We spent about 3 full days in Athens, but with travel times (a flight from NYC and a midday ferry from Paros) we had about 5 dinners. And you bet your girl carefully planned out those meals so we could have all that Athens had to offer!

One of our favorite meals was actually a complete accident. The restaurant that I had originally wanted to go to was closed until just after we were leaving Athens, so we headed over to Okio instead. Okio uses seasonal products and modern techniques to create delicious Mediterranean cuisine. The food was Japanese-inspired, with fresh, local Greek ingredients. The octopus was absolutely divine and the fish of the day, which felt like a Mediterranean ceviche, was fantastic. This was also one of the only times we had space for dessert, which felt super fancy.

Another standout meal was at Mani Mani. Mani Mani’s food draws inspiration from the cuisine of Lakonian Mani, an ethnic Greek subgroup that traditionally inhabited the Mani Peninsula. Their dishes felt very homemade, with gorgeous plating. The braised octopus was tender and flavorful and a must-have dish. The pork belly was juicy and succulent. Portions are extremely generous, so definitely consider sharing plates if you want room for dessert.

Our last meal in Athens was at Hoocut. Located in the heart of Monastiraki, Hoocut serves up delicious gyros with fresh, homemade pita and your choice of pork, chicken, or beef. We both opted for the Pork Pita, with Hoocut Spiced Sauce, Tzatziki, White Cabbage, Tomato, Red Onion, and Paprika. I think this was the best gyro that we had the entire trip. The meat was tender and moist and the tzatziki was so flavorful. They’re so cheap and fast too!

After grabbing a gyro at Hoocut, head down the street to Lukumades, or LUKUMAΔΕΣ, a famous spot for lukumádes, or Greek donuts with honey. The little dough balls are fried until golden and then dunked in homemade honey syrup and topped with nuts. You can also top it with a multitude of other toppings like milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, pistachios, etc. I preferred the original with honey and cinnamon but the dark chocolate was fantastic as well.

And lastly, if you have the time, I highly recommend doing an Athens Food Tour. We visited so many local, mom-pop spots on our tour that we never would’ve ventured to on our own. We sampled olives from an olive vendor, had a delicious Turkish-Greek charcuterie board, and had a gorgeous gyro at a spot that has been open since 1951.