As expected from the city that is home to almost half the population of Greece, Athens has some of the best restaurants and pizzerias in the country - and in many establishments you will not only eat well but also have a great time, especially late in the evening. Athens pizza is also represented by international chains but they are not very popular here as you’ve so many better options. Make sure to pick the right neighborhood for your stay in Athens, somewhere close to the best places to eat!

La Bella Napoli

Authentic Neapolitan pizza

As the name suggests it’s an authentic Neapolitan pizza and, in general, some of the best pizza here in Athens if not in Greece. The taste and texture of the pizza is extraordinary and no wonder, as it is prepared by an Italian chef Marco who is clearly in love with what he is doing. 

The ingredients are to die for: premium flour (whole grain), Buffalo mozzarella from Caserta and Salerno, tomato sauce from San Marzano, well-ripened yeast dough that makes an amazing crust and an oven that bakes it at 500 degrees. 

All the Italian food on the menu, including pizza, of course, comes with amazing wine pairing. However, if you are not a wine lover don't miss the chance to taste Italian beers that they serve here as the options are great.

With all the treasures hidden inside, Marco’s pizzeria is not what it seems at first glance and can easily be passed by. The restaurant is small and cozy and their staff is friendly, helpful, and good at performing a fast turnover. There are just twelve pizzas and two salads on the menu and a few tables to eat on the spot. 

La Bella Napoli is definitely a must-try if you miss Italian flavors. For dessert, try their freshly made tiramisu that will leave you coming back craving more! They have a delivery service, but Marco urges customers to eat inside so that they don’t spoil the taste through delivery.

Open hours: 1:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Location: Roumpesi 64

Prices: $$

Crust

Death to false pizza!

The founder of Crust wanted to bring authentic New York pizza to the heart of Athens and clearly has succeeded. What comes to your mind when you think about New-York-style street pizza? Well, probably it should be crunchy with a lot of stuffing, big but doesn’t break apart in your hands when you are trying to eat it, delicious and most importantly cheap. 

Having picked one of the most vibrant neighborhoods of downtown Athens for their pizzeria, Crust has followed all the above-mentioned points to the T. Here pizzas are being constantly baked in a wood-fired oven and offered to customers whole or by the slice. Their slices are oversized offering you a quarter of a big pizza for 3 euros which is beyond fair of a price for such a huge piece. For 12 euro you will get a whole pizza out of 12 options but brace yourself, the choice will be not easy. 

Overall, Athens can be done on a budget as well as Santorini which is more tricky but we figured out a way.

Shroom pizza with truffle, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, wild mushrooms and parmesan flakes has immediately caught my eye. Foghorn with parmesan cream, roasted chicken, marinated broccoli sounds quite unusual as well! 

Besides all of that... Crust has another secret: if you go downstairs you’ll discover an industrial basement filled with red leather sofas, loud music and a dancing crowd. A different event takes place every Friday and Saturday and you can have a drink or two and enjoy quality music.

Open hours: 1:00 PM - 2:00 AM

Location: Protogenous 13

Prices: $

Cupola

Authentic aperitif trattoria

Wondering how Cupola is different from a handful of other Italian restaurants in Athens? The answer is quite simple – Cupola is an authentic aperitif trattoria with a focus on Neapolitan pizza, fresh pasta and custom made cocktails that cater to all patrons.

This Athens pizza is slightly different from the common recipe as it has a softer dough and is not the classic crunchy pizza you’d find in Italy. And believe me, it comes out. The restaurant’s chef Stefano Rossi uses mozzarella di Bufala and San Marzano tomatoes in his pizzas and trust me it does work out excellent! Just imagine a pizza with prosciutto culatello, mozzarella di bufala, stracciatella cheese and figs...yum!

In addition to pizzas, you'll also find fresh pasta, salads, meats and fish.

By the way, did you know the word  'Cupola' in Italian means dome and more specifically the dome of a traditional wood-burning oven, such as the one found in the trattoria’s kitchen?

