Trying to define meze is a slippery endeavor; it escapes labels and eludes tidy descriptions. The word itself hails from the royal kitchens of the Ottoman Empire, borrowed from Persian. But meze has long wandered across borders and cultures, becoming a beloved tradition from the Middle East to the Balkans, Italy, Spain, and anywhere the sun kisses the Mediterranean. It’s a culinary mosaic born of la dolce far niente -the sweet art of doing nothing- and the magic of turning humble ingredients into shared joy. A slice of cucumber and tomato, a meatball, a spoonful of leftover stew, a sardine from a tin, a piece of bread with tomato paste- these are all meze. A ritual of improvisation, generosity, and togetherness.
But meze fears one thing: an empty glass. Without alcohol, it’s simply out of context. The meze exists solely to accompany a drink -be it ouzo, tsipouro, wine, beer, or even, these days, a pineapple negroni. It is a drink’s playful, generous, unpretentious sidekick. The orchestrator of conversation, the toastmaster of the senses.
True, meze can fill you up, but it’s not about being full. It’s about sharing. These are dishes meant “for the middle of the table,” where forks cross paths, where the meal is a communal act. Meze is ancient hospitality dressed in small plates: joyful, open-hearted, and deeply democratic. Once the domain of men winding down with a drink before the family meal, it eventually opened its arms to all genders, classes, and generations.
Brought to mainland Greece by refugees from lost homelands, meze found fertile ground and flourished. Imagine: the traditional New Year’s table in Constantinople was required to include 40 different meze, hot and cold. Even today, meze is how Greeks show care for unexpected guests: “Come in for a bite, whatever we’ve got!” That’s the essence.
How to spot a true meze place
The term blurs into other categories -ouzeri, tsipouradiko, kafeneio, even tapas bars and bistros. Some serve grilled octopus over charcoal, others offer cheese straight from the fridge. One thing is clear: meze is not about definitions, it’s about feeling.
That said, not everything that calls itself a mezedopoleio lives up to the name. Some traditional ouzeri -which are seafood-focused and built around ouzo- get mislabeled. So do classic grill taverns with pork chops and Greek salads, or cafés that morph into snack bars at night. These may serve meze-like items, but they're not true meze joints.
A genuine mezedopoleio embraces both land and sea. It serves spreads, meatballs, sardines, fried calamari, and more. Most importantly, it delivers shareable bites, dishes designed to be easily divided among friends.
In its ideal form, meze comes in small plates, not sprawling restaurant platters. It respects balance: enough variety to excite, but not overwhelm. And you should rarely need a full set of cutlery. If the bites can be scooped up with a fork, a piece of bread, or even your fingers, you’re in the right place. One knife on the table should be enough to slice that grilled octopus or divide a sausage.
Where to find the best meze in Athens
Psyrri: The old soul of Athenian meze
Back in the 1990s, Psyrri became a culinary legend. Nestled in the heart of Athens, near Monastiraki and Plaka, it offered the perfect post-walk reward: sunlit courtyards, relaxed vibes, and a table full of mezedakia -small, flavorful bites meant to share. But tourism crept in, and so did shortcuts: canned gigantes, mass-produced dolmadakia, and "traditional" Greek dancing soundtracked by electric guitars.
Luckily, the tide is turning. A new generation of meze spots is restoring authenticity, while honoring the few older places that never sold out.
If you like your meze with a modern twist and a side of hip cocktails, Tragos (Ag. Anargyron Square, +30 2103231011) delivers. With bold flavors, funky music, and creative dishes like lamb meatballs, Greek salad served inside rustic bread, vegetable pinsa with goat cheese, or tacos with chicken gyro (where tradition meets global curiosity).
For something straight out of a film set, visit Avli (12 Ag. Dimitriou, +30 2103217642), a courtyard eatery operating since the 19th century. In this leafy, timeworn patio, complete with stray cats, flower pots, and vintage tunes, you’ll find hearty classics like pork liver, meatballs, sausages, and omelets just like grandma made.
Hidden among locksmiths and basket weavers, Stoa tou Psyrri (19 Ag. Dimitriou) is a cozy kingdom of honest flavors. Owners Yiannis and Ioanna buy only from small producers and farmer’s markets. Their dolmadakia, tomato-kissed meatballs, pork stew, fava with capers, and tomato omelet are meze at its most soulful -homemade, aromatic, and full of love. Occasionally, there’s live music and a retro ‘60s atmosphere to match.
Once home to a large Naxian community, the neighborhood still preserves island flavor at Pame Naxo (5 N. Apostoli, +30 2155454253). Expect Naxian charcuterie, smoked fish, grilled liver, fried mussels, and dakos salad with tangy xinomyzithra cheese. It’s a plateful of the Aegean, served with a smile.
