Where to Eat the Best Shabby Artisan Food in Athens? Diporto, Athens, Greece

Diporto, The Epitome of Athens’ local charm

This is not your typical restaurant, but a place where the day’s menu is a surprise. It’s a spot that exudes a shabby folk ambiance, making it a unique dining experience.

You either love this type of restaurant or you don’t like it at all—a restaurant without even a sign. It’s called Diporto, which means “two doors” in Greek. You go down the stairs under two wooden doors that open into the basement of an old building, and there is a restaurant that everyone describes as a hidden gem, but it is very famous and not hidden at all.

A minute’s walk from Pastiraci Karamanlidika, Diporto is an old-school Greek artisan restaurant. It has recently become quite a tourist attraction as it has been glorified on social media. Some say its history is 100 years old, others insist on 150 years. Of course, many people attribute all kinds of meanings to this restaurant because it is thought to be under the ground and mysterious.

But the restaurant reminds us of the underground restaurant of the late Kebapçı Enver Usta on Istiklal Street in Beyoglu many years ago. It is a restaurant without a signboard, and you have to enter the door with your head down. It bends and twists you. It makes you feel like Alice in Wonderland when you enter. It rewinds time and transports you to the 1940s. In short, it winks at your inner child.

When you go down the stairs and enter, there is a kitchen area on the left. All the food is cooked here. They have home-type ventilation, but more is needed for the space. There is a low ceiling, a sloppy floor, and old wine barrels…

You’ll smell like food!

Prepare for a unique dining experience at Diporto, where the aromas of hearty casserole dishes and sizzling grilled fish permeate the air. While not for everyone, the bustling atmosphere adds to the restaurant’s charm. Though not always the most optimistic, the staff are efficient and keep the place running smoothly.

There is no menu (there is, but there isn’t; who will bother with it!), and paper services are laid out when you sit at the table. Then, the fixed appetizers are left on your table without you asking. A plate of differently presented fava, a salad (topped with red onion, kalamata, and chopped green pepper, for example), and half a liter of homemade wine in a carafe. These are brought to your table whether you want them or not. For the main course, you have two choices. Fish or anything that is not fish! Since the menu changes daily, fish and non-fish are constantly evolving.

One day, it’s dried beans; another, it’s a potato dish, chickpeas, etc. No matter what, a loaf of thick-crusted sourdough bread. So you can dip it in the water from the food… Mis!

Therefore, calling this place a shabby, old-fashioned chef/craftsman restaurant would not be wrong.

A Symbol Restaurant for Athens

There’s nothing to say about the food. Whatever comes out is clean, beautiful, and delicious. It’s hearty, strong, and fresh.

As we say, you either love Diporto or don’t like it. But this is a symbolic restaurant for Athens.

If you are looking for a local and different experience rather than fine dining, if you like surprises, or if you want to go down the rabbit hole like Alice in Wonderland and meet the restaurant there, Diporto is for you!

So come on, Yamas!

Bon appetite.

Diporto
Sokratous 9 &, Theatrou, Athens 105 52, Greece
Phone: +302103211463