Taking into account that it’s an aperitif trattoria, come here especially if you want to have a cocktail after your meal (or at the same time, we don't judge). In addition to the full wine list compiled by sommelier Yiannis Makris, the bar set up by Spyros Corfu offers a custom cocktail menu which is a little 'different' from the usual.

Open hours: 12:30 PM - 12:30 AM

Location: Efforionos 13

Prices: $$$ 

Coupepe

Hidden gem of northern Athens

It's no exaggeration to say that Coupepe makes one of the most delicious pizzas in Athens. Authentic, delicate dough and fresh ingredients make amazing combinations that make all of its customers choose Coupepe over and over again. There is no coincidence that people gather here from every corner of Attica.

I have to admit that Coupepe is a little bit away from the city center and it’s understandable that you might not be in the mood for travel. However, it is very much worth it and if you find yourself in Nea Penteli, there will probably be few other foreigners. 

Coupepe started as a tiny place in the suburbs and since then has expanded the property exponentially as it gets very crowded in the summer months.

Classic white Bianca with no tomato sauce, wholemeal dough or even a sweet pizza - whatever you choose you will definitely be pleased. From the menu, I can distinguish a pizza with truffle oil, chestnuts, sauce, mozzarella, pastrami and metsovone, while the sweet Bueno pizza (mascarpone with bueno) is a great option for anyone with a sweet tooth. 

Don't forget to try the handmade white sangria especially with one of the hearty pizzas they offer. It'll leave you with that perfect balance of savory and sweet.

Open hours: 8:00 AM - 1:00 AM

Location: Ir. Politechniou, Nea Penteli 152 39

Prices: $

Mystic Pizza & Pasta

You will love their secret ingredients

Since the grand opening back in 2002, Mystic pizza & pasta began to introduce the people of Athens to a new tasty trail - organic products made with cannabis derivatives or Cannabis Sativa. This plant, despite its high nutritional value and its many potential uses, has been and still is largely misunderstood due to misinformation and prejudice. 

 Mystic Pizza has rolled out a sizzle among locals with its secret recipes and tasty ingredients: organic hemp flour, stevia instead of sugar, unrefined sea salt, and organic extra virgin olive oil. 

Babi Ananiadis, the founder of Mystic Pizza, took the first big steps in releasing the plant from its stigma, slowly changing the outlook of an entire society and eventually turning it into alternative crops.  

Cannabis seeds contain one of the best combinations of Ω-3 and Ω-6 proteins of high nutritional value. The food does not contain the psychotropic substance THC, but you can still taste the flavor. Mystic Athens pizza uses hemp flour mixed with other types of flour, regular and peeled seeds and seed oil as a dressing.

The restaurant has now maintained its simplicity relying on good taste and healthy nutrition for 15 years. Almost everything at Mystic is made from scratch when you place an order and you can choose from about 30 options, including vegetarian and vegan pizzas, wholly organic as well as gluten-free.

Open hours: 13:00–00:30

Location: Emmanouil Benaki 76

Prices: $$

School Pizza Bar

 The only motivation to go back to school

This restaurant on the Agia Irini Square delivers fresh Italian cuisine including but not limited to pizza. As the name suggests, the concept of the restaurant reminded me of my school days. The interior features everything from classic school chairs to the most incredible details inside and outside the restaurant, it all reminds of school classrooms. 

In fact, School Pizza Bar is the only good reason for me to go back to school. Along with that, the staff greets and serves you in a friendly manner which makes you feel like one of their classmates. 

Their menu varies depending on the season and they’re open from 10 am for breakfast when the place gets quite crowded. The dough is made from their own secret recipe and baked in an electric stone oven. Some of the bestsellers are made with bacon, peppers and mushrooms, and the all-time classic Margherita. 

They craft some very cool and original cocktails and have a full cellar of spirits, cordials, and wines which makes a perfect motivation for going to school. 

One of my favorites are mushroom pizza and pizza zucca with sweet pumpkin sauce. Also, here you can find guanciale and authentic carbonara with egg – it is cooked without cream in the best Italian traditions.

Anywhere between Thursday and Sunday, well-known Athens DJs disco/nu-disco sets bringing that old school funkiness well and alive in Athens.

