Grande Dame Athenian Tavern — Restaurant in Athens

Last night was our first dinner in Athens, and we doubt that it will be surpassed during our stay here. We had a long day of flying and wanted a relatively light dinner composed of seafood offerings. I’m kind of a sardine freak and Grand Dame had the very best sardines I’ve ever had in my life. They were smoked in a tangy mustard sauce and capers. We also had grilled squid with a couscous mixture which was excellent and grilled octopus with an eggplant sauce along with the Cretin salad with excellent tomatoes and cucumbers. Each dish was dressed beautifully with various types of greens and other accoutrements. The only negative was that the octopus could have been marinated longer as it was rather tough for my taste. I believe we were served by the owner whose name I regret not knowing. He recommended an excellent Greek wine at the very reasonable price of €35. He also was a very pleasant gentleman who made our experience even better. The next time we are here we will definitely explore the entrées, which looked really good when we saw them at other tables. In general, I highly recommend Grand Dame and look forward to visiting again and will recommend it to...

One of our favorite taverns in downtown Athens- a must visit! It’s got a very retro urban vibe paired with incredibly sophisticated and modern Greek classics. It’s one of the only places I’ve eaten in Athens where I feel like I could be in Manhattan. Black-and-white tile, antique tables, even incredible dishware- all this creates a compelling ambience, but it’s really the food that is the star. Definitely start with the combo of spreads, and the salad that has the forest fruit and soft cheese (the Greek salad is amazing as well, I think it has some kind of greens from the sea?). The chicken skewer with couscous dish is my favorite - so juicy so delicious, so deceptively simple. The chef and all of the staff are so kind but also total pros. This is one of those rare places that feels like you could just go there casually for lunch or dinner, or you would want to invite a lot of friends to book a big group and go for a special occasion like a birthday or...

I truly hope that every visitor to Athens is fortunate enough to discover this hidden gem!

From every perspective—interior design, service, food, drinks, and music—this place is simply outstanding.

The experience was made even more special when the chef personally visited our table, offering expert recommendations for both food and drinks.

We had the Seabass Carpaccio, Beef Carpaccio, Octopus, Lime Seabass Risotto, and Cheesecake. Each dish was exceptional in portion, presentation, taste, and value. The only minor note was that the octopus was a bit chewy for our preference, but that’s just the traditional Greek preparation (a quick Google search will explain!).

As for the cheesecake—it was absolute perfection, truly out of this world. We were eager to try more desserts, but unfortunately, they were unavailable at the time.

Overall, this was an unforgettable experience, and I genuinely believe this place deserves Michelin...