Funky Gourmet

Funky Gourmet is among the most formally ambitious restaurants in southern Europe — and in a city not previously associated with molecular gastronomy, its two Michelin stars represent something of a statement of intent. Chefs Georgianna Hiliadaki and Nikos Roussos created a restaurant in Keramikos that treats Greek culinary tradition as a library to be explored rather than a set of rules to be followed, and the result is consistently mind-expanding.

The tasting menu — typically fourteen courses — is constructed as a narrative about Greek food culture, each dish taking a familiar ingredient or preparation and repositioning it through technique. A souvlaki arrives deconstructed into its component elements, then reassembled in a different sequence; taramasalata is transformed into a foam served over a crisp of dehydrated roe; the honey of Hymettus appears in seventeen different preparations across a dessert course that functions as a study in a single ingredient's range.

The room is dramatic without being theatrical: a Keramikos townhouse with high ceilings, stone walls, and a lighting design that tracks the meal's emotional arc from the bright curiosity of the amuse-bouches to the intimate warmth of the dessert sequence. The brigade is large relative to covers — fourteen courses require a team — and the precision with which each plate arrives and is described is exceptional.

The wine programme is among Athens' finest: a cellar heavy in aged Assyrtiko, Nemea Agiorgitiko from serious producers, and rare Greek island wines that rarely appear outside their place of production. International pairings include Burgundy, Champagne, and Riesling selected to complement the menu's tonal shifts.

Impress Clients: The two stars, the theatrical presentation, and the fact that almost no one expects this level of cooking from Athens creates a memorable evening that gives the person you're impressing a story to tell. The room also handles business conversation well between courses.