Golden Caps 2024: The best restaurants in Athens (and the Athens Riviera)
Plus: The five restaurants in the Athenian Riviera that managed to secure a spot on the list of the best restaurants in Athens.
- 20/05/2024
Entering its fourth decade, the institution of the Golden Caps (Toques d’Or) finds the Greek gastronomic scene in impressive bloom, as evidenced by the 43 award-winning restaurants, whose owners and chefs took to the stage on, April 8th to receive the highest Greek gastronomic distinction. For the twelfth consecutive year, “Etrusco” in Corfu was named the best restaurant in Greece, with Hector Botrini also claiming the second spot with his eponymous Athenian restaurant.
Consistently in recent years, the significant tourist regions of Greece have dominated the awards (23 in total on the islands of the Aegean, Ionian, and in Halkidiki), with Santorini reaching nine restaurants awarded with a Golden Cap this year. Additionally, 17 of the awarded restaurants are located in the broader Athens area.
In the Southern Suburbs of Athens (the famous Athens Riviera), five restaurants managed to conquer a place on the list of Golden Caps.
The awarded restaurants in the Athenian Riviera
Delta (Kallithea), Rating 16/20 and one cap
The restaurant on the top floors of the SNFCC overlooks the Faliron Delta from its elegant hall, reminiscent of an art space, and brings new elements to the scene of Athenian fine dining. Georgios Papazacharias and Thanos Feskos create a cosmopolitan, conceptual, sustainable, nature-loving cuisine, which you experience as a journey through an “enigmatic” 12-stage tasting menu.
Delta Restaurant | Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Andrea Syngrou Avenue 364, Kallithea | 698 6657553
Pelagos (Vouliagmeni), Rating 16/20 and one cap
An exceptional fine dining experience at the luxurious Four Seasons Astir Palace, with chef the highly talented Luca Piscazzi. The elegant gastronomy is characterized by cosmopolitanism, smoothly moving between French, Italian, international, and Greek flavors centered around fish but also venturing into meats. You will dine in a very elegant hall in winter and on the terrace with a magnificent view in summer, feeling like you’re on a luxurious cruise ship.
Pelagos | Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, Apollonos 40, Vouliagmeni | 2108901192
Varoulko Seaside (Piraeus), Rating 16/20 and one cap
A landmark of Greece’s gastronomic heritage, the legendary restaurant continues to make history in the seas of taste, with “captain” Lefteris Lazarou and chef Komninos Mouflouzelis in the kitchen, alongside the exceptional Thodoris Moysis on desserts. Odes to local seafood, with a modern aesthetic and always top-notch ingredients. Its timelessness is confirmed by continuous awards with a Golden Cap and the Greek Cuisine Award.
Varoulko Seaside | Akti Koumoundourou 54, Piraeus | 21 0522 8400
Matsuhisa Athens (Vouliagmeni), Ratings 15/20, one cap
The serene power of Japanese culture and the charm of tasteful fusion find an ideal home at Matsuhisa Athens, in one of the most privileged spots on the Athenian Riviera. Tony Vratsanos and Thomas Kourakos execute iconic specialties like black cod with miso to perfection, but this year they also introduce a daily specials menu, in the familiar style of the restaurant brand’s cuisine. Must-try, among others, the tongue with chili shiso salsa and the scallops with black sesame sauce.
Matsuhisa Athens | Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, Apollonos 40, Vouliagmeni | 2108960510
Patio (Vouliagmeni), Rating 15.5 and one cap
In the inner courtyard of The Margi Hotel, with the iconic large olive tree and a soft Mediterranean atmosphere, the multiple Golden Cap and now Michelin-starred executive chef of the hotel, Panagiotis Giakalis, presents the official version of his contemporary cuisine. His particularly interesting dishes combine high technique with finesse, harmony, and well-balanced intensities, while desserts are now created by the talented Manolis Stithos.
Patio | The Margi Hotel, Litous 11, Vouliagmeni | 21 0892 9160
Restaurants in the rest of Athens that won a Golden Cap:
Botrini’s Athens (Chalandri), Rating 16.5 and one cap
Herve Restaurant (Petralona), Rating 16 and one cap
CTC (Kerameikos), Rating 15.5 and one cap
Soil (Pagrati), Rating 15.5 and one cap
Spondi (Pagrati), Rating 15.5 and one cap
Tudor Hall (Athens Center), Rating 15.5 and one cap
Aleria (Metaxourgeio), Rating 15 and one cap
Hytra (Neos Kosmos), Rating 15 and one cap
GB Roof Garden (Athens Center), Rating 15 and one cap
Le Pavillon (Chalandri), Rating 15 and one cap
Makris Athens (Thiseio), Rating 15.5 and one cap
Seeds (Ilisia), Rating 15 and one cap