The weekend is always a nice excuse to beef up a breakfast and make it more like a brunch. And Athens, Greece, was never big on late breakfasts despite all the Mediterranean habits. It was only a few years ago when I first started noticing all-day cafés starting to feature eggs and pancakes on the weekend menu. Better late, than sorry.
Here are Athens’ top 5 brunch dishes and places!
1. Different Beast – new kid on the block as of Spring 2016, offering an alternative and healthy menu. Superfood salads and morning smoothies on top of some egg classics. Cosy but small space in the northern suburb of Kifisia – reservations a must!
Spinach salad with blackberries, pear and gorgonzola
Shakshuka eggs
2. Noel – retro and bohemian wanna-be all-day café, offering a rich brunch menu. Hearty scrambled eggs, fluffy pancakes and a delicious carbonara. Beautifully, busy and colorful space in the city centre, inside a historic arcade – make sure you get a reservation for the space inside (outdoors is first-come, first-serve)
Scrambled eggs with cherry tomatoes and mushrooms – served with crunch country-style potatoes
Vegetable sandwich with emental cheese
3. Common Secret – family-run all-day café, offering an interesting brunch menu on weekends. Hangover omelette, burger sliders and a spectacularly juicy Croque Madame. Homey decoration and service, located in the northern suburb of Nea Erythrea
Croque Madame served with a few slices of prociutto and green salad
Hangover omelette, heavy on the feta cheese
4. New Hotel – upscale hotel with a relaxing ambience and cosy interiors. All the brunch classics, nicely done. Try the rooftop bar which has great views to the Athens city centre
5. Penny Lane Comfort Food – recent addition in the brunch scene. Although the place and interiors don’t call for a special reason, its starters certainly do so!
Sliders filled with shredded mature cheddar cheese and minced meat
Grilled chicken
