

Our lists draw on respected awards and guides, such as the MICHELIN Guide and The World's 50 Best Bars, together with local knowledge and recent reviews. We look for quality, character and a genuine sense of Athens, from Michelin-starred dining rooms to hole-in-the-wall tavernas.

Before you go

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change often, especially for summer-only venues on the Riviera. Please check directly with each venue before you visit, and book ahead for popular restaurants, clubs and beach clubs. Price guides run from € (budget) to €€€€ (luxury).

For venues

Run a venue in Athens and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The gold Mask of Agamemnon from Mycenae at the National Archaeological Museum, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis of Athens floodlit at dusk, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A terrace on Lycabettus looking across Athens to the Acropolis and the sea, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Straw umbrellas above the clear sea at Vouliagmeni, by Mister No, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A café terrace beneath the Acropolis, by L-BBE, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Light trails on Syngrou Avenue in Athens at night, by George E. Koronaios, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A wall of coloured bottles lit up behind the bar in Athens, by Ανώνυμος Βικιπαιδιστής, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• People at a café terrace in central Athens, by Jean Housen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An open-air cinema in Athens, with deckchairs and tables facing the screen, by Badseed, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A doctor in a white coat holding a stethoscope, by Alex Proimos, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Shoppers on Ermou Street, the main shopping street of Athens, by Jean Housen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An open-air cinema in Athens, with deckchairs and tables facing the screen, by Badseed, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A windmill on Mykonos, with cruise ships at anchor beyond, by Lucicort, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship anchored in the caldera of Santorini, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A sailing yacht under sail on a windy day, by Christos Loufopoulos from Athens, GREECE, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Temple of Apollo at Delphi, looking down the valley below Mount Parnassus, by Skyring, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The brick chimneys of Technopolis, the former gasworks in Gazi, Athens, by George E. Koronaios, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Boats in Glyfada marina under a blue sky, by Mister No, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Swimmers in the turquoise water of Lake Vouliagmeni beneath limestone cliffs, by C messier, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos Hill, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old gasworks of Gazi lit up at night, now the Technopolis arts centre, by Andreas Messimeris, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A stylish café-bar terrace on Tsakalof Street in Kolonaki, by Jean Housen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monastiraki Square, with the old mosque and the Acropolis above, by Maksym Kozlenko, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The fountain of Syntagma Square at night, with the Parliament behind, by Annatsach, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hotel Grande Bretagne on Syntagma Square, lit up at night, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Deep blue water and white rocks at Agia Anna on Amorgos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Chora, the hilltop capital of Amorgos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa, built into the cliffs of Amorgos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Lufthansa Airbus coming in to land at Ellinikon airport in 1981, by simon butler from halesowen, uk, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The water maze at the Ellinikon Experience Park, lit up at night, by StrangeTraveler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The water maze at the Ellinikon Experience Park, by StrangeTraveler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A quiet whitewashed lane in Chora, Amorgos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white houses of Chora on Folegandros on the edge of the cliffs, by Etienne O. Dallaire, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bougainvillea and white houses in the Kastro of Chora, Folegandros, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A blue-domed bell tower above the white houses of Chora on Ios, by NorbertNagel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The turquoise cove of Livadaki beach below the cliffs of Folegandros, by Etienne O. Dallaire, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white village of Plaka on its hilltop above the sea on Milos, by dronepicr, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A whitewashed lane in Plaka, Milos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The little harbour of Pollonia on Milos, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A lane of white houses, blue doors and bougainvillea in Mykonos Town, by Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Little Venice in Mykonos Town, with houses rising straight from the water, by Bernard Gagnon, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A whitewashed bell tower in the lanes of Naxos Town, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A flower-filled marble lane in Parikia, the capital of Paros, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A whitewashed lane of little shops on Paros, by Jean Housen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The famous blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Apollonia, the white hill capital of Sifnos, by Kondephy, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bougainvillea above the rooftops of Ano Syros, by Sgroey, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A little square with bougainvillea in the marble village of Pyrgos, Tinos, by Jules Verne Times Two, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Taverna tables in a shady lane of Pyrgos, Tinos, by Jules Verne Times Two, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Chora on the cliff edge of Folegandros, by Etienne O. Dallaire, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The church of the Panagia above Chora, Folegandros, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A shady path through the National Garden in Athens, by Jean Housen, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Evzones changing guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier below the Greek Parliament, by Yair-haklai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A sandy beach and turquoise bay below the hills of Ios, by NorbertNagel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white houses and churches of Chora on Ios, by NorbertNagel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Mylopotas beach on Ios, by Davide Taviani (Helios), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lycabettus Hill seen from the Temple of