The best restaurants in Athens and Naxos for vegetarians on a budget 2025 Favorites
I spent a week in Greece in May 2025, crisscrossing the Athens metroplex and Naxos. While all the restaurants I stopped at were pretty good, some of them had an extra-special something that set them apart from the crowd.
As a broke American vegetarian, before the trip I had some questions on my mind that I would’ve appreciated the answers to, so I’ll go through those real quick, then let’s get into my favorite restaurants!
Did I have trouble finding vegetarian food?
No! Every single restaurant I visited had at least one vegetarian option, and plenty of places had vegan options as well.
Was the food expensive?
Generally, no! However, you will pay more for table service and dinner. If your budget is tight, I’d recommend sticking to casual places for dinner.
Was it hard to figure out what to order without speaking Greek?
No! Most places had menus available in English, and in the places that didn’t, the staff were able to help us decide. However, knowledge of some basic words will definitely help you out. I felt so silly on the first day when I asked if a cafe sold any cold drinks, only to be politely informed that “freddo” (half their menu) means cold! (In Italian, granted.)
Culture shocks?
Almost all the coffee shops we visited didn’t have lattes on the menu! My preferred drink order, nowhere! And the one time I did manage to order a latte off the menu, it was a cappuccino in disguise. Well, my first love is tea anyway, so the next time I’m in Greece I’m resolved to make an effort to visit some tea shops. If you guys know any good tea shops, please drop your recs in the comments below, it’d be much appreciated! 😊
Onto the restaurants!
Athens/Piraeus
Cat Cafe Athens
Address: Nileos 54, Athina 118 51, Greece
Info: https://catcafe.gr/
What I ordered: Golden milk chai latte, vegan banana bread (farther away from the camera, shout-out to my friend for thinking to take a picture of the food!)
Highlights: Vegan options, cats everywhere that ranged from very sleepy to very mischievous, silly cat-themed decor, and charismatic staff members. Walking distance from the Acropolis/Agora, but a little off the beaten path, in a nice quiet neighborhood. The perfect place to relax after climbing up and down Acropolis Hill. If you love cats – and want to support cat rescues – there’s no excuse, you gotta stop in!
Kaloupi
Address: Nikita 18, Pireas 185 31, Greece
Info: https://www.instagram.com/kaloupi_cafe/
What I ordered: Cheese pie
Highlights: The employees were very kind to us, walking us through the different pastries in the case, and both our picks were super fresh, hot, and satisfying. A little hole in the wall next to a supermarket, definitely recommend stopping in to grab brunch after your grocery shopping trip.
Street Souvlaki
Address: Sotiros Dios 37, Pireas 185 35, Greece
Info: https://streetsouvlaki.gr/en
What I ordered: Grilled vegetable pita wrap (sauce in the side)
Highlights: Open late, this is the perfect place to duck into on the way back to your hotel after a long day out. I got a big, satisfying wrap packed with grilled veggies, and the English menu was so cute, with tips on how to speak Greek and a map of the city! Don’t sleep on Piraeus, which has a more local feel than the heart of Athens but also feels very safe, with well-lit streets and people out and about into the wee hours. At just a metro ride away, consider checking it out!
Naxos
Goody’s Burger House (on Blue Star Ferries)
What I ordered: Vegan nugget meal (with fries)
Highlights: On a five-hour ferry ride, vegan nuggets and fries replenished my energy and scratched my itch for fast food. Good texture on the nuggets, and good seasoning on both the nuggets and fries. I work in a fast food restaurant part-time, so you could say I’m something of an expert, and this place gets my stamp of approval!
Caffe Greco
Address: Χαλκείο 843 02, Greece
Info: https://www.instagram.com/caffegreco_naxos/?hl=en
What I ordered: Homemade lemonade
Highlights: A friendly barista saved us from the heat with thirst-quenching homemade lemonade and let us charge our phones when we stopped in Chalki to figure out our hiking route. Absolutely delicious and chill place. Pretty sure we would’ve melted into the paving stones if it wasn’t for that dang lemonade.
Melimilon
Address: Naxos 843 00, Greece
Info: https://melimilon-naxos.gr/
What I ordered: Omelet, freddo cappuccino
Highlights: This place has a bazillion homemade jams! Sweet, spicy, salty, you name it! Combine that with the extensive breakfast and lunch menu, and you get a ton of interesting flavor combinations. I wish I could’ve stayed and tried everything on the menu. The outdoor seating and decor also had a pretty nature theme, make sure to have your cameras at the ready. 🌸
Naxos’ Bakery
Address: Σωκράτους Παπαβασιλείου, Ariadnis &, Naxos 843 00, Greece
Info: https://www.instagram.com/naxos_bakery/?hl=en
What I ordered: Gelato (pistachio and bueno), baklava, chocolate almond cluster
Highlights: The gelato and chocolate were good (not too sweet, generous portions), but what I really want to talk about is the baklava. This Greek baklava was nothing like what you can get in the U.S. It was like the platonic ideal of baklava. Nutty, flaky, a delicate sweetness…basically the farthest thing from the syrupy mess I typically picture. Trust me, you have to try it.
Yasouvlaki!
Address: Chora Naxos, 843 00, Greece
Info: https://www.instagram.com/yasouvlakinaxos/?hl=en
What I ordered: Quinoa salad
Highlights: Giant portion. I could’ve saved half for breakfast the next day, but it was really good, so why would I? Amazing flavor and freshness, with a good combination of textures. Heck, they cooked the quinoa on the spot! (A 15-min wait, but we’re on island time, baby.)
Honorable mention (My travel buddy’s pick)
The Locals
Address: Protopapadaki, Naxos 843 00, Greece
Info: https://thelocalsnaxos.com/
She ordered: Chicken quinoa salad
Highlights: A perfect balance of veggies, carbs, and protein. Delicious and nutritious. Got any athletes traveling with you?
