Esthio Athens

Restaurant · Veikou ·

Esthio Athens

Restaurant · Veikou ·

Balkan-inspired cuisine: lamb sweetbreads, octopus stew, Moussaka

Information

Dimitrakopoulou 7, Athina 117 42, Greece Get directions

@michelinguide

48,244 Postcards · 8,023 Cities

The MICHELIN Guide Athens 2024 is Announced

"One of the four new Recommended restaurants, Esthiō impressed the MICHELIN Inspectors with its high level of cuisine." - The MICHELIN Guide

https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/michelin-guide-ceremony/michelin-guide-athens-2024-is-out

Esthio Athens

@michelinguide

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"This restaurant, the name of which translates as “eat and treat” in Ancient Greek, occupies a charming neo-Classical building dating back to 1931 close to the heart of the city. Here, Albanian-born chef Elvi Dimitris Zyba curates Balkan-inspired cuisine which offers a fusion between different cultures and combines the traditional with the contemporary. His cooking takes its inspiration from recipes that his mother used to prepare when he was a child to which he adds a more sophisticated and refined touch. Examples include the traditional “Giaourtotavas”, made with lamb sweetbreads, yoghurt and rice, and various seafood-based options, such as the Octopus stew, wrapped in handmade filo pastry with a sublime salmon roe cream. Desserts also have a Balkan touch, such as the Grape juice cream served with grape must cookies." - Michelin Inspector

https://guide.michelin.com/en/attica/athens/restaurant/esthio

Esthio Athens

Cara T.

Google

We had the loveliest meal here. The Moussaka was the best we had on our trip, filled with such beautiful flavors, our eyes were rolling back every bite! The beef cheek was also such a cozy dish! The goat was rather interesting, we’ve never had goat outside of an Indian cuisine and decided to try it, the flavors were rather complex and it was a fun experience trying goat in this way! All around we had a wonderful evening at Esthio and will certainly be coming back when we’re back in Athens!

Super M.

Google

This restaurant has an open kitchen, you can see how the food is prepared. Overall, amazing food, really delicious. The beet root salad itself did not have enough beet root, mostly leafes. The ajvar, the dip and the bread, more than very good. The spaghettini was made al dente, it said homemade pasta, i am not sure if the spaghettini were supposed to be the homemade pasta, as they looked dried (manufactured). The service was also very ambitious. At the end we had one bottle of wine instead of a glass of wine on the bill - which gave a bad vibe. Double checking might not be common in greece, but at a bill of over 100 euro for two people might be considered necessary.

Elizabeth H.

Google

Great service, they know the dish very well. Ordered a baked calamari as starter, octopus stew as main and a grape must as dessert. All dishes are well balanced, flavours are complex but not overly powerful. Shame that the wine list doesn’t have more wine offer as a glass or half a bottle, think they will be even better when pairing with drinks.

Zac P.

Google

An unforgettable meal in Athens! Esthio was hands-down the best dining experience we had during our stay in Athens. This cozy gem offers elevated Greek cuisine and is clearly aiming for its first Michelin star — and honestly, it deserves it. The service was exceptional. Both of our servers were warm and attentive, especially the assistant server (we believe her name was Elena), who went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and taken care of. The food was simply outstanding. I had the orzo with shrimp, and my partner had the goat—both beautifully prepared and bursting with flavor. The fresh bread, olive oil, and tzatziki were so good we ordered extra. We also enjoyed drinks with our meal, and everything paired perfectly. Though it’s tucked away off the beaten path, Esthio is absolutely worth the visit. It felt like dining in someone’s elegant home—intimate, peaceful, and truly special. Don’t miss this place if you’re visiting Athens.

Allison H.

Google

Best meal of our 3 week trip! Im vegetarian, my partner is not. Delicious and unique take on all our dishes. Wonderful service. Reasonable pricing. In addition to our photos we had the tomato salad- delicious

Andrey K.

Google

Fantastic place! We had an amazing dinner. We tried several dishes, baked calamari, homemade sausage, chicken stuffed with calamari and lamb sweetbreads. All were very delicious, each next dish was better than the previous one. Our highlight of the evening was lamb sweetbreads, the balance of sweetbreads with the tart, creamy risotto way amazing. On top of amazing food, the service was very welcoming and friendly.

Lingmei L.

Google

The upscale yet casual ambiance made a very good first impression. Love the sweet and attentive manners of the waitress. The little spreads are quite tasty. The sourdough bread was worth mentioning for its texture and complexity, if I recall correctly it’s made of white, wheat and semolina flours. The beef cheeks are expertly prepared with classic french culinary techniques, worked beautifully with the celeriac purée. The highlight I must say was the red mullet- fresh, sophisticated and super chic presentation. I loved it! The choice of wine by the glasses was however limited. The one I picked was just okay. But overall we enjoyed the dinner very much.

Dirk R.

Google

The Michelin Guide features Esthio Athens as one of the very noteworthy places to dine in the city. So we decided to give it a test. The restaurant is situated below the Akropolis but in one of the quieter side streets. I should mention the very professional and attentive staff. We had the fish roe salad and beef tartar as starters, the octopus-filled chicken for main dish, and cinnamon crumble as desert. All dishes came with a rather quick sequence so that we felt a bit rushed. After 45 minutes we already had finished. All dishes were of good quality but overall made a rather average sensation. Overall, a nice experience but nothing I would point out as a special restaurant to travel through the city for.