Everywhere I Ate in Athens, Part 1
Incredible history and food — and a few challenges along the way
Last fall, I traveled to Greece for the first time and had an incredible trip. I dove headfirst into every historic site I could find. That included the glorious Acropolis, the ancient Agora, the Roman Forum, Hadrian’s Library, Keramikos Cemetery, and the Temple of Olympic Zeus. I also dove headfirst into the local dining scene, and was rewarded with some truly glorious gluten-free meals.
But that doesn’t mean the trip was entirely smooth sailing. When I was doing my pre-trip research and looking for a local celiac association, I found that the Greek Coeliac Association provides information about testing for celiac disease, but no travel advice or restaurant recommendations. There was some tourist-directed information on another website, Coeliac Greece, plus an extremely helpful language card. I spent a lot of time looking for recommendations, but eventually realized there wasn’t much online (at least not in English), and I’d have to find places once I arrived. I like to be prepared before a trip, so this was a little nerve-wracking — but in the end, it worked out beautifully. Here’s the first installment of where I ate in Athens.
Classic Hotel by Athens Prime Hotels: Is breakfast the most important meal of the day, as moms across North America insist? Maybe! This hotel in Athens’ central — and historic — Plaka district is clean and well-designed, with amenities like a mini-fridge, a safe, a great shower, and a hot tub on the balcony. Even better? The hearty gluten-free breakfast I had every morning. To be clear, this isn’t a usual offering for the hotel, but after my husband and I contacted the hotel to let them know I have celiac disease, the staff member in charge of the breakfast, Michaela, went out and bought some gluten-free items for me. I ended up with two different breads (one brown, one white), rice cakes topped with white chocolate and strawberry, and small crispbreads to pair with the fresh peach jam. Yes, I was spoiled — and very grateful. The Greek reputation for warm hospitality is well deserved.
Nice n Easy: This is a casually chic restaurant in the gorgeous Kolonaki neighborhood. The dishes are named for international superstars of film and music, and I can enthusiastically recommend the Ryuichi Sakamoto (a tuna tataki starter seasoned with lemon, chili, and oregano) and the Ava Gardner (a sea bass main dish). While gluten-free on the menu it’s important to let staff know that you have celiac disease. Why? My husband’s starter was marked gluten-free on the menu, and he asked me if I wanted a taste. When he cut a piece of salmon for me and handed it over on his fork, our waiter came racing over. It turned out that even though the salmon sashimi was technically gluten-free, it hadn’t been given the same celiac-safe kitchen prep as my dish, because it wasn’t made for a celiac. This was a great meal, and I really felt like I was in good hands here.
Lithos Tavern: The restaurant is located in the busy — and extremely trendy — Psyrri neighborhood, and it had only a few items on the menu that were safe for me. That said, the kitchen is careful with its cross-contamination practices, and the octopus salad with black-eyed peas and cherry tomatoes was one of the best dishes I ate on the trip. Hilariously, I was carrying around a bag of gluten-free sweet potato crackers from Trader Joe’s for the entire trip, because I read advice online that I might need an accompaniment for dips in some Athens restaurants. The first and only time this happened was at Lithos, which serves a scrumptious feta dip with nothing GF to scoop it up with. I was glad I came prepared, in spite of the startled glances from the diners at the next table!
O Tzitzikas Ke O Mermigkas: This is a bustling restaurant near Syntagma Square, and ironically it was one of the few places I’d read about online before my trip. The menu does have gluten-free items clearly marked, but it turned out the menu was being updated, so some of the items marked with a gluten-free logo weren’t safe. This is why I always mention celiac disease to serving staff. I ended up liking the Tzitzikas Salad that I did order (lots of fresh veggies with a couple of cheeses mixed in) but this was the dining experience I was least happy about.
Marks & Spencer: What is a British emporium doing on this list? M&S has a multi-level shop on Ermou, Athens’ famous commercial street, which is open to pedestrians only (if you walk around Athens for a day and see what the traffic is like, you’ll really appreciate this). The top floor is where the food hall is, and it’s got a dedicated Made Without section, which includes many gluten-free products. Not only did I find some great snacks here, I brought home a gluten-free stuffing mix for Thanksgiving.
Sklaventis: This is a huge supermarket chain in Greece, though most of the shops around Plaka are express versions that are small and don’t have much that’s gluten-free. The Sklaventis outpost on Athinas Street just off Omonoia Square was much larger and better-supplied, with a small dedicated section for gluten-free products.
This is so helpful! I'm in Athens right now! Also Veganaki is a fantastic restaurant. The whole menu is plant-based and gluten-free.
Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you for sharing your Athens recommendations! It's definitely on my bucket list to travel to Greece.