Craving vegetarian food in Athens? You’ve got plenty of choices, from custom-made salads to exotic Middle Eastern dishes.
Not so long ago, if you told a Greek you were vegetarian they’d say: “But you do eat chicken, right?” Lately, Athens has caught up with the global trend for green-and-clean cuisine. From cold-pressed juice bars to beachfront dining and vegetarian-friendly street food joints, here’s where to refuel in the Greek capital.
It
@it_restaurant
Casually stylish, It offers an imaginative selection of meat-free, low-calorie temptations. Stand-out dishes include mushrooms with asparagus, sweet potato, tahini cream, and linseed, and steamed greens with tomato vinaigrette, pistachios, and mizithra cheese. All served in a funky, split-level space made out of chipboard and upcycled wooden crates.
Location: 29 Skoufa, Kolonaki
Telephone: 21 0363 5773
Baba Ghanoush
Credit: Baba Ghanoush
There are only a few stools at the counter and a handful of tables outside teeny Baba Ghanoush, just off Pangrati’s lovely Varnava Square. But it’s worth waiting for fresh falafel wraps with house-made harissa, pickles, tahini sauce, and smoky aubergine puree, alongside superb salads (try the roast beets with hummus, mint, and sumac or the carrot, ginger, and sesame). Delicious, welcoming, and amazingly good value.
Location: 25-27 Empedokleous, Pangrati
Telephone: 212 105 0351
Mama Tierra
@mamatierra_restaurant
Close to Panepistimio metro station, Mama Tierra is a bright and basic vegetarian canteen. The eclectic menu is a journey across continents, taking in sweet potato hummus, vegan moussaka, Pad Thai, burritos, and mushroom burgers, washed down with kombucha or green juice. The chocolate, avocado, and date smoothies are a meal in a glass.
Location: 84 Akadimias, Omonia
Telephone: 211 411 4420
Nice n Easy Seaside
Credit: Nice n Easy
Nice n Easy helped to introduce the notion of “food with a conscience” to Athenians when it launched its first organic restaurant in Kolonaki in the Noughties. Now you can enjoy their fair trade menu on the sandy shores of Astir Beach in Vouliagmeni at Nice n Easy Seaside. Load up on root vegetable wedges with hummus, coriander dressing, pumpkin seeds, and pollen, or sweet potato gnocchi with crispy kale, wild mushrooms, and red wine. Our tip? Visit outside peak summer season and save up to two-thirds on your entry ticket to Astir Beach, Athens’ most exclusive summer playground.
Location: 40 Apollonos, Vouliagmeni
Telephone: 210 890 1619
To Vazaki
Credit: To Vazaki
Among the many bars in the studenty suburb of Halandri, To Vazaki is a paradise for health nuts (or hangovers). Alongside a mind-boggling menu of organic superfood smoothies, cold-pressed detox blends, and turmeric almond-milk lattes, you’ll find salads and sourdough sandwiches (try the spinach, avocado, and homemade pesto). This cheerful café decked in rainbow colors is also a lovely spot for a health-conscious breakfast or brunch: options include an acai bowl, chia pudding, and avocado toast.
Location: 33 Aristotelous, Halandri
Telephone: 210 680 0067
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