Restaurant in Athens, Greece
Michelin-recognised, à la carte, easier than expected.
Gallina earned back-to-back Michelin Plates in 2024 and 2025, less than two years after opening near the Acropolis. The à la carte menu takes a French bistro approach at €€€€ pricing, and reservations are easier to secure than the recognition implies. For a Michelin-recognised meal in central Athens without the booking stress, this is a sound choice.
Gallina opened in late 2023 and earned a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, which means it has cleared the quality bar faster than most new arrivals on the Athens fine dining scene. Given the €€€€ price point and the Michelin recognition, you might expect a weeks-long booking wait. You don't. Reservations at Gallina are relatively easy to secure, which makes the value calculation direct: this is one of the more accessible entry points into Michelin-recognised dining in Athens right now. If you're visiting and want a serious meal without the booking anxiety that comes with, say, Spondi, put Gallina near the leading of your list.
Gallina sits on Markos Mpotsaris Street in Koukaki, a neighbourhood south of the Acropolis and a short walk from the monument itself. The address puts it firmly in central Athens, close enough to the main tourist corridor to be convenient, but the street-level setting is quieter than you might anticipate. The room leans visual: the interior carries the kind of considered, spare aesthetic that signals intention without trying too hard. For the explorer who reads a restaurant's room as part of the experience, Gallina gives you something to look at before the food arrives.
The à la carte menu operates in a French bistro register, overseen by a Michelin-starred chef. That framing matters for managing expectations: this is not a tasting-menu-only destination in the style of Frantzén in Stockholm or Maison Lameloise in Chagny, where the kitchen dictates a fixed progression from first course to last. At Gallina, you compose your own meal from the menu, which suits diners who want the latitude to eat three courses or five without committing to a long, sequenced tasting format. The French bistro foundation gives the kitchen a clear grammar, and the Michelin Plate signals the committee found the execution consistent enough to recognise twice in successive years.
For the food-focused traveller who comes to Athens looking for depth rather than just a pleasant dinner, this positioning is interesting. Athens has a growing cluster of restaurants working at this level, including Hervé, Annie Fine Cooking, and see|ds. Gallina differentiates itself through the French bistro lens applied to its sourcing and technique, rather than the Greek-forward cooking identity you'll find at most of its peers. If you've already eaten your way through modern Greek at Patio or Delta (Creative), Gallina offers a different register for the same evening's ambition.
Because Gallina operates à la carte rather than as a tasting-menu-only format, the progression of the meal depends on choices you make at the table. That's a feature, not a limitation. The French bistro style implies dishes that are composed with clear technique and a logical sequence from lighter to richer, but you retain control over the arc. For the explorer who wants to understand a kitchen's range, the à la carte format rewards ordering widely across the menu rather than anchoring to the obvious safe choices. Three courses here tells you less about what the kitchen can do than four or five would.
Specific dishes are not confirmed in our data, and we won't fabricate them. What the Michelin Plate recognition does confirm is that the committee found enough consistency across the menu to warrant two successive years of recognition. That's useful evidence: Michelin Plates are awarded for good cooking, not just good ambition. The à la carte structure means the kitchen has to maintain that standard across a wider range of dishes than a tasting menu requires, which makes the double-recognition more meaningful than it might initially appear.
For context on what this price point delivers elsewhere in Greece: at comparable €€€€ venues like Koukoumavlos in Fira or Aktaion in Firostefani, the experience is shaped heavily by setting and occasion. Gallina's proposition is more purely about the plate, in a central Athens location without the dramatic Santorini backdrop. That's a fair trade if your priority is cooking quality over scenery. For a broader view of where Gallina fits across Greece's fine dining map, see our coverage of Etrusco in Kato Korakiana, Almiriki in Mykonos, and Avaton Luxury Beach Resort in Halkidiki.
Gallina holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025, awarded within its first two years of operation. On Google, it carries a 4.1 from 296 reviews, which is a reasonable score at this price tier and suggests the general dining public finds the experience defensible, even if the food skews more demanding than a casual meal. The gap between a 4.1 Google score and Michelin recognition is not unusual: Michelin rewards kitchen technique; general review scores weight service consistency, value perception, and accessibility. Both data points together suggest a kitchen punching at a high level in a room that may not always nail every element of the broader experience.
Booking is easier here than the Michelin recognition might suggest. You do not need to plan weeks in advance. That said, if you're visiting Athens during peak summer months or over a holiday weekend, securing a table a week out is sensible. The Koukaki location is walkable from the Acropolis area and well-connected to the central hotel zone, which makes logistics simple. Hours and phone contact are not confirmed in our data; check current availability directly through the restaurant's booking channels before you visit. For a complete picture of where to eat, drink, and stay around your visit, see our full Athens restaurants guide, our full Athens hotels guide, our full Athens bars guide, our full Athens wineries guide, and our full Athens experiences guide. If you're extending your trip across the islands, Myconian Ambassador Thalasso Spa in Platis Gialos is worth considering for a comparable dining tier.
Yes, Gallina's à la carte format works well for solo diners. You can order as many or as few courses as you want without the pressure of a set tasting menu commitment. At €€€€ pricing, the per-head cost is high, but the flexibility to control the spend is useful. If solo dining at this tier feels like a lot, Aleria at €€€ delivers a comparable Athens fine dining experience at a lower price point.
