If there was one upside to the pandemic lockdowns, foodies and busy people in Athens will tell you it was the increase in food takeaway and delivery options.

While the Greek capital has always been a city where you can get a variety of meals or coffee brought to your door, and grab street food all through the night, Covid regulations forced restaurants previously not on that scene, to offer takeaway or delivery in place of seated meals, or shut their doors. The result? Even the gourmet restaurants now wrap their food up.

According to a new study (link in French) aiming to rank the world’s best cities for business lunches, including takeaway, Athens is currently the third best city in Europe for a takeaway lunch, only behind Prague and Lisbon. Looking at the whole world, Hanoi takes first place and Phnom Penh fourth, placing Athens in fifth place. According to online food ordering company Just Eat, which conducted the research, the list was based on data documenting average food quality, service, and overall ratings of 4 million restaurants worldwide.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by The Black Salami Microbakery (@the_black_salami_microbakery)

Among other things, the research showed that the city boasts as many as 6.51 restaurants per 100.000 citizens offering takeout lunch (although considering the number of tavernas with limited online presence to base research on, we suspect there are more), and the best takeout service in Europe. In terms of taste, it was found to have the third most delicious takeout food in Europe.

The most famous of all Greek takeout foods is, of course, the souvlaki. A pita wrap containing grilled meat or gyros, veggies and sauce (and sometimes fries), it’s a simple dish for the masses, impossible not to love, and today there are plenty of alternative versions in Athens as well, including vegan and gourmet options. But that’s far from all there is.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ekiben (@ekibenathens)

Besides classic pizza and Chinese food, locals enjoy all kinds of exotic cuisine brought to their door – especially now. One example, popular sushi restaurant Sushimou, which prepares Japanese food with fresh Greek fish, launched “Sushi Lunchi” during the pandemic, selling sushi bowls in takeout boxes. Neighboring posh yakitori bar Birdman went a similar route with “Ekiben,” cooking food inspired by Japanese train bento and one of the city’s best smash burgers. Traditional takeout foods like sandwiches became a canvas on which to experiment, with businesses like micro-bakery The Black Salami putting only the best ingredients on their sourdough bread. Others, when forced to put their food in boxes, went more out of the box than ever. The teams of renowned Nolan and Preveleggios spent the lockdowns preparing Do It Yourself packages containing half-prepared meals with gourmet ingredients and cooking instructions, while newcomer Madame Fraise became the city’s first “ghost” patisserie.

For those who still prefer a classic souvlaki, this list contains some of our favorite places to order from. Here you’ll find excellent options for late-night meals, and this list contains great meat-free options.

Picnicking in Central Athens

“Try a Mediterranean food delivery in Athens to kick start your business lunch. Pack this tasty food and head to Filopappou Hill where you can gaze at a magnificent 360° view of the city,” the report from the study suggests.

The other hills of Athens are great for picnicking too (read about them here), and we often find ourselves with our takeout bags on the low wall running along Areopagitou street, or in the National Garden.