A trip to Greece without mentioning where to eat seems wrong on all levels, so we won't commit that faux pas. We have broken out some hotels, restaurants, bars and places that we have visited in the links below for easy perusal!
Places to Stay:
Athens - Coco Mat is a super popular hotel chain in Greece! We stayed at the Coco Mat Athens BC and if you are planning a night or two in the city, this hotel was perfectly situated just blocks from the Acropolis, Acropolis Museum and Plaka. The rooms are small, but very comfortable. Fun fact - the owners originally owned a mattress brand that became so popular they started opening hotels!
Mainland - If you decided to travel to Meteora you can stay in the main town of Kalabaka, however there is an amazing little hotel called Hotel Doupiani. It includes an amazing breakfast and most rooms have a view of the monasteries which are breathtaking. In Nafplio, we stayed at the Grand Sarai, which was perfectly situated to walk into town, and our room even had a lovely sea view.
Riviera - While we are clearly staying at the Athenian Riviera Hotel, we did do a lot of research prior to the wedding on local accommodations. As mentioned, there are a number of lovely hotels in the Vouliagmeni area, including The Roc Club, The Margi, and of course the famous Four Seasons Astir Palace. Closer to Glyfada (the main shopping town between Athens and Vouliagmeni) there are also a number of hotels including The Ace, The One and Only Aethesis and the SeaView Hotel. Further down the coast there are some beautiful beach focused hotels such as the Lagonisi Grand Resort, Vincci Ever Eden and the Cape Sunio Grecotel located by the famous Temple of Poseidon.
The Islands - There are tons of hotel options on the islands, we recommend finding what works best for you!
Places to Eat and Drink:
Vouliagmeni and Near By -
Akti - Upscale, sunset views, delicious food
Sardelaki Me Thea - Traditional, yummy, more sunsets
Tokyo Joe - Sushi
The Moorings - Another sunset option that came highly recommended
Ark - A fun spot for a sunset cocktail or dinner
SeaSatin - Newly opened, but has a reputation for being a whole lotta fun
Athens -
MS Rooftop Garden - A lovely spot for a cocktail overlooking the Acropolis
Little Kook - Stop for the decor, have a dessert because why not?
GB Roof Garden - Has been recommended to us as a great dinner spot!
Milos -
Mavros Xoiros - One of our favorite meals on our entire trip
Verina - For a sunset or to-go cocktail
ORYHIO - For drinks
O! Hamos! - Must stop place. Hand written menus, wonderful food and magical atmosphere
Yankos - See the picture of Joe eating a Gyro. That is all.
Mikros Apoplous - Whole fish catch of the day, sitting on the water...just perfect.
Sirocco at Paliochori Beach - Delicious food and a fabulous beach to boot
Paros -
Daverona - great for something a little different, less traditional. Lovely service.
Kosmos - A little cocktail bar in the heart of the old port (Naousa)
Kakao - Perfect spot for sunset in the main port
Pirate Bar - 'Nough Said
Taverna Alexandros - For a more traditional meal on the water
Monastiri Beach - Awesome beach club with yummy food and lounge chairs for rent
Moraitis Winery - Local winery with a wide variety of nice wines to try
Santorini-
Dimitris Ammoudi - A classic Ammoudi restaurant, hanging octopus, sitting on the water, all around great
Throubi - For a splurgy, michelin type experience, sunset views at the spectacular Andronis Concept Hotel
Anogi - BEST meal we ate in Santorini, absolutely felt like somewhere the locals go, the food was amazing, and the service team was so so so nice
White Lounge - Food was good, but mostly you hit this type of spot for the sunset views
Artemis Winery - If you visit no other winery....make this the one you visit
Santo Winery - Very commercial, but will ship your wine to you, huge selection and nice restaurant
Sigalas Winery - Yes, another winery, but this one is so close to the sea you can taste in in the wine, worth the visit
Things to Do:
Mainland - Beyond our visit to the spectacular Monasteries of Meteora, we loved our road trip to the town of Nafplio and super cool historical sites in the area. On our way from Meteora to Nafplio, we visited the hot gates where Leonidas took his final stand with the 300,. Separately, we visited Mystras, the home of the Spartans and one of my favorite sites we saw. We also visited the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus(where Riley was deeply scolded for testing the acoustics), Mycenae which is strongly connected to Homer's Epics, and visited orange groves and a winery in Nemea (yep, like the Nemean Lion). All of these were fantastic to see, but we equally enjoyed strolling the streets of Nafplio, eating and shopping.
Athens - Obviously, Athens is a historical city with more things to do and see than one could even guess! Of course, seeing the Acropolis and many other ancient sites is a must, however, we highly encourage a trip to the Acropolis Museum. It houses amazing art, and provides so much texture to visiting the actual site. Beyond the Acroplis, you can wander the old town (Plaka), see the changing of the guards at Parliament and there are many walking / food tours available as well.
The Riviera - The most famous thing to see down the coast of the Athenian Riviera is the Temple of Poseidon. You can reach this site by short drive, but there are many boat tours that also offer amazing views from the sea. Along the coast there are plenty of towns and fish taverns to visit as well.
Milos - A truly magical little Island... We recommend visiting Sarakiniko Beach which looks like the face of the moon, taking a boat trip around the island to kleftiko and enjoying a sunset in Plaka at the Church of Panagia Korfiatissa - there's even a little to go cocktail bar called Verina where you can grab a cocktail to enjoy with your perfect sunset view.
Paros - Paros and its sister island Antiparos offer so many wonderful things to do and see. From ample beaches, to hiking in paros park and exploring the old port of Naousa the island is truly bustling. A short ferry ride to Antiparos takes you to another lovely island filled with windmills, beautiful beaches and maybe even a Tom Hanks sighting...
Santorini - One of the most famous islands in Greece, and it's not surprising. While there are of course ample beaches, but we enjoyed seeing Akrotiri and exploring the islands spectacular wineries. Our favorite was a small winery called Artemis, and it was an absolutely can't miss! Seeing the blue domes of Oia is of course a highlight, but there are so many other things to see as well.