1. BRIAM
Athens has a huge variety of dishes that are typical for the region. One of them is the Briam, which is a dish that is really healthy and full of vitamins. Many tourists miss out on this wonderful dish because they focus on fast foods. Briam is a dish that can be consumed both during lunch time and dinner. If you are feeling tired and not really hungry, try this vitamin mix. The dish is also perfect for vegetarians because of the fact that there is no meat in this masterpiece. In the Briam you can find a mix of potatoes, eggplant, onions, zucchini, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, and parsley. Do not miss to try this dish while you visit Athens.
2. TOMATOKEFTEDES
This simple meal might look weird to a lot of tourists, but the reality is that this dish is amazing. It is also perfect for vegetarians because it does not have meat as an ingredient. Still, you can find some varieties of this dish that has cheese inside of it, so if you are strict about your diet you should double check. The main ingredient of this amazing dish is the tomato. The tomatoes are covered with different herbs and they are a perfect appetizer for everyone.
3. HORIATIKI SALAD
The most typical Greek Salad is the Horiatiki Salad. You cannot say that you had been in Greece and in Athens if you have not tried this salad. It is perfect for the main dish and for an appetizer. The salad is really simple, but it is perfect for every taste. You can basically find this salad at any restaurant in Athens. The only thing that restaurants will always have is the Horiatiki Salad, they just never run out of it. Horiatiki is a mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, peppers, feta cheese, and olives. Sounds delicious, right?
4. RETSINA
Retsina is typical Greek liquor that is mainly produced in the Athens area of Attica. This is basically Greek wine that is either white or rose. This wine is perfect even for the people who are not huge fans of wines. Retsina is not a strong alcohol and you can consume it with your appetizers. Glass of this wine combined with a nice view of Athens can create the perfect dinner for everyone. Locals say that Retsina had been first created before more than 2000 years.
5. OUZO
While we are still on alcohol topic, we cannot miss ouzo liquor when we speak about Greece. This is the national drink of the country and the flavor of this drink is just unique, there is no way in which I can describe it to you. In order to understand what I mean, you just must check it out by yourself. If you want to feel like a typical Greek national then you should try the ouzo liquor. Combine it with some seafood from some small restaurant in Athens and you will feel like you are in heaven.
6. COD FISH
I am not a big fan of seafood and especially different types of fishes, but I really liked the fresh cod fish that I tried in Athens. The cod fish lives in this area of the world and you will miss out if you do not try it while you are in Attica. Greece is a huge importer of cod and the freshest cod that you can eat can be found in Athens. You can either try it as an appetizer or you can eat it as a main dish with a side of rice salad or baked potatoes. Trust me it is good and I am seeing this as a person who eats fish 2-3 times a year.
7. OCTOPUS MEAL
Octopuses sound scary and disgusting and they are…well they are only scary. In the same time, the meat from the octopus is actually pretty cool. The taste is close to the taste of the fish, but still, it is not the same. What better place to try octopus meat than your vacation in Athens? My advice to you is to order and to eat octopus meat only in seafood restaurants. Octopuses are not always easy for cooking, so please go to a specialized restaurant if you want to get the full experience.
8. GYRO
You had probably heard about gyros, you might have even tried it. Well, I was thinking that I had tried it before until I bought a gyro from a street fast food restaurant in Athens. If all fast foods’ were as delicious as the gyros than I would stop avoiding fast foods. You can buy a gyro in basically all European countries, but it will be extremely hard for you to buy the original Greek gyro. As a tourist I know, that tourists mainly eat fast foods and these fast foods are not always good for our health. The gyro does not really have a lot of harmful ingredients. The wrap has meat, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and the typical gyro sauce. If you do not want to try the seafood that Athens can offer then try the ‘’street’’ made a gyro.
9. MOUSSAKA
Moussaka is a typical Balkan food, but the best moussaka that I had tried is the Greek one. You can find this meal in both regular restaurants and luxurious ones. If I can describe it and give it a more Western name than I will call it the Greek lasagna. The main ingredients of the moussaka are minced meat, onions, tomatoes and béchamel sauce. This food is one of my favorite Greek foods together with the last one from this top 10 list. Do not miss to try a piece of moussaka while you are visiting Athens.
10. TZATZIKI
Tzatziki is both a salad and a dip, you choose how to call it. Tzatziki is my favorite Greek dish if you like the combination of diced cucumbers, yogurt, and garlic than this dish might become your favorite as well. In Athens, you can find tzatziki everywhere, a matter of fact in whole Greece you can easily find tzatziki everywhere. This salad is really simple, but it is also delicious. Try it with some freshly baked bread from some of the local small bakeries in Athens and you will understand what I mean. You will thank me later for the tzatziki…
Updated: April 21, 2017