Last but not least, Ivi (10 Ivis, +30 2103232554) is a classic, colorful meze spot beloved for its generous spirit. Come for the rakı, stay for the grilled liver, fried eggs with staka (Cretan cream), kolios fish, and cuttlefish -served with a side of people-watching in this perpetually buzzing hangout.
Exarchia: The bohemian heart of meze culture
Alternative, youthful, rebellious, and increasingly cosmopolitan, Exarchia has long been Athens’ most spirited meze enclave. It’s where philosophy meets politics, and street protests are followed by rounds of tsipouro and sharing plates at a rickety table on the sidewalk, where the dreadlocked anarchist and the digital nomad, the vegan and the carnivore, the Athenian grandpa and the wannabe model from Stockholm come together. If your plate is full and your glass is never empty, you belong.
Ama Lachi (69 Kallidromiou, +30 2103845978) sits in the leafy courtyard of an old neighborhood school, surrounded by bougainvilleas and lemon trees. Once a classic tavern, it's now a vibrant mezedopoleio, where dishes like bruschetta with marinated anchovies and chopped Greek salad, Sifnian chickpea fritters, lentil salads with sun-dried tomato and valerian greens, and grilled Mastelo cheese with tomato jam capture both tradition and whimsy.
Just down the street, Rakoumel (71 Em. Benaki, +30 2103800506) is a student favorite, but welcomes all ages with a Cretan soul: icy raki, cozy sidewalk tables, and strong flavors. It's unpretentious, lively, and always buzzing.
A few steps away, Alexandrino (69A Em. Benaki, +30 2103810117) serves up jazzier vibes -think Parisian bistro with a Greek accent. Here, you’ll find dry martinis paired with mushroom-graviera bruschetta or mozzarella-pesto platters served on crusty bread. If your meze mood leans loud and festive, Aylak (73 Em. Benaki, +30 2114259320) is your spot. Inspired by the flavors of Constantinople and Anatolia, their menu includes tarator, baba ghanoush, dolmas, spicy sujuk skewers, and manti (Turkish dumplings) in different variations. For something more rustic and deeply Cretan, Andeste (11 Koleti, +30 6987399383) feels like a village kafeneio dropped into downtown Athens. With wooden chairs, traditional Cretan music, and dishes like vinegary bulbs, handmade sioufihta pasta, apaki (smoked pork), and slow-roasted potatoes, all washed down with loud raki and louder laughter.
Timeless taverns: Where meze becomes tradition
Some meze spots have been for ages. Others may be much “younger”, but carry the soul and character of old Athens. These are the classics: no gimmicks, no reinventions, just unforgettable bites and heartwarming stories. Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani (Sokratous & Evripidou, +30 2103253184) brings together the best of Greek charcuterie in a cozy neoclassical alleyway that feels lifted from an Ottoman bazaar. Their meze celebrates small-scale producers: saganaki with spicy sausage and eggs, beef stew with peppers, pastourma chickpeas, and sujuk-stuffed pastries that turn even vegetarians into skeptics. It’s a must for anyone craving real flavor with a side of history.
Step into To Eidikon (38 Psarron & Salaminos, Piraeus, +30 2104612674) and you’ll feel like you’re entering a museum, except here, the exhibits are edible. Radios from the 1920s, carved wooden refrigerators, gramophones, tiled floors, and chandelier-lit nostalgia set the mood. Mr. Apostolis still fries meatballs, liver, and eggs in his trusty old pan. The menu is simple: olives, cheese, tomato, corned beef omelets, and hot fava dip—but every bite is a time machine. At Louís (87 Leonidiou, Kerameikos, +30 2103476926), finding a table is pure luck. Arguably the busiest meze joint in the city, it nails the formula: generous portions of cheese, sujuk, potato salad, black-eyed peas, stuffed vine leaves, and a good mood that’s contagious. It’s not fancy, but it’s absolutely beloved.
Steki tis Theatrou (7 Theatrou Square, +30 2103215438) is a Saturday ritual. After shopping at the nearby Varvakios Market, locals and tourists gather under the ever-expanding awning for classic plates: dreamy garlic eggplant with roasted peppers, lamb stew, turmeric chickpeas, mashed potatoes, fried anchovies, and the city’s crispest calamari.
Finally, Café Avissinia (7 Kynetou, Monastiraki, +30 2103217047) is a slice of elegance tucked between antique shops. Its rooftop terrace kisses the Acropolis and its dishes mix rebetiko charm with urban refinement: Kozani-style giaprakia, Thessaloniki-style meatballs, and slow-cooked lamb with cracked wheat.
Where the music plays
If meze had a lover, it would be music—preferably Greek, live, and loud. Here, the plates may be small, but the energy is immense, especially on weekends. Think rebetiko tunes, late-night dancing, and full glasses raised to good company and better days.
