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Athens: Top Restaurants for Vegetarian Food
Greek cuisine, like most Mediterranean fare, has a natural inclination towards plant-led dishes and delicious dairy produce. Any reputable taverna will offer enticing salads and delightful vegetable mezzes. But what about fine dining? Today, many establishments feature strictly vegetarian (and often vegan) tasting menus, or at least a variety of dishes free from meat and fish. Here are four standout venues from The MICHELIN Guide that cater to plant-powered diners.
Aleria: Plant-Focused Gastronomy in a Charming Villa
Located in a gorgeous neoclassical villa dating back to 1895, this gourmet restaurant in the Keramikos district has been offering a 100% vegetarian menu for several years. Presented in five to seven courses, with optional wine pairings, it delights diners of all dietary preferences — vegetarians, flexitarians, and omnivores alike. This bold and innovative approach is the brainchild of Gikas Xenakis, the establishment's affable chef. Having been vegetarian for part of his life and married to someone who doesn't eat meat, he excels at elevating plant-based ingredients, making them not just palatable but desirable. His menu creations, even those with animal proteins, are inspired primarily by vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruits from his lush garden just outside Athens.
His vegetarian cuisine draws from the rich Greek culinary tradition, abundant in vegetables, grains, herbs, and cheeses, yet he reinterprets it with a playful twist, offering genuine culinary dishes that are both accessible and surprising. His mission? To serve dishes where the absence of meat is never perceived as something lacking. A passionate mushroom forager, he enhances his plates with porcini, morels, and local truffles as alternatives to meat, complemented by richly concentrated sauces. Among his signature dishes are Hortopita, a Greek pie made with 12 varieties of herbs or green vegetables, and Mushroom Pastitsio, a vegetarian twist on a classic Greek dish traditionally made with braised oxtail. It's good to know that the menu can be easily adapted for a vegan diet too.
Hytra: Mediterranean Essence with a Modern Twist
For over a decade, Hytra, a MICHELIN-Star restaurant, has been offering its enticing vegetarian menu. Its success has consistently attracted a diverse clientele: "On certain summer days, nearly half the guests order this menu!" shares Chef George Felemegkas proudly. For him, it aligns perfectly with the restaurant's philosophy, which revolves around Mediterranean cuisine focused on carefully selected ingredients. The approach almost exclusively involves local, organic, and seasonal raw materials, addressing growing concerns over environmental conservation.
The restaurant sources from three local farms around Athens, while awaiting produce from its own burgeoning garden. Served in seven courses, the vegetarian menu — which can also be made vegan — is always curated independently from other menus; it's never a mere adaptation of a meat-based menu! While the Mediterranean traditionally celebrates plant-based dishes, the chef also draws inspiration from recipes from his Peloponnesian village, Kalávryta. His time at Quique Dacosta in Spain taught him a strict respect for produce, exemplified by a dish where the tomato reigns supreme, elevated by wild strawberries, small peppers, and freshly harvested micro greens, adding a spicy punch to the smooth texture.
Makris Athens: Dishes Resembling Vibrant Bouquets
Makris takes its name from the antique name of the island of Corfu, where the establishment began its culinary journey in 2018 at Domes Miramare Corfu. Today, the elegant MICHELIN-Starred restaurant perches on Athens’ ancient Agora, a site with nearly three millennia of Greek history etched into its stones. There's even ancient remnants in the cellar of the restaurant, which was one of Athens' first hotels, opened over 200 years ago. However, the cuisine served here by Chef-Owner Peter Dimas is anything but archaic, wholeheartedly embracing the future, as reflected in his vegan "Physis" menu. Inspired by the family’s extensive garden in his hometown near Athens, his culinary creations revolve around exceptional produce that's often hard to find elsewhere. He cultivates dozens of different tomato species, up to 50 types of flowers simultaneously, rare or forgotten vegetables, and a dizzying array of herbs...
All of this is organically and responsibly produced, respecting nature. Rather than sourcing from other suppliers when a product is unavailable, he prefers to adapt his menus. Naturally, winter yields fewer vibrant ingredients, but with root vegetables, salads, or mushrooms, he always has enough to offer an unforgettable experience. His plates, colorful and spectacularly arranged, are presented as generous bouquets to the guests, snapshots of the current season. To accompany the meal, there's a choice of 30 Greek olive oils — an extraordinary luxury! Additionally, an intriguing pairing of various juices and kombuchas is provided, superbly complementing the delicate and vivacious flavors of the vegetarian menu. Meanwhile, the house cellar includes a broad selection of Greek and European wines, with some certified vegan bottles.
Ovio: An Italian Excursion in the Heart of Athens
An Italian restaurant in Athens? Why not, if it's as good as Ovio. Located a stone's throw from Syntagma Square, it forms part of the local neighborhood's excellent dining scene. The setting is decidedly modern, far removed from the stereotypes often associated with Italian establishments and their inevitable clichés. On the menu, you'll find an impressive array of modernized Italian classics executed to perfection, including Caprese salad with ultra-creamy burrata, fresh pasta generously dusted with protected designation cheeses, top-tier grilled Florentine meats, or pizzas with dough that’s both airy and crisp.
Many vegetarian dishes grace the menu, able to be enjoyed either indoors or on the terrace. The gnocchi with gorgonzola, pear, and walnut proves irresistible, as does the highly comforting chestnut risotto. These Italian recipes are occasionally infused with delicate Greek touches, like the spaghetti with savoro, a tangy tomato sauce with capers and vinegar. To accompany the meal, patrons can choose from one of the house's excellent cocktails or from a well-stocked wine list, featuring Italian classics as well as a few surprises from France. It's an establishment highly regarded by the locals in Athens.
