Pasta (makaronia in Greek) is one of the most popular foods in the world. It started in Italy and conquered the planet. In Athens, as in every European capital, there are hundreds of places to try a plate with pasta. From fast-food chains to Michelin-starred restaurants, the choices are endless. In this article, we present 4 of our favourite places for pasta in the city.
Akakios
Away from the Italian trattoria, Akakios offers a Greek version of pasta inspired by monk Akakios and traditional culinary heritage. The restaurant features heavy wooden tables, candlesticks, and staff dressed in monk robes. It resembles the interior atmosphere of a Greek monastery. The cuisine follows Greek gastronomic tradition, offering familiar flavours without parmesan or prosciutto but with regional ingredients like pecorino, katiki, pappardelle, and pork.
The most special dish is pecorinada, featuring freshly boiled spaghetti stirred into a whole head of pecorino cheese before serving. We also distinguish spaghetti with osso buco pieces of beef in flavoured sauce with pecorino and pappardelle with zucchini and onions. Additionally, pappardelle includes caramelised onions and smoked pork, while appetisers are good yet slightly lag behind main dishes in quality.
Akakios: Agias Triados 1, 175 64 Palaio Faliro
Maltagliati
This trattoria at a beautiful welcoming house with a garden and with several years of tradition in the gastronomic scene of Athens continues to serve fresh pasta, always maintaining excellent quality. In Maltagliati you have a choice between five types of traditional pasta fresca: fettuccine, linguine, casarecce, maltagliati and ravioli. The ingredients and flavours paired with these five types of pasta are exceptional, resulting in a unique and delightful dish each time.
We tried and distinguished fettuccine with zucchini, saffron, and sour cream, offering a balanced and aromatic combination of flavours. We also enjoyed maltagliati al ragu with chopped pork, porcini mushrooms, and truffle oil, delivering a rich and satisfying taste experience. Additionally, ravioli with spinach, ricotta, sage, and pecorino stood out, while appetisers and desserts like mozzarella in carozza and tiramisu impressed.
Maltagliati: Terpsitheas 16, 175 63 Palaio Faliro
Belpaese
This small Italian restaurant, with the owner and cook being Italian, just a few metres from the Acropolis Museum in a pure tourist area, is a hidden gem worth discovering. In the well-kept and warm place, you will taste excellent pasta dishes, made with organic Italian flour. Except for the flour, all the ingredients they use are organic, while the Italian products are imported from Italy and from selected producers.
The pasta dish trenette tartufo e funghi with freshly sautéed mushrooms, sour cream and truffle is probably one of the best pasta dishes we have tasted lately [photo at the top]. We also enjoyed an excellent traditional carbonara made with guanciale, egg, and pecorino romano, alongside linguine limone e rosmarino, which features fresh pasta, butter, rosemary, lemon juice, and black pepper. They also make authentic Italian pizza with dough as thin as necessary, excellently cooked, and full of flavour.
Belpaese: Athanasiou Diakou 6, 117 42 Koukaki
Mailo’s – The Pasta Project
This is a proposal different from the previous three. We visited it for the first time during the lockdown period, and it was the ideal combination of the magic of Italian gastronomy and the street food culture. The pasta is made in front of you with the fresh pasta machine and is cooked as soon as you order it. There are three types of fresh pasta (rigatoni, casarecce and campanelle), and the combinations you can order are specific but all excellent.
Between classic flavours such as carbonara and mac ‘n’ cheese and more inventive options like Philadelphia chicken—featuring Philadelphia sauce, chicken, broccoli, and sun-dried tomato pesto—the selection is quite challenging. This is the best place in Athens for pasta on the go and a value-for-money suggestion for quality street food. The success of the project is evident with more locations (via franchise) throughout the city.
Mailo’s – The Pasta Project: Patriarchou Ioakim 39, 106 75 Kolonaki
The quest for the best never ends. We are sure there are more places to discover out there.
