8 Best Restaurants in Plaka, Athens

Stop for an ice-cold frappé (Nescafé instant coffee frothed with sugar and condensed milk) and a game of backgammon at Cafe Oionos. Have a light lunch and watch the world go by on buzzy Kydathinaeon square.

Daphne's is one of the most exclusive (and at times priciest) destinations in Plaka. The Pompeian frescoes on the walls, the fragments of an ancient Greek building in the garden, and the tasteful restoration of the neoclassical building in terra-cotta and ocher hues also contribute to a pleasant and romantic evening. The refined Mediterranean and Greek dishes (such as pork with celery and egg lemon sauce, fricassee of melt-off-the-bone lamb with greens, rabbit stifado and the traditional moussaka) help make this one of Athens's better restaurants.

Melina is dedicated to its namesake, the dynamic Never on Sunday actress turned Minister of Culture, Melina Mercouri. Set on a scenic, village-style Plaka street framed by pink bougainvillea, the tables are always packed. On a hot afternoon try the delectable club sandwich on crisp sourdough bread, creamy egg salad, or seafood salad; at night try the peppered fillet or "Melina chicken." The desserts here are great, too, including a rich chocolate sokolatina (pudding cake) and a syrupy orange portokalopita cake (made from shredded phyllo), with a strong Greek coffee.

Traditional-looking Glikis and its shady, secluded courtyard are perfect for a Greek coffee or ouzo and a mikri pikilia (a small plate of appetizers, including cheese, sausage, olives, and dips).

On a picturesque pedestrianized square, this is one of the oldest tavernas in Plaka (established 1932). Although not as good as it was during its glory years when intellectuals and artists sat here sipping retsina until the early hours, it's still worth a stop. It is a district landmark—set midway between the Tower of the Winds and the Museum of Greek Popular Musical Instruments. Most of the crowds prefer to relax under the courtyard's plane trees (which give the place its name) rather than dine inside the cozy dining room, at least when the weather is pleasant. Locals come here because the food is good Greek home cooking. Don't miss the oven-baked potatoes, lamb or veal casserole with spinach or eggplant, the stuffed squid, and the cheap but delicious barrel retsina. It's also open for lunch.

A favorite with university students and tourists, this open-hearted ouzo taverna offers a tasty daily platter of all the best in home-cooked Greek cuisine. Waiters bring a giant tray of the day's offerings, which include such favorites as taramosalata, Smyrna-style tzatziki, cuttlefish stewed with onions, lahanodolmades (cabbage rolls), eggplant dip, fried calamari, moussaka, and bekri mezedes (wine-marinated pork cutlets). You can choose between one of six menus, based on the number of people dining and the number of dishes desired. Dessert (traditional Greek halva) is on the house.

Founded way back in 1898, this is one of the few remaining Plaka tavernas serving reliably good food with excellent Acropolis views. It doesn't draw the same crowd of locals as in the past, and it doesn't just serve fish, as the name suggests; rather, you'll find simple, tasty entrées such as rooster in wine sauce, arnaki pilino (lamb baked in clay pots), and pork chops with ouzo. Can't make up your mind? Try the ouzokatastasi ("ouzo situation"), a plate of tidbits to nibble while you decide.

A favorite of tourists and locals alike, Vyzantino is directly on Plaka's main square—good for a reasonably priced, flavorsome, and traditional bite to eat with a front seat to all the action.