In the quiet neighbourhood of Petralona in Athens is an unassuming restaurant. Located on a charming, tree-lined street, which if you’re lucky enough to visit in spring will be blooming with magenta-hued blossoms, it looks like any other taverna. The Greek capital is home to countless tavernas: small, family-run restaurants serving traditional Greek staples like moussaka, horta and stifado. Only there’s more than meets the eye at Taverna Oikonomou, which first opened in 1930 and had, until recently, been run by the same family for three generations.
The ‘neo-taverna’ concept speaks more of a spirit of change than a fixed ethos
The food served here is still taverna style – hearty, rustic dishes based on family recipes emerge from the kitchen – but look closer and there are a few distinctly modern touches. Contemporary art hangs on the walls; a new approach to the sourcing of olive oil, tomatoes and other ingredients is apparent in the dishes; new-age wines with striking labels are stacked on the shelves. ‘We changed everything without changing anything,’ says owner Phillipos Tsangrides, who bought the restaurant in 2023. ‘The most important thing we did was add bottled wine,’ he says, in contrast with the taverna tradition of serving house wine from barrels. ‘I think Taverna Oikonomou probably inspired all the tavernas in Greece to add bottled wine.’
Considering these changes, it’s easy to see that the concept of the ‘neo-taverna’ in Athens is a loose one. It speaks more of a spirit of change than a fixed ethos and a radical new culinary movement. At one end of the spectrum, it might be as simple as introducing a wine list to a traditional taverna setting, while at the other, it could mean modernising the food and serving it against a more contemporary backdrop.
‘Everything changed after COVID,’ says Tsangrides and, despite the difficulty of sharing a meal during the pandemic, ‘the core of Greek cuisine did not end up changing, which is a family-style cuisine.’
An influx of international residents and increased tourism created a more receptive and diverse audience
The turning point came when many people from abroad relocated to Greece during the second wave of COVID. Although there had already been momentum in reshaping the local restaurant scene, this influx of international residents and increased tourism created a more receptive and diverse audience. ‘It gave an interesting canvas for us to take chances where normally we wouldn’t be able to take them because of a strictly Greek audience,’ says restaurateur Ari Vezené, who owns Greek fish restaurant Vezené, yakitori bar Birdman and Manári, a neo-taverna opened at the end of 2024. Prior to this, ‘there were interesting menus, there were ideas of let’s say “neo-bistro” or “neo-taverna” food,’ Vezené adds, ‘but at the end of the day it was Greeks trying to reshape the way Greeks felt about Greek food. And that’s always a challenge.’
For decades, Greek food abroad was a ‘best of everything’ greatest hits menu, with a formula always including moussaka, spanakopita and souvlaki. Key to the neo-taverna movement is a new generation of Greek chefs reclaiming regional heritage, introducing diners to village-specific dishes and local traditions. ‘For the first time, you are… letting go of mom and pop cooking and you’re letting a younger generation of Greeks cook for you,’ Vezené says, referring to the shift from nostalgic, homely cooking to a more nuanced, place-based expression of Greek cuisine.
‘Athens is where Paris was with its movement 20 years ago,’ he adds, ‘and it’s cheaper than a cool Paris bistro because of the economy, so you get a much better deal here.’ See some of the best modern restaurants in Athens, redefining the definition of the taverna, below.
