Athens, Wrapped Right: 15 Places Where Souvlaki Still Gets It Perfect

The Achilleas souvlaki spot is situated at a narrow street in Neos Kosmos. For 34 years now, Marinos, the proprietor, inspects all ingredients before buying and prepares everything himself. He prepares the gyro, skewered pork and chicken, as well as the tzatziki (yoghurt and garlic dip). The pork gyro, without a doubt this grill’s highlight, is juicy, delicious and marinated in a herb mix. Sizeable gyro pieces are cut and served in a pitta wrap or as a dish with pita bread pieces, tzatziki, tomato and onion.

The shop does not offer tables and seats, nor does it provide home delivery service. Getting there not too late is recommended as the place can be entirely out of food after 9 pm. The spot can hold on to a few portions for you by phone.

Kostas, a pint-sized souvlaki spot, situated in the centre of Athens, at a narrow side-street off Mitropoleos st, has been based at this address since 1950, serving skewered pork and beef bifteki, made simply yet filled with quality, either in pitta or without. The business is now run by a third generation of the family, with all the original quality intact. The meat is fat-free, charcoal-grilled and served either plain, with olive oil and oregano flavouring, as is customary at village festivals around Greece, or wrapped in pitta bread, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with tomato, onion, parsley, red pepper and yoghurt, which is preferred to tzatziki. The proprietors here believe the intense garlic flavour of tzatziki overwhelms meat flavour. This small shop does not offer seating. Customers can either order over the counter or online for home delivery.

Enjoying the city’s greatest cult status, Panerythraikos, in Nea Erythraia, northern Athens, offers a village café-like setting with wooden chairs out on the pavement. The menu is limited but worth exploring to its fullest. On the menu you’ll find skewered pork, small in size but very delicious, juicy and slightly fatty. The spot also offers freshly cut fried potato chips, salad with diced and peeled tomatoes, onion and parsley, as well as feta cheese topped with olive oil and oregano. The souvlaki is served either plain or in pitta bread, oiled to perfection, with paprika, tomato, onion and parsley. One objection: The pitta bread could have been smaller for a better match with the short skewers. Whether ordered with or without pita bread, one souvlaki here will not fill your tummy.

Kafteros, situated at a small side street off Kifisias Avenue in the Kato Halandri area, has been run by the Exarhopoulos family since 1970. The spot is renowned for its spicy sauce recipe. The menu includes skewered pork, chicken and kebab, the latter being a highlight. It is worth trying kebab as a dish, consisting of oil-free pitta bread pieces and four skewered juicy kebabs topped with tomato and finely cut onion. The spicy sauce is served in a separate plate. The only detail revealed here about the sauce recipe is that it is made with a variety of peppers and is spicy. The spot offers tables at a charming yard space as well as home delivery service.

Located next to the worker housing facilities in the Dourgouti area of the Neos Kosmos district, this juicy haunt has been in business since 1983, always at the same address. Founder Tomas Khampartsoum kneads mince daily for his kebabs and also prepares a variety of other Armenian delights, recipes he learnt from his mother. The lamb-and-beef kebab mix with salt and onion is undoubtedly the spot’s best seller. Countless kebab skewers are prepared every morning. They are charcoal-grilled and served juicy and soft with oil-free pita bread, tomato and onion. Fried potato chips and tzatziki are nowhere to be seen at this spot. The business is nowadays headed by the founder’s son, Marios, just as devoted and hard-working as his father. The spot has a limited number of tables and also offers home delivery service.

Lefteris O Politis, based on a side-street off busy Omonia Square since 1951, has now entered its third generation as a business, offering Anatolian recipes that are simple yet attentively prepared and absolutely delicious. The menu is limited to beef bifteki and Anatolian soutzouki (spicy sausage), both skewered and well grilled on the outside but still juicy. Pita bread, slightly oiled, is placed over the meat on the grill to absorb meat flavour. The meat options are served in pita wraps with tomato, finely cut onion, freshly cut parsley and chili pepper. The business also opened a second address in central Athens five months ago. Both shops have a limited number of tables and also serve take away.

07

Kostas

On Agia Eirini Square, this small, no-fuss counter has been feeding downtown Athens for decades, famous for a very specific house style that regulars can recognize blindfolded. The move here is classic souvlaki in pita, built around pork, a tomato-based sauce that many people consider its signature, plus onion, and the option of fries. Service is fast, the space is tight, and the queue tends to form early, partly because the place keeps the focus on a few things done the same way, day after day. It is one of those central stops that feels woven into the square’s daily life, from office lunches to weekend wandering.

08

I Volvi

In the Varvakios market space, this newer arrival made its name fast by plugging into the neighborhood’s food DNA: spices, butchers, and people shopping with purpose. The space is extremely small, set up for takeout and quick bites, and the menu stays close to the classics, with souvlaki in pita and a strong emphasis on seasoning and sauces that lift the meat without turning the wrap into a salad. It suits the street it’s on, where you can grab a wrap, keep walking, and let the aromas of Evripidou do the rest. The popularity comes from how well it fits the setting, and how confidently it delivers a satisfying, market-day kind of souvlaki.

