Jul 14, 2025

Kountouriotiko Athens

Nice choice of vegetarian souvlaki

""Kountouriotiko" in Koukaki, Athens is my favorite souvlaki place in the area because they make vegetarian souvlaki with halloumi & grilled mushrooms!"

Kountouriotiko in Koukaki might not seem like much from the outside -- from an aesthetics and design point of view, it is more or less interchangeable with any other traditional souvlaki place that's trying to appeal to mainstream crowds. Nevertheless, it has distinguished itself as my favorite in the area because they respect non-meat eaters.

In most other places, ordering a vegetarian souvlaki is a more or less humiliating process, especially if you happen to venture outside Athens. You're basically telling people whose job is to grill flesh all day that the "meat and potatoes" of their business is unethical, wrong etc. and then you have to deal with the more or less disapproving looks that ensue. How sensitive you are to this kind of thing is a purely personal matter.

Some places do make 'veggie burgers', of course, but let's not go there.

Amusingly enough, souvlaki without meat is called "ecological" or "orphan" souvlaki in Greek -- you can tell a lot about our culture by the fact that we kind of invite comparison between the horror of having lost your parents and the tragedy of... respecting nature.

Anywho, back to Kountouriotiko. These guys offer souvlaki with either halloumi, grilled mushrooms or both (dubbed an "ecological mix") slathered with an awesome mustard sauce. For a spell, they also had tomato patties, but they seem to have dropped those, although you can always ask.

Get an extra-sized "giga" pita filled with their "ecological mix" and you'll be set for the night.

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants
024-burger-1
Snacks

About this spot

Platia Kountouriotou 3

Giga eco mix:

5

+30

2109229944

Find your way with 263 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters

Discover hidden gems and all our locals’ favourites! Get full access to our Athens guide.

Nice place right!? There’s so much more to discover:

Discover all other hidden gems in Athens

Zefyros

An open air cinephile experience

Here is where viewers, myself included, got to know the worlds of Bunuel, Welles, Tarkovsky, Ozu, Bergman, and many more emblematic filmmakers.

008-ticket
Cinema

by

Antonis

Tsapepas

Jul 17, 2025

La Bella Napoli

Italian pizza like no other

At this place, they make pizza the original Neapolitan way. The dough is thin and tasty, and the tomato sauce has a refined taste.

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Antonis

Tsapepas

Jul 17, 2025

Shedia

Human is the answer

Shedia is heavily focused on sustainability and inclusivity: pets have their own menu, the menu is also offered in Braille, and the oil used is produced by the Niarchos park trees and then recycled.

002-building
Art & culture
028-beach-bar-1
Bars
020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants
026-thrift-shop-1
Shopping

by

Zoe

Tziakou

Jul 16, 2025

Teras

A pretty monster

Teras is full of contradictions: it is unconventionally named (teras means 'monster' in greek) in an ugly way but it is one of the most beautiful places to enjoy your drink.

028-beach-bar-1
Bars
020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Zoe

Tziakou

Jul 16, 2025

KAFAO

Street art everywhere

We call these boxes KAFAO (ΚΑΦΑΟ in Greek) and they are basically the Greekized pronunciation of the German acronym KV (Ka-Fau)...

002-building
Art & culture

by

Andreas

Papadopoulos

Jul 15, 2025

Rizopoulos Coffee 1901

The oldest coffee house

The story of Rizopoulos family's involvement with coffee begins in the early 20th century, specifically in 1901, when Andreas Rizopoulos arrived in Athens,

026-thrift-shop-1
Shopping

by

Andreas

Papadopoulos

Jul 15, 2025

CatDog Urban Bar

Berlin meets Pokemon

I've been here with friends and they've all been amazed at the low prices, cool vibe and '90s memorabilia. Even the cocktails are named after Pokemon!

028-beach-bar-1
Bars

by

Dimitris

Hall

Jul 14, 2025

To 24oro

Budget restaurant around the clock

It's really close to both Akropoli and Syggrou-Fix metro station, it has a nice vibe, a great selection of Greek international dishes and large portions!

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Dimitris

Hall

Jul 14, 2025

Kitschen

Port-side Asian fusion Nirvana

Once you enter, you will be amazed by the Japanese-cool decoration, especially by the huge blue mural with the 3D elements and the pink circle.

028-beach-bar-1
Bars
021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Dimitris

Hall

Jul 14, 2025

Kalos Aeras

Fine dining at home

Although Kalos Aeras is located on a busy road, there is no noise penetrating the leafy veranda, and stepping into the house is like time-traveling back to the 60s.

021-spoon-and-fork-1
Restaurants

by

Zoe

Tziakou

Jul 14, 2025

Plateia Proskopon

Past glories

Plateia Proskopon is surely not as hip as Plateia Varnava or other spots in Pagrati but has a unique atmosphere.

020-coffee-cup-1
Coffee & tea
017-plant-1
Relaxing

by

Zoe

Tziakou

Jul 14, 2025

Starata

Honest pies

The owners of Starata take great pride in their fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and the phyllo that is prepared daily in front of their customers.

024-burger-1
Snacks

by

Zoe

Tziakou

Jul 14, 2025

Heading to Athens?

263 Insider Tips from our local Spotters

Authentic Stories by Real People

Escape the Crowd & Travel Slow 🐌

... for just €9.99

0 Insider Tips from our local Spotters

263 Insider Tips

✓ Escape the Crowds

✓ Find Spots nearby

✓ Authentic Stories

... for just €9.99

App Download Download our app

City guides by those who know the city in and out!

Our Locals' Favorite Athens

Our team loves Athens

Get to know our other Spotters from Athens

As featured on:

New-York-Times
the-guardian
mashable
the-sunday-times
false
0
false
41
Made with the 💚 of 489 Spotters.
Filters