Five of the best ‘neo-taverna’ restaurants in Athens
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Linou Soumpasis & Sia
With it’s futuristic stainless-steel tables and minimalistic decor, this restaurant represents the new path for the taverna. The restaurant focuses on seasonal produce, soulful cooking and a warm, familiar atmosphere. But the food is ‘quietly refined,’ says co-owner George Soumpasis, adding that the food is ‘rooted in Greek memory, made with care and creativity. If that’s “neo-taverna”, then we’re happy to be included.’ Chef Lukas Mailer’s cooking shows an intelligent use of the charcoal fire, and almost every dish is juicy with raw, fresh olive oil and lemon, such as oysters cooked over charcoal with olive oil and chilli flakes, and smoky, fleshy aubergine with crimson-hued, cold tomato sauce and creamy feta. Like Manári but focused on fish, it’s collar-to-tail, with dishes including cod tail tajine with okra and tomato. A boundary-pushing take on Greek cooking, you’ll even find surf-and-turf, with dishes like veal sweetbreads, spinach and langoustine sauce. The wine list is exclusively organic and natural. linousoumpasis.gr
Taverna Oikonomou
Preserving the charm of the classic taverna, there are white tablecloths, retro chairs, and tawny-and-cream checkered floors. On the menu are salads, cheeses, pulses, vegetables cooked in tomato sauce, hearty mains and a grill section. The generously stuffed spanakopita from the starters and the main of lahanodolmades – rich, comforting veal stuffed cabbage – are both essential orders. Saving room for dessert is advised, as the glossy orange and semolina cake with kaimaki ice cream is heavenly. There’s an extensive Greek wine list; skin-contact and red marry best with the food. This is an excellent place to dive into small, artisanal producers from well-known regions like Naoussa and Santorini, as well as lesser-represented ones like Tinos, Thessaloniki and Cyprus. tavernaoikonomou.gr
Pharoah
It may be a stretch to call this absurdly cool spot in gritty Omonoia a neo-taverna but it’s the kind of concept that directly emerges from the movement. If Taverna Oikonomou is at one end of the taverna transformation spectrum, Pharoah is at the other. The decor is sexy, brooding and slick, the music from a turntable is nostalgic and international but the menu is rooted in Greek tradition, with a highly seasonal, minimal and ingredient-driven approach to Greek cuisine. The wood fire takes centre stage, with everything from dolmades (rice-stuffed vine leaves) to beef stew with pearl couscous spending some time warmed by its smoky heat. Salads and cold starters are created with high-quality ingredients, such as an excellent plate of grilled wild greens with manouri cheese. Finish with an indulgent galakatoboureko, where a generous layer of thick custard fills a shiny exterior of layered filo. The all-star wine list isn’t restricted to Greece and includes natural wine legends like Radikon and Prieuré Roch. There’s also a focus on unique, natural Greek wines such as a barrel-aged rosé from Goumenissa in Macedonia. One of the most stylish restaurants in Athens putting their own spin on traditional cuisine. pharaoh.gr
Manári Taverna
Given the incredible value on offer here, Manári is a place to indulge. The inside dining rooms are packed with character but for most of the year, you’ll be able to sit on a terrace partially covered by fig trees. One of the elements separating this restaurant from other neo-tavernas is the focus on whole-animal butchery, which means offal is well-represented on the menu. ‘Greeks have been doing it for centuries,’ Vezené explains. ‘It’s just we never had the audacity to put it on an urban menu.’ The pink-centred, grilled lamb kidneys on sourdough toast are especially good, and the beef heart – thinly sliced and swimming in fragrant, tomato water – is a good place to start for the less adventurous. For those who can’t stomach innards (no pun intended), the gigantic portion of linguine cooked in a beguiling smoked meat broth, topped with salty white cheese is excellent, as is the delicately seasoned mutton tartare, and the lamb ‘païdakia’ chops with fatty edges rendered until golden-brown and crisp. A plate of horta (boiled leafy greens) should be ordered alongside any dish. Finish with the toasted tsoureki – a mahlep-scented, challah-esque, sweet bread – crowned with thick kaymaki and pistachios. manaritaverna.com
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Jerár
Jerár is a warm, earth-toned wine bar and Bib Gourmand-awarded restaurant that blends traditional Greek food with Parisian-inspired bistronomy. Located in the quiet, suburban neighbourhood of Dafni, it’s a good place to escape from the crowds. Chef Cháris Nikolouzos is from Corfu, so the food is often rooted in the traditions of the island, such as the rooster pastitsado, which finds a space on the menu alongside a well-made patê en croute and a vitello tonnato with the unexpected addition of tuna tartare. The silky tarama with smoked herb oil and toasted buckwheat is layered and complex, and a must-order to begin your meal. On Sundays, the restaurant channels the spirit of the taverna, with a family lunch menu including sharing platters of the pastitsado and baby lamb cooked in the oven. The excellent wine list is focused on low-intervention styles and includes bottles from natural wine legends Jean-Pierre Robinot, Sylvain Pataille and Domaine Tissot. jerar.gr
