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The economic crisis that began in 2009 was a sharp shock.
In recent years, however, the Greek capital has undergone a clear change which the Guardian referred to as a “gastronomic renaissance”. “This isn’t just nostalgia or a return to tradition,” she told The Guardian. Doriti celebrated this “honest and rooted cooking” in her books Salt of the Earth and The Greek Islands Cookbook.
If one visited Athens purely for its food, it would once have raised eyebrows. Unlike Italy, Spain or Turkey, Greece lacked the historical wealth and aristocratic kitchens that shaped refined national cuisines. Tourists often endured dry moussaka before rushing to the Acropolis and then an island. Chefs are rethinking Greece’s exceptional ingredients, visitors are arriving in milder seasons, and neighbourhoods beyond the usual tourist zones are revealing a more confident and varied food culture. Athens has long offered the pleasure of eating outdoors by the sea in summer or in winter sunshine on city streets. What has changed is the way local cooks and diners treat the country’s ingredients. Scented, sun-ripened tomatoes, barrel-aged feta and outstanding olive oil are being used with greater care and imagination. They find rewarding places in quieter neighbourhoods such as Petralona, Keramikos and the more alternative Kypseli. At the same time, the city has gained restaurants serving food from Asia, Africa, the Balkans and the Middle East, adding further range to everyday eating. Unemployment and hardship followed, along with the arrival of refugees and migrants. Many who stayed reassessed their lives. Some returned to live with older relatives or moved to family villages. Olive groves and vineyards received new attention, and organic farming was discussed more seriously. Alongside a surprising flourishing of the arts, a group of Greek food lovers began examining habits that had once been taken for granted: eating seasonally, shopping at farmers’ markets, and sourcing ingredients closer to home. The Covid period gave the shift a final push. Chef and writer Carolina Doriti has described the change clearly. “It’s a new confidence in Greek cuisine, where tradition has become something alive that we can build on, rather than something fixed in the past. For this style of excellent but unpretentious food she recommends restaurants such as Lesvion in the Galatsi neighbourhood and Athos in Votanikos.