Plate Expectations: 4 Hot New Athens Restaurants

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Black cod with black miso at Nami Temaki

Scorpina

Food for Thought at Scorpina

A well-lit and elegant venue with a celebrated affinity for all things fish, Scorpina’s menu is cause for thoughtful deliberation. Crayfish carpaccio with truffle sauce and beetroot sprouts? Monkfish stuffed with shrimps and teriyaki? Shrimp ceviche with citrus and jalapenos? Chef Yannis Liakos has meticulously crafted an expansive and inventive selection of marine morsels that successfully taps into and modernizes Greece’s history of fish. On the grill, sashimi, tartar or contemporary Athenian; however you want it, Scorpina delivers the real sea to your plate.

Wolves of Kitchen

Wolves of Kitchen

What once started as a consulting agency for culinary enterprises has, since 2017, become a hot entity in its own right with the debut of the first Wolves of Kitchen in Mykonos. Stellar success on the Island of Winds has led the wolf pack to expand yet again, to Athens. Situated at the heart of leafy Psychiko, Wolves of Kitchen assumes a laid-back aesthetic with an open-kitchen plan where patrons can observe preparation of the true protagonist here – smoked meat. In the morning, one can enjoy the brunch menu of global delights from French toast to pancakes and eggs prepared any which way. Later in the day, Wolves of Kitchen boasts fresh fish and pasta for the less carnivorous visitors, but one would be remiss to leave before sampling the outstanding Tomahawk steak.

On the Side Lefkes

Lush courtyard dining at On the Side Lefkes

Cresting off his success in Santorini, gourmet innovator Tasos Doumas and his team have opened up shop right here in Athens, bringing with them a welcome taste of the Cycladic via a lush garden, vintage decorations lining the walls and loads of natural light. Lefkes exhibits an impressive, state-of-the-art open kitchen decorated in marble where workshops and tastings are held. Try the chef’s own favourite: the beef tagliata (thinly sliced steak) served with Peruvian potatoes, or for a more Greek taste: the kebabakia on smashed aubergines. There’s an on-site butcher shop and market space where diners can buy meats, dishes and utensils from the restaurant to test their culinary mettle at home.

Nami Temaki

Crunchy california roll

Nami (it means “wave” in Japanese) offers the full flotilla of standard sushi den fixtures that Greeks have now acquired a taste for in a stylish space on Glyfada’s hip n’ happening Kiprou. Prices are mid-range, and alongside the hand-held temaki seaweed rolls, maki, nigiri and sashimi that define the menu, those who don’t ‘do’ raw, will also find many other tempting options such as the shrimp tempura, temaki beef and salmon with soba noodles. Nami’s wave-like designer interior, cut-above cocktails and jazzy vibe have made this well-located venue a hotspot for southside aesthetes – but families are made to feel welcome too.