Hytra

Hytra occupies the sixth floor of the Onassis Cultural Centre on Syngrou Avenue, bringing together one of the most dramatic dining views in Greece and a refined modern Greek kitchen led by chef Tasos Mantis. The restaurant holds a Michelin star and has become a pilgrimage destination for Athenians celebrating significant occasions. Mantis trained under some of Greece's leading culinary figures and has developed a cuisine that honours the country's agricultural and fishing traditions while deploying contemporary French technique. Signature plates such as Smoked Tarama with Caviar and the Lamb with Wild Herbs and Mountain Tea demonstrate a kitchen at ease with both luxury ingredients and humble ones, treating each with equal seriousness. The dining room is a study in understated modernism — warm neutrals, expansive windows — but the real showpiece is the rooftop terrace, where the Acropolis and Parthenon are visible above the city's roofline, particularly spectacular at dusk when the illuminated columns emerge from a darkening sky. The wine programme concentrates on Greek estates, with particular depth in Assyrtiko-based whites and cool-climate reds from Naoussa and Drama. Sunday lunch is a distinctive feature: the kitchen runs a shorter but equally serious menu that draws a younger Athenian crowd seeking a relaxed daytime version of the full dinner experience. Dinner reservations for terrace seats should be made well in advance throughout the spring and summer season.