Whether you sample octopus and ouzo near the sea, roasted goat in a turn-of-the-20th-century taverna, or cutting-edge cuisine in Athens's latest restaurants, dining in the city is just as relaxing as it is elsewhere in Greece: waiters never rush you, reservations are often unnecessary, and no matter how crowded, the establishment can always make room for another table.
The best of Athens's restaurants have recently made enormous strides in quality and style, thanks to the new influence on native dishes by foreign cuisines, particularly French, Italian, and Japanese. Indeed, you may have a hard time finding a traditional taramosalata (roe dip), as many chefs are eager to take Aegean-inspired cuisine and tweak it a notch higher: boar with watermelon chutney, anyone? So forgo the ubiquitous moussaka and opt instead for the newer-than-now nouvelle house specialties -- for a while, at least. After all, native Greek food can be sensational, as you'll find out if you taste Iman Bayildi ("the cleric fainted" -- presumably because the eggplant with garlic and tomato was so delicious). Don't hesitate to try the barrel wine, inexpensive and often quite good. If you can't understand the menu, just go to the kitchen and point at what looks most appealing. This is a good idea especially in tavernas, where not everything on the menu may be available at the time you order. In most cases, you don't need to ask -- just walk to the kitchen (some places have food displayed in a glass case right at the kitchen's doorway), or point to your eye and then the kitchen; the truly ambitious can say "Bo-ro na dtho tee eh-he-teh steen koo-zee-na?" or "May I see what's in the kitchen?" When ordering fish, which is priced by the kilo, you will often go the kitchen to pick out your individual fish, which is then weighed and billed accordingly. At some rustic places, like Margaro in the port of Piraeus, you may wind up in the kitchen for another reason: when it's crowded, the staff asks you to prepare your own salad. Most places serve lunch from about noon to 4 and dinner from about 8:30 to at least midnight.
In the last three weeks of August, when the city empties out and most residents head for the seaside, more than 75% of the restaurants and tavernas popular among the locals close, though hotel restaurants, seafood restaurants in Mikrolimano, and tavernas in Plaka usually remain open.
Prices are per person for a three-course meal, including service and tax but excluding drinks and tip.
