Esthio Athens

The service here is great. Every dish is carefully explained by smiling waiters with excellent English. Food prices are not outrageous. Had the Fish roe salad which isn't a salad as Anglo Saxons would valley it. It's taramasalata without the pink dye added, that you get in England and Australia. It was served with top quality sourdough. They also included 6 olives and a spicy cheese spread (complimentary). We had the goat and the octopus stew which is served in a pie. I found the octopus a bit dry. The goat was very tender. The desserts were placed on a tray and we chose the chocolate panache which was delightful.

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!

Not great for vegetarians. Stopped by here because I wanted local food and everything around looked like a tourist trap. This seemed like it had a chance of at least being worthwhile. I tried the bread, tzatziki, tomato salad, spinach salad, pasta with mushrooms, and the grape must pudding dessert. The bread with ajvar (red pepper spread) and the dessert were the best part of the meal. Both were flavorful, had great textures, and were well executed. The tzatziki was just ok—we had better in less fancy spots. The tomato salad was nicely plated and generally tasty, but nothing exceptional. The spinach salad was WAY overdressed. Picture mouthfuls of soggy spinach with the cloying taste of too much salad dressing. However, the true tragedy of the meal was the pasta. It was one of the worst pasta dishes I’ve ever had. I thought only airplanes could mess up pasta this badly. The noodle texture was excellent, but the sauce was a disgustingly greasy, flavorless concoction that just left your mouth feeling oily and wondering why you could taste nothing but perhaps a hint of pepper in there. The decorative herbs on top of the pasta were the best part of the dish. Ironically it was also the most expensive part of the meal. And sadly of you’re vegetarian this is your only option for a main, despite how vegetarian-friendly Greek food is. Also, the cutlery was almost comically oversized for the dishes you get. It felt like eating with a pitchfork and shovel. One of those details you never notice until it’s so jarringly wrong. Service was very friendly and the place is pleasant. But it’s definitely a tourist trap and better to avoid.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.