Kerveros (Kanaki Arcade, Piraeus, +30 2104222524) is a cozy underground favorite among students and young crowds. On Fridays and Saturdays, the instruments come out, the arcade pulses with music, and traditional meze meets carefree dance and laughter. At Imvros kai Tenedos (80 Venizelou Ave., Nea Smyrni), supported by the local Imvrian community, the energy is pure joy. Think zeibekiko under the stars, communal tables, and flavors that link the Aegean islands with Asia Minor.
Castello (88 Evripidou, Koumoundourou Sq., +30 2103212789) is where tsampouna bagpipes and mantinades (improvised Cretan rhyming lyrics) unravel till dawn. It’s a Dionysian feast hidden behind a nondescript door. In the courtyard of Metaxou (10 Pierias & Pythodorou, +30 2105229290), full-blown feasts unfold. Every Tuesday, the legendary Eleni Roda sings under the Athenian sky. Feidiou 2 (Feidiou 2, +30 2103300060) shuts down the street every Saturday night with foot-stomping rebetiko riots. At Kottarou (43 Agias Sofias, Kolonos, +30 2105120682), the bouzouki ignites—sometimes even on a plain Tuesday evening.
Feggaropetra (35 Iraklitou, Aigaleo, +30 2105314038) is the pride of nearby college students, who shake it to tsifteteli and zeibekiko. Efimero (58 Methonis, Exarchia, +30 2103841848) is known for exquisite musicianship -think violin, santouri, and haunting melodies. And if you want to end the night with a final slow zeibekiko, head to Chamilos (30 Adrianoupoleos, +30 2105155607), where every night is a celebration of Greek soul, food, and sound.
Restless flavors: Creative meze with a modern twist
While grilled octopus and fava never go out of style, a new wave of meze spots is shaking things up. These places take the format of small, shareable plates and infuse it with imagination, cross-cultural flair, and a sense of play. Think local meets global, comfort meets surprise.
At Rafiki (22 Pellis, Votanikos, +30 2103464717), two friends -Giorgis Tourloukis and Giorgis Skourafidis- have transformed an old kafeneio in a gritty, up-and-coming neighborhood near Athens’ School of Agriculture into a stylish meze playground. Expect pork chops glazed in hoisin, smoked cod tartare with beetroot purée, and homemade pickles alongside raki and casual vibes. It’s relaxed, delicious, and a little cosmopolitan without trying too hard.
Aster (48 Troon, Petralona, +30 2103416668) is where Athens’ iconic underground characters gather for raki and reinvention. With colorful décor and street-style attitude, Aster serves fried snails, Cretan sioufihta pasta, kolokithokeftedes (zucchini fritters), and eggplant with sour xynochondro (classic ingredients with a twist).
In the northern suburb of Halandri, Doukissa (14 D. Plakentias, +30 2114150070) feels like a village dream: a leafy courtyard, a red well, and retro charm. But its food is subtly elevated: lamb meatballs with yogurt-tomato sauce, tomato fritters, open-faced peinirli with eggs, and grilled beef patties with finesse. Lostre (32 Pytheou, Neos Kosmos, +30 2109226600) has meze in its blood. But it also has a view of a neighborhood park and a passion for light reinvention: kritharoto (orzo risotto) with cured pork and thyme sauce, sesame-crusted chicken strips with parmesan.
One of the city’s hottest newcomers, Podilatos (26 Ch. Smyrnis, Tavros, +30 2103459902), is redefining tradition with youthful flair: homemade fried dough with feta, spicy kopanisti cheese with wild caper leaves, oven-baked beans with sausage and graviera, and slow-cooked pork in a clay pot. It's fresh, flavorful, and full of Athenian attitude.
Global bites
Every country deserves its version of meze and some bring theirs straight to Athens. From South India to the Levant and the foothills of Afghanistan, these spots offer a passport-free taste adventure in small, irresistible bites. Dosa House (3 Theatrou Sq., +30 2103316850) introduces diners to southern India’s answer to meze: the dosa -a gluten-free crêpe made from fermented rice, lentils, and fenugreek. Crispy, light, and packed with spice, it’s served with potato masala, coconut chutney, and lentil purées in tiny bowls you eat with your hands. Add steamed savory buns and other fragrant bites, and you’ll wonder why you waited so long to taste this side of India.
A few blocks away in Exarchia, Folia (11 A. Metaxa, +30 2103803840) narrates a deeper story. Reza, a refugee from war-torn Afghanistan, brought his culinary soul to Athens and created the city’s most poetic rakokatalysis (a raki-based meze experience). Try the lightest, most aromatic falafel you’ve ever had, Afghan ravioli (mantu), lamb stew with raisins and carrots, and tangy basmati rice with currants and spice. Granada (11 Miltiadou, +30 2103250090) is a bilingual soul -part Greek island, part Spanish heart. Think paella meets lamb croquettes with metsovone cheese and cumin yogurt. Empanadas with shrimp and chorizo, pork cheeks with trahanas, and ceramics lining the bar complete the cross-Mediterranean mood.
