Deniz’s pick
To Souvlaki tis Madame Sousou
Order the turkey kebab. That is the thing to get here.
Heart Picks
Deniz’s own recommendations, gathered in one place. Personal, unpaid and never a ranking. Each pick below is quoted from where it first appeared on the site, so you can see the context.
What a Heart Pick is. A place, dish or channel Deniz uses himself and would send a friend to. Nobody pays for a pick, picks are not ranked, and they are always marked as personal. Notes added by our editors are labelled as editor notes and are never written in Deniz’s name.
The picks so far 9
Deniz’s pick
Ama Lachei stis Nefelis
Good food, a lovely setting and genuinely great service. Book in advance, it fills up, especially the garden tables.
Deniz’s pick
Vaggelis & Alekos
A family run oinomageireio tucked into a shaded arcade off Frantzi, serving slow cooked home food that most visitors never find. Marked as a personal pick on Local Favourites.
Google Maps See it on the site Review this place
Deniz’s pick
To Trikyklo
Greek and Mediterranean cooking done with more care than the unassuming setting suggests, leaning on fish and seafood. Marked as a personal pick on Local Favourites.
Deniz’s pick
To Mikraki
The value pick in Psirri: a small, unfussy place where the bill still surprises people. Marked as a personal pick on Local Favourites.
Deniz’s pick
Dodoni feta
Dodoni, an Epirus (Ioannina) dairy brand, for barrel aged feta. From the Feta entry in our A to Z.
Deniz’s pick
Athens Wives
A personal recommendation, and one of them is a friend, so worth saying so plainly. Not a ranking and not a paid placement.
Deniz’s pick
Aster
Great food, in a super cosy street.
Address: Troon 48, Ano Petralona. Phone +302103416668.
Athinorama gives 20 to 25 euros a person.
Official website Google Maps See it on the site Review this place
Sources (8)
- aster athens (official site), read 4 Oct 2026
- Athinorama: Άστερ, read 4 Oct 2026
- Athinorama: Aster (English), read 4 Oct 2026
- Athens Voice: Άστερ, read 4 Oct 2026
- Culinary Backstreets: Aster, read 4 Oct 2026
- This is Athens: Athens off the Beaten Track, read 4 Oct 2026
- travel.gr: Petralona's Traditional and Modern Tavernas, read 4 Oct 2026
- Greek City Times: Athens' Troon Street Named One of World's Coolest Streets (15 Mar 2024), read 4 Oct 2026
Deniz’s pick
Rantevou (Ραντεβού)
An old, well known place. Friendly, with great food and amazing prices, next to a nice square with several other places to choose from.
Address: Arkadon 8 and Kallisthenous 85, on Merkouri Square, Ano Petralona. Phone +302103477961.
Gastronomos (28 Aug 2026) says the bill usually stays within 15 to 20 euros a person.
Google Maps See it on the site Review this place
Sources (9)
- Gastronomos: 10 μεζεδοπωλεία στην Αθήνα, read 4 Oct 2026
- Gastronomos: Ραντεβού, μη χάσετε το φαλάφελ του, read 4 Oct 2026
- Athens Magazine: «Ραντεβού» στα Πετράλωνα, read 4 Oct 2026
- vrisko.gr: ΡΑΝΤΕΒΟΥ, read 4 Oct 2026
- xo.gr: ΡΑΝΤΕΒΟΥ, read 4 Oct 2026
- food.gr: Ραντεβού, read 4 Oct 2026
- This is Athens: Athens off the Beaten Track, read 4 Oct 2026
- Gastronomos: Ραντεβού (hours line), read 4 Oct 2026
- spottedbylocals.com, read 4 Oct 2026
More picks on the way
Deniz is writing more picks, and this page is where they will go first. Editor note: this space is deliberately left for his own words; we will not fill it with anyone else’s.
Know a place he should try? Suggest a place for Heart Picks. Suggestions are read, never published as picks unless Deniz goes and agrees.
Looking for more? Browse restaurants, tavernas, bars and cafes, each with the guides that recommend them.