O Thanasis

Founded in 1964 by two cousins from Ioannina, O Thanasis occupies a century-old former naval officer's house on Mitropoleos Street in Monastiraki and has stayed in the same family ever since. It specialises in a narrow, well-executed menu: grilled pork souvlaki and kebab wrapped in pita with tomato, onion and a sprinkle of sumac, with no fine-dining pretence. It has been ranked among the world's most storied restaurants by TasteAtlas and is regularly listed among Athens' oldest souvlaki houses, still serving the same simple order at outdoor tables just off Monastiraki Square.