Gallina operates à la carte in a French bistro style, so it doesn't follow the fixed tasting menu format common at Athens peers like Spondi. Come with an appetite to order across the menu rather than anchoring to two courses. The Michelin Plate recognition (2024 and 2025) means the kitchen's technique is verified, but the 4.1 Google score suggests the overall experience occasionally falls short of the food's ambition. Book in advance during peak season, but don't stress: this is one of the easier Michelin-recognised tables to secure in Athens.
At €€€€, Gallina is positioned at Athens' leading price tier. The double Michelin Plate recognition confirms the cooking justifies the spend for diners who prioritise technical quality. Compare to Hytra at €€€, which delivers strong modern Greek at a lower price point. If French bistro technique in a central Athens setting is your priority, Gallina earns its price. If you're flexible on cuisine style and want more value, Hytra is the stronger proposition.
Group dining at Gallina is plausible given the à la carte format, which gives larger tables the flexibility to order differently. Specific private dining or large group capacity isn't confirmed in our data. For groups at €€€€, contacting the restaurant directly to discuss setup is advisable. If a dedicated private dining experience is important, Botrini's is worth enquiring about as an alternative at the same price tier.
For modern Greek at a lower price: Hytra (€€€) and Aleria (€€€) both deliver without the €€€€ commitment. For a French-inflected fine dining experience at the same tier, Spondi is the benchmark: two Michelin stars to Gallina's Plate, and harder to book. For contemporary cooking with a view, Tudor Hall (€€€€) is worth considering. If your priority is Greece's top-end tasting menu experience, Spondi is the clear answer. If you want a good Michelin-recognised meal without the booking effort or Spondi's formality, Gallina wins on accessibility.
Gallina does not operate as a tasting-menu-only restaurant. The menu is à la carte in a French bistro style. If a structured tasting menu progression is what you're after in Athens, Spondi or Botrini's are better fits. At Gallina, the value is in the freedom to build your own meal at a Michelin-recognised standard.
Yes, the combination of Michelin Plate recognition, €€€€ pricing, and a considered room makes Gallina a credible choice for a celebratory dinner. It works better for occasions where the meal itself is the focus rather than a dramatic setting. For a special occasion with more theatrical backdrop, a destination restaurant like Aktaion in Firostefani or Koukoumavlos in Fira would add visual drama. In Athens itself, Gallina is a strong option for a serious dinner that doesn't require a long booking runway.
Specific dishes are not confirmed in our data and we won't speculate. The French bistro framework suggests a menu built around classical technique applied to quality produce. The advice here is practical: order widely. At a Michelin Plate restaurant operating à la carte, ordering three or more courses gives you a better read on the kitchen's range and makes the €€€€ spend feel proportionate. Ask the team for current recommendations when you arrive.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallina | Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Easy |
| Botrini's | Contemporary Greek, Mediterranean Cuisine | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Hytra | Modern Greek, Modern Cuisine | €€€ | Unknown |
| Spondi | Contemporary Greek, French | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Tudor Hall | Contemporary | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Aleria | Greek | €€€ | Unknown |
A quick look at how Gallina measures up.
Yes. The à la carte format works well for solo diners — you order at your own pace and there is no fixed tasting-menu commitment. A Michelin Plate restaurant in Koukaki that does not require a prix-fixe buy-in is a practical solo option in Athens.
Gallina opened in late 2023 and holds a Michelin Plate for both 2024 and 2025, which is a fast credentialing timeline for a new restaurant. It runs à la carte with a French bistro orientation, so come with an appetite for composed, technique-driven plates rather than a single showpiece tasting progression. Booking is easier than the Michelin recognition suggests, but reserve ahead during peak Athens tourist season.
At €€€€, it sits at the top of Athens pricing, and the Michelin Plate recognition across two consecutive years suggests the kitchen is delivering at that level consistently. The à la carte format gives you some control over the final bill, which is an advantage over fixed tasting menus at the same price tier. If you are spending at this level in Athens, the credentials here are solid.
Nothing in the available venue data confirms private dining or group-specific arrangements, so contact Gallina directly at the Markos Mpotsaris Street address before assuming a large table is straightforward. For groups of six or more at €€€€ pricing, confirming availability and format in advance is advisable regardless.
Spondi is the reference point for high-end French technique in Athens with longer Michelin history. Hytra offers a more contemporary Greek approach at a similar price tier. Botrini's leans toward Mediterranean fine dining with its own awards pedigree. Gallina is the newest of the group and the one to choose if you want Michelin-recognised quality without committing to a tasting menu format.
Gallina operates à la carte, not as a tasting-menu venue. If a structured multi-course tasting format is what you are after, Spondi or Hytra are better fits. Gallina's format gives you flexibility that fixed menus do not.
Yes, with the right expectations. Two consecutive Michelin Plates, a location a short walk from the Acropolis, and €€€€ pricing position it as a credible special-occasion choice in Athens. It is not a theatrical tasting-menu experience, so if the occasion calls for a long, structured progression, look at Spondi instead. For a dinner that feels considered without being ceremonially rigid, Gallina works.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
