Athens Athens Travel Guide: Best Hotels, Restaurants & Experiences

Once the playground of Jackie Onassis and Frank Sinatra, this 1960s modernist landmark on the pine-fringed Astir Peninsula underwent a €100 million transformation before its 2019 revival. The terraced architecture frames sweeping Aegean views from every balcony, while Michelin-starred Pelagos delivers refined Mediterranean seafood. Three private beaches, twin seaside pools, and a hydrotherapy spa with hammam and steam grotto reward those seeking both glamour and genuine relaxation.

A 1925 neoclassical mansion turned boutique hotel, THE DOLLI positions the Parthenon as its defining feature—visible from the rooftop infinity pool, the Mediterranean restaurant serving lobster linguine with black truffle, and many of the 46 serene, high-ceilinged rooms. The lobby doubles as an art gallery mixing Greek bronzes with modernist pieces. Families appreciate the Greek mythology treasure hunt designed for younger explorers.

Terra-cotta bungalows scattered through coastal pines face the Temple of Poseidon directly across the bay—a view that glows golden at sunset and dramatically illuminated after dark. Stone floors and exposed beams ground the interiors in Aegean earthiness, while Yali restaurant positions tables at the water's edge for just-caught seafood. Two private beaches and a spa featuring Dr. Barbara Sturm treatments complete this family-friendly Athens Riviera retreat.

A 1930s modernist landmark revived by K-Studio anchors this 47-room property where every guestroom opens onto a private balcony—a genuine rarity in central Athens. Interiors channel Bauhaus restraint through faded gemstone tones and bespoke furnishings crafted specifically for each space. Downstairs, Anther restaurant delivers seasonal Mediterranean plates and a Greek breakfast worth lingering over. Pet-friendly suites accommodate families or small groups with ease.

A former Royal Palace annexe on Syntagma Square, King George maintains its 1930s grandeur through 102 rooms dressed in herringbone floors, Murano chandeliers, and cream-and-gold neoclassical detailing. The marble lobby doubles as a gallery for contemporary Greek artists, while the seventh-floor Tudor Hall pairs refined Hellenic cuisine with sweeping Acropolis panoramas. The ninth-floor Penthouse Suite crowns it all—a private pool terrace surveying the Parthenon.

Perched on the fifth floor of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre, Delta commands sweeping sea views through floor-to-ceiling windows, while dreamlike suspended trees drift above diners. Chef George Papazacharias holds two Michelin stars and a Green Star, channeling ingredients from the restaurant's own kitchen garden into a single twelve-course Omnivore menu. The seafood-driven progression pairs with an extensive Greek and international wine selection beneath a sculptural bronze bar.

Behind a door unlocked by digital code, chef Hervé Pronzato orchestrates a single tasting menu where French technique meets Asian and Italian influences. The counter seats offer front-row views of dishes like The Amberjack and The Vanilla emerging with precision, while the contemporary dining room—tiled walls, natural stone, rotating artwork—extends onto a leafy patio. One Michelin star confirms the kitchen's exacting standards.

Chef Panagiotis Giakalis holds one Michelin Star and a Green Star at this verdant courtyard restaurant within The Margi hotel, thirty minutes from central Athens along the Vouliagmeni coast. Two tasting menus channel modern Greek cuisine through ingredients grown on the chef's own farm. His signature dish, The Fish and the Farm, arrives tableside with personal presentation—a ritual unchanged since the restaurant's debut.

Chef Tasos Mantis channels a profound reverence for Greek terroir through his single tasting menu, drawing aromatic herbs from a garden cultivated by his father. The one-starred kitchen earns a Michelin Green Star for its sustainable philosophy, while signature prawns with orange, marigold, and mussels arrive tableside in kombu papillote. Three distinct settings—chef's table, luminous lounge, or glass-wrapped winter garden—accommodate the ritual.

From the seventh-floor terrace of the King George Hotel, chef Nikos Livadias delivers a contemporary take on Greek cuisine worthy of its Michelin star. His signature guinea fowl arrives with beetroot purée, blackberries, and a juniper-scented praline sauce—precise, balanced, quietly ambitious. Piano notes drift through candlelit evenings while head sommelier Evangelos Psofidis guides diners through thoughtful pairings, the illuminated Acropolis holding steady beyond the balustrade.

Greece's first Guerlain spa occupies a Cycladic-inspired pavilion on the Athenian Riviera, its floor-to-ceiling windows framing a heated pool ringed by aromatic herbs. Therapists trained at Guerlain's 1939 institute deliver the signature Nymph treatment—a two-hour ritual pairing rose quartz massage with Rose Chérie fragrance. French podiatrist Bastien Gonzalez operates his first Greek outpost here, while eucalyptus-scented hammam and sauna complete the sensory circuit.