Economou

If Greek summer were a single dish, it would be one of those tasty creations that Mom made by slow-cooking something in olive oil. The next best thing is the food that’s served at Economou, at one of their tables under an olive tree. The eatery, which has been in business since 1930, is also famous for its lahanodolmades (stuffed cabbage leaves), its savory pies stuffed with greens, the roast lamb with potatoes, and a handful of other dishes, all as simple as they are delicious.

Palia Fava

Palia Fava, which opened in 2005, has become a firm favorite for uncomplicated yet delicious meals. It has a family-friendly atmosphere and the food tastes like what your mother used to put on the table. In the kitchen, Dina Halari prepares a range of different dishes depending on what was available at the market that day. Options include stews, meat dishes and seafood. This time of year, the highlights include the lamb with olive oil and oregano, and the cockerel in wine, served with bucatini and grated dry mizithra cheese. Stuffed cabbage leaves are also a favorite here.

Kitsoulas

This is an eatery with solid culinary credentials and a history going all the way back to 1946. It’s always tough ordering here. What should I have? Oven-roasted kid with potatoes, beef stew in tomato sauce, rabbit stifado, cockerel in wine, zucchini avgolemono? Or what about the moussaka, or the okra, or the giouvetsi? Every time, it gets harder to decide and I take longer and longer to order my meal.

O Nikitas

Perfectly grilled meat and unpretentious cooking are on offer at Nikitas, which is particularly popular with downtown residents. The same family has been running the restaurant since 1967. Anything you choose here will taste home-cooked. Dishes of the day include stuffed vegetables, bean stews and meat cooked in tomato sauce, and they’re also known for their beef patties, their stuffed vine leaves and their superb pork cooked on the spit.

Zoodochos Pigi

This is a dining establishment with an interesting past and a promising future. It started life as a taverna operating within Kostas and Grigoris Lambrou’s grocery shop, but the premises were destroyed in a bombing raid during WWII. The brothers rebuilt their eatery and dedicated it to the Virgin Mary (the name “Zoodochos Pigi” means “Life-Giving Spring,” an honorific designation given to the mother of Jesus). Today, the place is managed by their grandsons, Alexandros, an actor, and Kostas, a musician, who are doing a great job of carrying on the family tradition, serving tomato-based stews, moist kebabs, aromatic liver dishes, fava dip, and many other dishes in a very pleasant setting.

This article was previously published in Greek at gastronomos.gr.