09

O Elvis

This is the Pangrati outpost of the cult souvlaki story that began in Kerameikos, originally tied to a butcher-shop background, then turning into one of the city’s most talked-about skewer specialists. The style leans heavily toward kalamaki, with pork and chicken skewers grilled with real attention to char and juiciness, often served with pita on the side, plus fries if you want the full late-night plate. It is especially popular with people out for drinks in Pangrati, partly because the hours suit the neighborhood’s nightlife and partly because the cooking holds up when you are hungry and impatient. The atmosphere is simple and lively, and the pace stays brisk well into the night.

10

Meat the Greek

A newer, more polished addition near Ermou and the Metropolis, designed to feel comfortable while still staying close to the souvlaki tradition. The menu centers on souvlaki and other grill staples made with selected meats, plus hand-cut fries that have become part of the draw for many customers. The location makes it easy for a mid-shopping lunch or a quick meal between central errands, and the setting is more relaxed than the classic shoulder-to-shoulder counters. It is popular because it sits in the heart of Athens, keeps quality as the headline, and delivers a dependable, satisfying version of the things people actually order.

11

Aganaktissi

A hot destination in Korydallos that people seek out for classic grill-house flavors and an old-school spirit that does not even try to appear modern. The focus is on traditional souvlaki and especially bifteki, served in the familiar Athens way, with sides that keep the plate grounded rather than decorative. The room has a retro feel, and the menu tends to value doing a smaller range well, which is often exactly what loyal customers want from a neighborhood psitopoleio. It is not a center-of-town quick stop, but it earns its place in a citywide souvlaki conversation because it delivers that specific Greek grill comfort, consistently, with no theatre.

12

O Giorgos

In Gkyzi, this long-running neighborhood grill has built a loyal following over decades by doing what local psistaries are meant to do: feed people consistently, with warmth, speed, and a menu that covers the staples properly. Alongside the expected pork and chicken souvlaki and gyro options, you will usually find a broader lineup than a street kiosk, including plates and everyday Greek comfort food, which helps explain why it attracts regulars rather than only passersby. The appeal is the combination of familiarity and reliability, plus the feeling that this is part of the neighborhood’s routine, not a trend. It works equally well for takeout and for a quick sit-down meal when you want something straightforward and filling.

13

Cookoomela Grill (Vegan)

In Exarchia, this place made headlines for being the first in Athens to treat souvlaki seriously in a fully plant-based format, not as an afterthought. Instead of pork and chicken, the menu builds its wraps around mushroom souvlaki and other vegan grill-style fillings, with sauces that aim for smoke, spice, and depth. It has become a reference point for locals and visitors who want to see how street food adapts to new eating habits while still respecting the mechanics of a good wrap: hot filling, good bread, and a balance of punchy flavors. It is fast, casual, and widely appreciated for offering something different without turning it into a novelty act.

Kalamaki Bar in Koukaki is a modern, long-standing neighborhood grill on the pedestrian stretch of Drakou Street, where the answer to Athens’s eternal “kalamaki or souvlaki?” debate is firmly—and deliciously—settled. For nearly 15 years it has focused on juicy, expertly grilled skewers in impressive variety, from classic pork and chicken thigh to beef, milk-fed lamb, and kebabs, alongside thoughtful vegetarian options like mushroom or halloumi skewers. The menu goes beyond handheld bites with generous meat plates served with fries, rice, or vegetables, while starters such as house-made tzatziki, melitzanosalata, spicy kopanisti, and bougiourdi set the tone for relaxed sharing. Add crisp fries, balanced salads, a solid list of Greek wines and spirits, and a casual, convivial atmosphere that spills onto the sidewalk, and Kalamaki Bar feels less like a quick souvlaki stop and more like a dependable local hangout built around very good grilling.

Kapsa is chef Christoforos Peskias’s fiery take on Athens’s favorite street food, bringing chef-level care to a classic souvlaki joint in the city center near Praxitellous Street. Everything here is cooked over charcoal: pork gyro slowly turning on a custom-built vertical spit fueled by glowing coals, and skewers of pork neck brined for 12 hours for extra tenderness and flavor. The gyro is marinated with subtle influences from Mexico’s al pastor—including poblano chili, achiote, and a touch of pineapple juice—yet tastes comfortingly familiar. Handmade sauces are a standout, especially the “keratenia” green sauce with parsley, coriander, hot horn pepper, and olive oil, which manages to burn and refresh at the same time. With proper yogurt tzatziki, freshly cut fries, quality pita from a longtime Athenian bakery, and a focused menu that skips excess, Kapsa delivers bold, smoky, expertly executed souvlaki that lives up to its name.

Squeeze in one more bite of Athens: continue with our Street Food Guide for more handheld hits – including where to track down the city’s juiciest burgers.