There are many places in Athens that make pies of all kind. It is impossible to visit them and try them all. In this article we will focus only on places that according to our taste have the best traditional Greek pies. What characterises a traditional Greek pie (pita / πίτα in Geek) is its phyllo sheets made of fresh ingredients. Different processes and recipes are carried out to give each phyllo a different texture; sometimes thick and rich, and sometimes thin and translucent. There are pies made with a large number of sheets, layered one on top of the other and filled with ingredients like cheese, meat and various vegetables. While, there are others that are made with a simple mixture of flour and other tasteful ingredients.
Ariston (Άριστον) : Τhis small bakery stands in the same place since 1910 and treats the people of Athens with its famous “kourou” cheese pie. There are times, especially in the morning, you have to wait in a queue to taste this always hot and fresh delicacy. The recipe came from Konstantinoupolis by its founder Dionysios Lompotesis and it is still a secret. Nowadays apart from the cheese pie, you can taste here 120 different pies with traditional recipes from all over Greece, which offer unique tastes and flavours. (Voulis 10, Syntagma Square)
Pandora (Πανδώρα) : In the center of one of the most touristic areas of Athens, next to Acropolis Museum, is hidden this small shop with amazing traditional pies. The pies are made in the traditional way, always with handmade phyllo, which is prepared daily. They made cheese pies, vegetable pies, meat pies, milk pies, the wonderful Zagoritiko Plasto and pumpkin pies. Our favourite here is makaronopita (pie with cheese and pasta). (Lembesi 1 & Makrigianni, Koukaki)
Antheon (Ανθέων) : The shop started in 1993 in the same place we know it to this day. In a quiet corner of Antheon Street in Ano Glyfada. In the beginning they made only cheese pies but the quality of the ingredients and the desire of the owner to offer constantly new tastes make this shop famous all over Athens. Today you could find here everything from apple pies to pizzas, but our favourite remains the traditional pies with crispy tasty phyllo, excellent olive oil and perfect fillings. (Antheon 24, Ano Glyfada)
Dimitra Gounaridi (Δήμητρα Γουναρίδη) : This phyllo workshop is a family business with a tradition since 1945 in the pies and sweets of Asia Minor. The handmade matsoverga phyllo and the well-known village cheese pies of Dimitra have written history in Nea Ionia and Mati. The phyllo is thin and crunchy and the pies are either baked in the oven or fried in the pan according to the recipe. The variety is great and you could find here mushroom pie, eggplant pie, potato pie and meat pie. However our favourite remains the triangle fried cheese pie that made this place famous. (Evaggelikis Scholis 5, Nea Ionia)
Mamaliga (Μαμαλίγκα) : Mamaliga was considered the breakfast food of the mountain villages, mainly of Thessaly. It is made with porridge and not phyllo, and has a perfect soft texture and taste, which instantly travels you to the Greek countryside. This is the same feeling you get when you eat mamaliga at this little shop, hidden in the streets of Vyrona. They made here perfect traditional pies with very good phyllo and authentic Greek products. (Kyprou 32, Vyronas)
Pites tis Sofias (Πίτες της Σοφίας) : The problem you have with this pie shop is that when you visit it you do not really know what to get. The variety is unreal. With recipes from all over Greece but also original ones, you have many choices between savory and sweet flavors. However, sometimes in the great variety, although the quality of the ingredients is always excellent, the taste result is not perfect. The shop is now famous outside Palaio Faliro with a loyal audience from all over Athens. Our first choice every time we come here is the mushroom pepper pie. (Agiou Alexandrou 30, Paleo Faliro)
Prozymi (Προζύμι) : We know that the bakeries in Athens are innumerable, but this small place in Kallithea is one of our favorites when it comes to traditional pies. The only four options (cheese pie, leek pie aka prasopita, chicken pie and spinach pie) are enough to satisfy even the most demanding customer. These are really homemade pies with handmade village phyllo and excellent ingredients. Our favourite here is the chicken pie, a pie that you can hardly find successfully made outside your home. (Doiranis 51, Kallithea)
Vlachos (Βλάχος) : This tavern in the northern suburbs of the city is in a category of its own. Here you could taste perfect, juicy and delicious grilled meat. But apart from the meat, the specialty here is the traditional pies, which are baked on the grill and not in the oven, following a traditional way of cooking. There is a good variety of pies, like cheese pie, makaronopita, spinach pie and zucchini pie. The meat and the pies are prepared and cooked in an open kitchen at the centre of the tavern, so everyone could watch. (Konstantinou Karamanli and 17 Noemvri, Melissia)
A traditional Greek pie is the best snack at any time of the day. We are always waiting for your suggestions in the comments area, because the quest for the best never stops…
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