10 Athens meat-destinations to sate your carnivorous impulses

Carnicero

This butcher and deli with several locations around Athens takes its meat, and everything that goes with it, very seriously indeed. When it comes to carnivorous feasts, they definitely make the cut. Carnicero is a high-end butchery and delicatessen brand with several shops in and around Athens that takes responsible carnivorousness very seriously. The meat is responsibly sourced and they clearly differentiate between local and global products, meaning they support Greek agriculture while offering a range of products that are renowned for their quality. You can buy Japanese wagyu in a range of cuts although, as per usual with wagyu, you will need to bring your mortgage documents with you to afford it. They sell excellent cuts of Scottish Angus alongside American and Australian examples. The butchers that work the counter are well versed in the product and happy to chat through your picky requests. Carnicero has a well-stocked cheese counter and also carries tantalising little relish jars and bottles, as well as a small but well curated wine and beer selection. 

Manari

At Manari, Aris Vezene puts Greek livestock and the farmers behind them in the spotlight, championing local flavors with unflinching authenticity. With a stripped-back yet soulful aesthetic, the menu reads like a love letter to carnivores. Vezene’s latest culinary venture in Ag. Theodoron Square isn’t just a restaurant; it’s a manifesto for Greek meat, a celebration of the “nose-to-tail” ethos where every cut of the animal is treated with reverence.  Our menu heroes definitely include the velvety veal liver drizzled with vinegar, lamb kebab – spiced to perfection, and served with pillowy homemade pita and comforting pasta simmered in rich meat broth.

Drakoulis Dry & Raw

You’ll struggle to find a mediocre plate at this passion project of master butcher Stratos Drakoulis who set up an impressive wine cellar and chic dining space underneath his hip and happening meat boutique in the Voula high street and later opened his downtown restaurant in chic Kolonaki square.  Prepare to fall hard for the carpaccio, the tomahawk aged rib, the deconstructed gyro or chorizo sausages.

Farma Bralou Steak Bar

A farm-to-fork set-up where you can savour expertly-aged cuts (some for as long as 120 days) of premium cattle like Greek Angus Purebred, Limousin and Charolais. Take your pick from their top-drawer carnivorous stash and have it expertly-cooked at more or less the same price as they sell it at their Bralou Farm butcher in the same street. Not a big fan of the red flesh? Bralou also serves “exotic” poultry such as pheasant, partridges and quails.

OX Chop House

As the name suggests, OX Chop House, is a meat lovers dream but the elegant decor, quality produce and wood fired oven mean that anyone can enjoy themselves there. Located near the old Hilton, the design is contemporary and upscale, but wallet-friendly. While obviously designed for carnivores, OX Chop House acknowledges that not all jaws are created equal and there is much for the non meat eater to enjoy. A large selection of salads and vegetables can make a meal on their own or compliment what’s coming off the grill and the restaurant uses its wood fired oven for good and well as evil with burnt vegetables, and greens with eggs being cooked under the wood flame. Things get serious with the meat with excellent versions of the traditional Kokoretsi and kontsosouvli done on the spit. There are a range of charcoal grilled cuts of meat for one, two or more. A pork tomahawk, an increasingly popular cut with good reason, is perfectly cooked with tendered meat and the burnt crust that aficionados demand.  If you are spoiling yourself and others, go for a kilo plus of beef t-bone. Given that a similar dish can cost over £400 in London from a certain celebrity salt drizzler, getting this quality of meat, cooked to perfection, for well under 100 euros is value for money. 

Gidi

Here’s your chance to depart from standard grillhouse fare at this attractive new-generation BBQ house in Northern Athens where Chef Vasilis Akrivos dazzles with more than just good steak. Case in point, the lamb liver with oregano or the delicious “makarounes” pasta with meat broth.

Base Grill Athens

Base Grill’s famous black pork and beef sausages (the black pig is bred on a small farm – the only certified black pig breeder in Greece) and the enormous Picanha rump cap cut which can feed a whole family!

Beefbar

In a country celebrated for its culinary heritage, this restaurant takes premium dining to the next level.  One of the rare establishments in Greece offering certified Kobe beef, the menu here is equal parts artistry and indulgence. The showstopper? The signature Wagyu carpaccio—a masterclass in flavour and finesse. Paper-thin slices of richly marbled beef melt on the tongue, with a Mediterranean-Middle Eastern twist courtesy of a zesty, herby tabbouleh sauce. We’d also recommend the Mini Big K—a trio of Kobe beef sliders with each miniature masterpiece offering a distinct twist, pairing the succulent meat with sauces that range from the house’s secret blend to earthy truffle and bold chimichurri. And for that irresistible combo of dirty street food elevated to fine-dining status, try the Kobe gyro – wafer thin Kobe beef slices ensconced in pita, creamy tahini, fresh tomato, and onion. Deeply satisfying. For a decadent meal order the Tomahawk steak, a whopping one and a half kilos of expertly grilled Wagyu beef, well worth the splurge!

Telemachos Art Grill

George and Kostas Tsilingiris’s updated meat-focused venture in Kifisia is a sophisticated grill house with an urban aesthetic (and a kick-ass wine cellar at the back!). For downtowners, their outpost tucked away in a stoa has long been a meating place for We recommend the hillbilly goat in a pot with linguini and the lamb carpaccio.

Vezene

At Vezene’s eponymous Ilisia eatery, the menu heroes are short rib steak, truffle fries and oh-so-juicy mini-burgers rule at this ever-popular and easy-going downtown eaterie. You’re welcome!

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