Olympian Zeus, by Jebulon, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Platis Gialos beach on Mykonos from the air, by Olaf Tausch, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water and white sand below the coloured cliffs of Firiplaka beach on Milos, by dronepicr, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sailing boats by the sea caves of Kleftiko, Milos, by dronepicr, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white volcanic rocks of Sarakiniko on Milos, by dronepicr, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Little Venice, the old captains’ houses on the water in Mykonos town, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The windmills of Kato Mili above Mykonos town, by Joe deSousa, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The long sandy beach of Agios Prokopios on Naxos, looking across the water to Paros, by Carlo Pelagalli, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Naxos town climbing to its Venetian Kastro, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The marble village of Apiranthos in the mountains of Naxos, by VasCr, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Portara, the great marble doorway of an unfinished temple, at sunset on Naxos, by Manfred Werner (Tsui), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The bay of Naoussa on Paros, with the white town across the turquoise water, by Tango7174, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• New Golden Beach on the east coast of Paros, by Domob, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lefkes, the hill village of Paros, among olive groves, by Kondephy, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The little harbour of Naoussa on Paros, with fishing boats and the white town behind, by Gerald Adams, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A whitewashed lane in Parikia, the port town of Paros, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Parikia, the port town of Paros, seen across the harbour, by Jean Housen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Venetian castle at the entrance to Naoussa harbour on Paros, by Tommybee89, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Parthenon on the Acropolis seen across the pines from Philopappos Hill, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A ferry in the harbour of Piraeus, by Mustang Joe, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The black-sand beach of Perissa on Santorini, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Imerovigli, Firostefani and Fira along the rim of the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fira on the caldera cliffs of Santorini, looking out to the volcanic islands, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Oia’s white houses and blue domes on the rim of the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The sheltered round bay of Vathi on Sifnos, by Kondephy, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The monastery of Panagia Chrysopigi on its rock by the sea, Sifnos, by KASPAR, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kastro, the medieval village on a rock above the sea on Sifnos, by Kondephy, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The sandy beach and little harbour village of Kini on Syros, by FocalPoint, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Ermoupoli, the neoclassical capital of Syros, seen from the sea, by Leeturtle, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Ermoupoli’s town hall by Ernst Ziller on Miaoulis Square, by Hans Peter Schaefer, http://www.reserv-a-rt.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The white harbour town of Tinos below green hills, by Eu.stefan, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A dovecote among the terraces of Tarambados, Tinos, by Jules Verne Times Two, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Villa Kazouli, one of the grand 19th-century mansions of Kifissia, under a blue sky, by C messier, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alsos, the shady grove at the heart of Kifissia, from above, by C messier, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The green, leafy suburb of Kifissia from above, with the mountains beyond, by C messier, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A classic yacht at anchor in the deep-blue Aegean off Milos, by dronepicr, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aretaieion Hospital on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, Athens, by Wolfgang Moroder, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A path through the Ancient Agora of Athens, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Antiques for sale at the Monastiraki flea market, by Badseed, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Tzistarakis Mosque on Monastiraki Square, with the Acropolis behind, by Edgar El, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bar terraces lit up at dusk on Irakleidon Street in Thiseio, Athens, by northernsky7007, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The hill of Acrocorinth and its castle, by George E. Koronaios, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Bourtzi castle in the harbour of Nafplio, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The steep rock walls of the Corinth Canal, by Holger Uwe Schmitt, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Temple of Apollo at Ancient Corinth, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ancient theatre of Epidaurus, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lion Gate at Mycenae, by Zde, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Byzantine church among the ruins of Mystras, by Rc1959, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Nafplio and the Argolic Gulf from the Palamidi fortress, by qwesy qwesy, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Temple of Hera at Ancient Olympia, by George E. Koronaios, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis rising above the houses of Plaka, by George E. Koronaios, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A lane of whitewashed steps in Anafiotika, below the Acropolis, by Ranssom, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Plaka, by Palickap, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Steps and whitewashed walls in Plaka, beneath the walls of the Acropolis, by George E. Koronaios, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Apartment balconies on Pindarou Street in Kolonaki, with the Acropolis in the distance, by George E. Koronaios, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Taverna tables on the steps of Mnisikleous Street in Plaka, by C messier, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in the marina at Glyfada, by Mister No, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lake Vouliagmeni beneath its limestone cliff, by Salwa Farwaneh, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center by Renzo Piano, above Faliro Bay, by John Karakatsanis, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of Voula beach on the Athens Riviera, by C messier, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Shoppers on Ermou Street, Athens’ main shopping street, by George E. Koronaios, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Blue Star Patmos ferry docked at Piraeus, by C messier, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.