Souvlaki (aka kalamaki) is a popular Greek food and probably the most famous Greek street food, which you should taste if you are visiting Athens. It could be found anywhere but basically at specialised restaurants known as “souvlatzidika”. It consists of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. The traditional souvlaki is primarily made with pork; however, it is now also available with chicken, beef, and lamb. They typically serve it with a slice of bread and may be accompanied by fried potatoes, pita bread, lemon, and various sauces.
The origin of souvlaki could be traced back to ancient Greece. The ancient writer Athinaios, in his famous work “Deipnosofistes”, refers to a dish named ‘kandavlos’, which was pieces of grilled meat on a skewer served with bread, cheese and dill herb.
In this article, we recommend eight of our favourite places to enjoy delicious pork souvlaki. There are countless establishments throughout Athens where one can savour souvlaki, so everyone is likely to have their own preferred spot.
Livadeia
This is a historic restaurant which serves the same souvlaki since 1965. The meat is tasty and quite juicy. The size of the skewer is normal, and they serve it with lemon and as many slices of bread as you want. This souvlaki is for many Athenians a sweet childhood memory, and they come back once in a while to taste it again. (2-4 Kaniggos, Plateia Kaniggos – Athens).
To Prodorpion
This small place is one of the best places to have souvlaki in downtown Athens. The meat is always very juicy and not at all fatty. Every afternoon the place is full of employees of the nearby offices and companies, and the smell of souvlaki is spread in the surrounding area. (52 Akadimias, Athens)
Kalamaki Bar
This is a relatively new place and our favourite in Koukaki. The quality of meat is excellent, and they grill it perfectly – not very big but very tasty. The place is very popular among locals and tourists. The restaurant also has a sitting area on Drakou pedestrian street, which is perfect for souvlaki on a summer night (see also our article about the things you could do after a visit to Acropolis). (15 Drakou, Koukaki – Athens)
Tzimis
A local tavern near Pagrati, which is famous among the inhabitants of the nearby neighbourhoods and should earn its place among the best “souvlatzidika” in town. As far as it concerns the pork souvlaki, it is extra large, juicy, tasty and always freshly grilled. As an extra, order the homemade crispy fried potatoes. (2 Eleftheriou Venizelou, Plateia Agiou Lazarou, Vyronas).
Εlvis
Excellent souvlaki, always freshly grilled and juicy, with the right amount of salt and oregano. They serve it with lemon, bread and a small portion of tasty fried potatoes. The souvlaki is particularly popular among patrons frequenting the nearby bars and cafes in Pagrati and Metaxourgeio, where the two establishments of Elvis are situated. (29 Plataion, Metaxourgeio & 3 Archimidous, Pagrati) [picture below left]
To souvlaki tis Charokopou
According to the citizens of Kallithea, this is the best souvlaki in Athens, and according to its owners, you can find here the biggest pork souvlaki in Athens. The quality of the meat is very good; the souvlaki is salted in the right way. Served in a classic way with bread and lemon. (46 Charokopou, Kallithea)
To kalamaki tou Chari
This place became very popular with students living in the area. The speciality here is the pork souvlaki with very tasty mustard and lemon oil sauce. But there are also other delicious options such as souvlaki with pancetta or chicken wings. (2 Filonois, Zografou)
To cheiropoiito souvlaki tis Analipsis
A legendary souvlaki of the northern suburbs. The souvlaki consists of big pieces of pork, extra juicy and not very fatty. The quality is very good, and they always grill the meat the moment you order. There is also a bigger skewer named “mprizolokalamo”, which is actually a pork steak on a skewer. They serve the souvlaki with lemon and a small pita bread. (26 Ethnikis Antistaseos, Vrilissia) [picture above right]
As we have already mentioned, these are our favourite places for souvlaki-kalamaki among hundreds you could find all over Athens. We are waiting for your suggestions to discover even more.