You might have already guessed that they also own High School Pizza Bar in Thessaloniki – a port city in the north of Athens.

Open hours: 10:00 AM - 3:00 AM

Location: Plateia Agias Eirinis 8 

Prices: $$

Masters Bar

Hit a jackpot in every aspect

At Masters Bar we found a simple youthful hangout for the whole day which scored high in every aspect: flavor, portion size, prices, atmosphere, service and music. Very tempting, right? 

The restaurant is located in a renovated 2-story neoclassical house, where the design is dominated by wood, metal, glass and a characteristic brown brick in which I personally enjoy. The Master's Bar has an impressive chandelier hanging from the top floor as well as some stylish paintings, and the main element – an impressive Neapolitan wood-fired oven with wood stacked around it.

 In the Masters Bar you will find genuine Italian pizzas with fresh-made dough and authentic ingredients and a final touch of baking them in a Neapolitan wood-fired oven. Pizza Tartufata with fresh mushrooms, bocconcini and black truffle oil sounds amazing, right?

If you are staying out late and in the center, then Masters Bar is a great choice for a quick bite as they are open till late.

Open hours: 12:00 PM - 1:00 AM

Location: Navarchou Apostoli 11

Prices: $

Pizzeria Dei Fratelli

Passing on recipes for generations

This Italian pizza restaurant in Athens follows a long tradition from previous generations - brothers Nikos and Savvas followed their family’s steps and managed to realize their dream of opening Pizzeria Dei Fratelli. The family tradition began with their father, Alcibiades, in 1965, where he left Greece for the US with not much more than his family recipes. There, he initially introduced the people of Massachusetts to his delicious cooking by opening the first of his three restaurants. 

From a young age, Nikos and Savvas worked closely with their parents, learning to follow the same work ethic and passion to create good and quality food in a welcoming environment with respect for their customers. Eventually, they have opened their own Athens pizza establishment.

Not only do they have a great selection of pizzas with 24 items on the menu but also have the biggest selection of spicy pizzas and pastas I have seen in  Athens! So, if you like some “fire” in your pizza, this is definitely the place to choose from Piccante Melanese, Diavola, Mediterraneo or even spicy mango and meat pizza!

Open hours: 12:00 PM - 12:30 AM

Location: Kratitos 10 & Spathari

Prices: $$

Pizza Dal Professore

Unique dough recipe was discovered through many trials

Pizza Dal Professore is a relatively new spot in the center of Athens founded by Elias Anthidi, Spyros Corfu, Patroclou Koudouni and their close associate and inventor of original pizza dough recipe – chef of the trattoria restaurant Dal Professore in Maroussi, Nikos Dimitrokalis.

After traveling to Italy and endless experiments and trials, the "Professor" came up with a perfect recipe by mixing 3 different flours.

The special dough with natural yeast is baked in Italian oven with porous stone, creating a crunchy, almost puffy texture with a lot of air bubbles. Light, crunchy dough is topped with premium quality fresh ingredients and served or delivered warm and delicious.

Dal Professore's "Pizza non Pizza" is the future of the street food version of pizza. 

Open hours: 1:00 PM - 2:00 AM

Location: 

Prices: $

Mind the Cup

Brilliant combination of coffee and pizza

Usually, when business owners decide to follow a seemingly easy but difficult path of combining pizza and coffee in Athens, the result usually is a complete failure. Just the opposite scenario happened, however, with Mind the Cup. 

Mind the Cup in Peristeri was one of the pioneers in quality coffee before it became a lasting trend. Having stood the test of time, they have now opened the adjacent area and started serving food. That’s where Thanasis Poriotis makes different pies every day – with spinach, mushrooms, sometimes a pie filled with vegetables or sweet pumpkin and chicken, sprinkled with sesame seeds and a little dendrolivano; and pizzas served in free shapes, tarts, and sandwiches made from their own bread.

 Try Pepperoni and Philadelphia chicken pizzas and choose a coffee from a wide selection of Ethiopian, Brazilian, Rwandan and Kenyan beans.

Open hours: 9:00 AM - 2:00 AM

Location: Emiliou Veaki 29, Peristeri

Prices: $$