The gastronomer's all-around guide for Athens, Greece.

Restaurants in this group build upon the Greek recipes and add the gourmet twist to them. It is the perfect balance between comfort and exploration, and it also a great opportunity for travelers to experience traditional recipes in a more elegant manner. 1. Tsiftis Gastro-koutouki Tsiftis is the perfect example of the restaurants that belong to this category. It offers recipes with seasonal ingredients, top execution and with an exceptional service experience. If you are a greek, you should let your mind wonder and try something new, and if you are a visitor, simply pick whatever excites you. They also have a wonderful selection of drinks and a very capable sommelier. 2. Alimia Situated in Chalandri, a little cosy place with focus on quality of ingredients and execution. The best experience here, for all visitors, is to try out the traditional recipes, the ones that are familiar to you. It is their execution that takes it to the next level.

These spots are the meze paradise. Meze plates, carefully put together with the accompanying, mandatory, drinks. Suitable for dates and groups, not so for families. Portion are small and packed with flavor, best enjoyed shared. 3. Aster Located in the beautiful neighborhood of Ano Petralona. It mixes tradition with the new age, through its classic interior and young staff. If you find the pulled sheep with chilly and lime, order it! Besides that, everything is tasty, and the drinks are exactly what you are looking for, no fancy selections though. 4. Ypsala Few tables, receipt like menus, happy stuff and modern city rooftop vibes, despite it being right on the side walk. Very few items on the menu, but all of them are tasty. This is the place you go to after work, or during a calm weekend night.

Fancy food, fancy ingredients, dinning luxury. Selections found here are definitely gourmet but will not break the bank. 6. Monk Japanese grill first restaurant. Anything but the salads, and supporting cast, touch the grill. A dark environment with elegance and character. Elegant flavor and top-quality execution. Everything is worth trying here. A place to treat yourself. A place for a romantic dinner. A place to surprise someone 7. Lefkes (and lefkes on the side) A gourmet restaurant with traditional portions! Really hard to get a spot here, so make sure to book in advance. The main restaurant is the fancy place you take your parents and family to. The on-the-side restaurant is meat-oriented, the supporting cast is great, but you are going to have a great time by enjoying a nice cut of meat, cooked beautifully over a great selection of drinks. 8. Parkbench An exceptional place, were flavor is the hero. Fair prices, great staff and amazing care on every dish. Requires a reservation and best enjoyed in groups, because you get to order even more from its amazing menu.

9. TukTuk This little wormhole to Thailand is a true ethnic gem for the city. It is limited in space but it makes up for it with the food. It is guaranteed that you are going to try it something new here, you will be enticed to do so! The best thing about it are the prices, perhaps the best value for money place of this list. Highly highly recommended. 10. Aperio cucina. & vino This one could be placed on group 3 to be honest, however because it is strictly Italian I will put it here. The city has MANY great Italian spots, however this one does it for me because it perfectly combines elegance, with great cuisine. For me, this is a place for celebration, the way I like it. Quiet, luxurious and tasty. Anniversaries, small family gatherings, big news, you name it, this is a special place for special moments.