In the lively Plateia Memou, Tabakiera (27 Alexandrou the Great, Korydallos, +30 2104958630) is small but mighty. Half Athens kafeneio, half Middle Eastern meze lab, it leans into Levantine flavors: Moroccan-style meatballs with pine nuts and tahini tomato sauce, feta fritters with lemon cream, paprika-spiked hummus, and smoky mutabbal eggplant dip served alongside traditional Greek bites like soutzoukakia and saganaki cheese.
Regional bites: Meze with a distinct accent
Sometimes, a bite of meze isn’t just delicious; it’s a love letter to your homeland, a memory of your grandmother, or a postcard from the island you long for. In these taverns, meze becomes deeply local: it speaks in dialect, remembers forgotten recipes, and carries the soul of a place.
In Piraeus, where dockworkers once lunched and sang to the clink of glasses, To Steki tou Giganta (43 Asklipiou, +30 2104206202) channels the spirit of Syros. Nestled in the quaint Maniatika district, this tavern serves dishes with island heart: caper-studded tomato salad, Syros-style mayonnaise salad (maydonasalata), homemade pastourma pie, and a full breakfast-for-dinner plate stacked with fried eggs, sausage, and potato.
In the elegant Tositsa arcade near Syntagma, ATHeREE (29 Kolokotroni, +30 69322351547), run by winemaker Nikos Thyris from Rhodes, offers down-to-earth meze with class: creamy giouvetsi, vine-wrapped cabbage rolls, eggplant dip, spicy feta spread, and regional specialties like Cretan dakos and rare Cycladic cheeses.
In Kypseli, Bakalogatos (72 Fokionos Negri, +30 2108216598) brings the flavors of Kassos to the capital with tiny, finger-sized dolmadakia, makarounes (handmade pasta) with caramelized onions and sitaka, cinnamon lamb pilaf, and Cretan sausage. But it’s not afraid to mix it up: you might also find Kozani-style chicken with saffron or a Folegandros cheese alongside a Rumeli-style offal stew.
Of course, no region does meze quite like Crete. Scattered across Athens are dozens of Cretan outposts beloved by raki-loving locals:
Koukatsi (10 Drakou, Koukaki, +30 2160704590): creamy fava with smoked onion, rich wedding pilaf (gamopilafo), and slow-cooked lamb with wine vinegar.
Laini (40 Artemisiou, Kerameikos, +30 2114021485): small plates of wild greens, stuffed vine leaves, and apaki pork.
Delogo (5 Sinopis, Athens Tower, +30 2114068617): a party palace known for the city's best open-fire-roasted lamb (antikristo).
Rakaki (2 Moschonision, Kaisariani, +30 2107237457): known for its joyful atmosphere and dishes like tsikalates patates, crispy intestines, and raki-soaked innovation.
In Kallithea, locals swear by Mitos (62 Aristeidou, +30 2109510134) for its giant portions and pork ham from free-range pigs raised in Mylopotamos. Meanwhile, the cheerful Mikio (58 A. Alexandrou, Palaio Faliro, +30 2155509203) adds a twist to tradition with herb-packed sauces and playful takes on Cretan classics like sioufihta pasta and vinegary sausages.
Trendy bites: When meze gets a makeover
Mezedopoleia are always buzzing, but a handful go beyond full, they become the talk of the town. Meigma (114 Megalou Alexandrou, Kerameikos, +30 2103452094), opened by Marina Chrona (formerly of “Rini”), is exactly what its name implies: a fusion -where old meets new. Expect classic ingredients -Lesvos anchovies, Juma sausage, Naxos cheese- next to reinvented recipes like Cypriot sheftalies with tahini yogurt, rooster ragu cannelloni, and mushroom-stuffed donuts. Even the Russian salad is made from an actual Russian recipe.
A short walk away in Kolonaki, Dexameni (Dexameni Square, +30 2107224609) has been reborn. Once a hangout for old-school Athenians, it’s now packed with younger crowds, sipping rakomelo and nibbling on mini burgers, halloumi with berry glaze, or dakos with whipped xinomizithra. If tables could talk, they’d write a spicy social novel of modern Athenian life.
In the leafy, nostalgic Kerkyras Street, Allios (17–19 Kerkyras, +30 6955113063) gives the kafeneio a modern makeover. Marina Farassopoulou serves up meze with care: homemade pickles, hand-whipped mayo and Russian salad, rare Greek cheeses, and unexpected combos like smoked eel with pickled peppers or beetroot with Euboean chèvre.
