Photo: Thomas Gravanis

Pies have been a street food staple in Athens for centuries. You’ll find pie shops all over town, selling everything from creamy cheese pies to delicious custard pastries.

By Carolina Doriti

Ariston

Photo: Eleni Veziri

Photo: Eleni Veziri

Fillo

Marie & Antoinette

Photo: Thomas Gravanis

Photo: Thomas Gravanis

Cocona

Dimitra Gounaridi

This family business has been turning out pies since 1945. Tasos Gounaridis, a Greek from Asia Minor, arrived in Athens with his mother and sisters when he was eight. Times were tough and he started up rolling out filo in a basement in Nea Ionia, a suburb of Athens with a large community of refugees from Asia Minor. After he married his wife, Dimitra, turnover at their filo workshop really picked up: Dimitra’s triangular cheese pies soon became legendary. The business is now run by their sons, Giorgos and Thanassis. Giorgos, the baker, specialises in pites tapsiou, filo pies cooked in a large baking tray—and of course their famous triangle cheese pies which are fried but not at all greasy. If you want to try your hand at making your own Greek pies, they also sell freshly made filo matsovergas (named after the matsoverga, the long wooden stick traditionally used to roll out filo pastries). Do try their marmalades and preserves, too.

"If you want to try your hand at making your own Greek pies, they also sell freshly made filo."

"The kaseri cheese pie with tomato is fantastic and the chicken and pepper pie is also a winner. They also make batzina, a cheese and vegetable pie from Thessaly that is made without filo and has the consistency of cake."

Oi Pites tis Sophias

Photo: Thomas Gravanis

Harry’s Kitchen

Pites Tis Yiayias Evridikis

The name of this place, way out in the residential suburb of Vrilissia, translates as “the pies of granny Evridiki”. All the recipes are inspired by Evridiki, the mother of the owner, Dimitra Kougianou. Every day, you can watch Dimitra and her son, Vaios Rousopoulos, rolling out and filling at least 12 different kinds of pies in the open kitchen of their pie workshop. The seasonal ingredients are sourced locally, apart from the cheeses, which come from Vitina, a village in Arcadia. Dimitra sticks to classic Greek pie recipes, with a few little twists. Her spinach and feta pie is stick shaped, and her cheese pie is made with a mix of four different cheeses. If you’re staying somewhere with a kitchen, be sure to buy some skaltsounia—small Cretan pies, filled with creamy white cheese, ready to cook at home. Pan fry them until crisp and golden and then drizzle with honey—heaven!

Photo: Thomas Gravanis

Mam & Mam 2