The cold winter days are associated, in the mind of many of us, with lazy afternoons by the fireplace or with warm nights with friends enjoying wine and great food.
The sweet vibe of a short excursion to a scenic mountainous destination where you can relax by the fire for hours, enjoying tasty meze and well-prepared meat, can in fact be achieved in the city too, as long as you know where to look.
In Athens, there are many restaurants that can transport your spirit to the relaxed feeling of holidays in nature, offering lovely times in well-kept halls with cute décor and a fireplace with a strong fire.
We chose 8 restaurants all over Athens, ideal for the days and nights of the holidays, as well as for the rest of the winter ahead.
Lemonokipos
One of the most well-known restaurants in Nea Philadelphia has been housed, for the past many years, in a lovely 1920 mansion.
At Lemonokipos (it means lemon orchard), the wonderful garden is ideal to spend time with friends in the summer months, but the warm hall with the impressive, modern fireplace is also great for the winter months.
An old, abandoned fountain has been restored and transformed into a “golden” fireplace that adds warmth and makes the customers of this cute restaurant feel right at home.
The team in charge can be proud of offering great “mama’s” food, with classic recipes that bring to mind childhood memories. Lemonokipos’ menu includes dishes and flavours with origins in Asia Minor, and we recommend the tabbouleh, the bulgur-crusted meatballs and the eastern spetzofai (traditional Pelion dish prepared with sausage and peppers in tomato sauce).
11 Ag. Triados str, Nea Philadelphia
Tel. : 0030 210 2588611
To Remoutsiko
In the traditional Remoutsiko, the well-known and very cosy tavern in Agios Dimitrios, in the winter there’s not just one fireplace with a constant fire burning, but two. The restaurant is known for its kokoretsi (traditional dish with intestines wrapped around offal), and its great meat dishes and it will make you feel like you’re away at a mountainous destination, with the two fires sweetly heating the place.
The red gingham tablecloths and the décor strengthen the mountainous village vibe of this restaurant that is housed in a beautiful cottage that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century.
Apart from the famous skewered pork, the juicy lamb chops, the great kebab and the freshly cut fries are a must. Since it’s a busy restaurant, especially on the weekends, it’s best to reserve in advance.
120 Agiou Dimitriou str, Agios Dimitrios
Tel.: 0030 210 9704515
Monokatikia
In an old house of the 1940s this restaurant manages to bring a more modern air to a retro urban environment.
Monokatikia in Halandri has a familiar vibe and will make you feel like you’re in your own kitchen, while the lit fireplace brings more warmth and cosiness to the space.
Here they serve both traditional recipes, as well as more contemporary dishes, like the great linguini and the amazing fries. The regulars recommend the aubergines, the liver, the giouvetsi (beef and orzo casserole) and the sweet graviera cheese with honey and raki. Monokatikia also serves brunch; we recommend the club sandwich and the chocolate pancakes.
39 Filikis Eterias str, Halandri
Tel.: 0030 2106819109
To Mandri
A gorgeous, modern restaurant, just 10 minutes from the centre of Glyfada, offers a stunning view of the sea and a surprisingly warm atmosphere that brings to mind holidays on the mountain.
At Mandri, one of the oldest restaurants in the southern suburbs, you can try great meat dishes and an updated menu, overlooking the blue of the sea in a hall renovated by the new owners.
Hristos and Thanasis Karaindros, two young men, took over the business a few years ago, creating an environment where you can still have great mutton, one of the best in Attica. At Mandri, you can also have grilled rib steak, and amazing sausages, with a view of the Argosaronic gulf, just a few kilometres away from Vouliagmenis avenue.
The family running this famous restaurant at the highest point of Terspithea, also has a butcher shop in Megara, that supplies Mandri with fresh meat, so you can rest assured that the meat you’ll have here is really of the best quality.
29 Vardoussion str, Glyfada
Tel.: 0030 210 9623071
Kastelorizo
A famed restaurant that doesn’t need much of an introduction, Kastelorizo, in Varkiza, has been inextricably linked with sea food and wonderful gourmet meze that bring an island air to Athens.
However, Kastelorizo that has its own approach to traditional seafood recipes adding an interesting, modern twist to them, offers a lovely winter hall ideal for cold nights and days. In it, a huge imposing fireplace houses a constant fire, keeping the neat tables with the black wooden chairs and the linen tablecloths warm.
A stone’s throw from the sea, you’ll taste the flavours that have made Kastelorizo a household name on the city’s culinary map. Boiled vegetables, tasty appetizers, and a large list comprising mostly of seafood dishes. In fact, the whole menu only includes two meat dishes, a chicken fillet and grilled beef patties. Try the shi drum, the langoustines, the lobster and the Dover sole.
Posidonos Avenue, Varkiza harbours
Tel.: 0030 210 96 55 022
O Tzitzikas kai o Mintziras
In a cute house of Paleo Faliro, a warm restaurant with a long history stands out for its delicious meze and its cosy atmosphere.
O Tzitzikas kai o Mintziras is known in the southern suburbs for the well-prepared grilled meats and also for its Cretan meze that have given it a following throughout the years.
In its picturesque hall, next to the lit fireplace, you’ll order kebab and stuffed beef patty, grilled haloumi, and amazing stuffed mushrooms. The regulars also love the homemade pies, as well as the desserts made in house.
77 Alkionis str, Paleo Faliro
Tel.: 0030 21 0985 1473
Afthereto
On Pefkon street (in Greek it means pine trees), a street honouring its name since it’s surrounded by pine trees, the quiet Afthereto restaurant is ideal for relaxed meals with your friends in a scenic environment that resembles the countryside.
Next to a creek, this small tavern in Maroussi serves food made with passion: gardoumpakia (smaller kokoretsi), lamb tongues, sheftalies (Cypriot sausages), beef patties and sausage. The homelands of the owners, Crete and the Peloponnese, are the main protagonists as far as the cuisine is concerned at this warm space where the hot fireplace dominates the space, making Afthereto the perfect place for the winter holidays.
10 Pefkon str, Maroussi
Tel.: 0030 21 0802 9309
Barba Haralambos
One of the most popular and one of the older taverns in Vari is Barba Haralambos, a simple, traditional space with terrazzo floor and cosy wooden tables. A square fireplace with a stone chimney dominates the spacious hall.
The polite owners and staff welcome, for over six decades, the regulars that crowd the restaurant for the amazing lamb chops and the rest of the grilled meats.
At Barba Haralambos, you’ll also find skewered meats, like lamb kokoretsi or kontosouvli (pork), but also Dutch oven goat with roast potatoes. From the appetizers, we recommend the tirokafteri (spicy homemade feta spread), the boiled wild greens and the fried courgettes, as well as the fried aubergines.
18 Panos str, Vari
Tel.: 0030 210 8952044
