What to eat in Athens
Athens eats late and in a taverna: souvlaki to go, moussaka, wild greens pie, gyros, mezedes in an ouzeri, loukoumades, frappé and ouzo with water.

[ ] Eat souvlaki
    Cubes of meat on a skewer with pita, tomato, onion and tzatziki, or all of it wrapped in the pita to take away. The basic Athens food at any hour.
[ ] Try gyros
    Pork or chicken from the vertical rotisserie in a pita with tomato, onion, tzatziki and chips inside. Cheap, filling and everywhere.
[ ] Try moussaka
    Layers of aubergine, potato and minced meat under a thick béchamel crust, baked until golden. It is served warm rather than piping hot, which is intentional.
[ ] Try horta and ladera
    Wild greens boiled and dressed with olive oil and lemon, and vegetables braised in oil: beans, artichokes, peas. The fasting repertoire, which fills a whole menu section here.
[ ] Try hortopita and spanakopita
    A filo pie filled with wild greens or spinach and feta. Sold by the slice in bakeries from the morning and eaten on the move.
[ ] Order mezedes in an ouzeri
    A dozen small plates for the middle of the table: tzatziki, fish roe dip, fried courgette, octopus, feta, olives. This is the dinner format rather than starters before a main.
[ ] Try grilled octopus
    Tentacles tenderised and sun-dried, then grilled over coals and dressed with olive oil, vinegar and oregano. The classic partner to ouzo.
[ ] Try horiatiki salad
    Tomato, cucumber, pepper, onion and olives with a whole slab of feta on top, dressed with olive oil and oregano. No lettuce and no dressing beyond the oil.
[ ] Try gemista
    Tomatoes and peppers stuffed with herbed rice and baked with potatoes in olive oil. A summer home dish, served warm.
[ ] Get a pie from the bakery
    Cheese tiropita, koulouri sesame rings from street carts, and whatever is in the bakery window in the morning. The standard Greek breakfast on the move.
[ ] Eat loukoumades
    Small balls of fried dough in honey with cinnamon and walnut. Served hot and eaten immediately, while they still crunch.
[ ] Try galaktoboureko
    A semolina custard between sheets of filo, soaked in syrup after baking. The contrast of crisp pastry and soft custard is the entire dessert.
[ ] Try yoghurt with honey
    Thick strained sheep's yoghurt with thyme honey and walnuts. The simplest dessert, and in Greece better than most complicated ones.
[ ] Drink a frappé
    Instant coffee whipped with ice and water into a dense foam, a Greek invention from the 1960s. Sweetness and milk are specified when ordering.
[ ] Drink Greek coffee
    Finely ground coffee brewed in a briki and served with the grounds at the bottom. Sweetness is set during brewing, so state it when ordering.
[ ] Try ouzo
    An anise spirit that clouds when water and ice are added. Drunk slowly with mezedes and water rather than in shots.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/food-athens