Top 10 Souvlakia 2025: Greece, Cyprus, UK
Please note: while #10 - #3 of the list is free for everyone to read, the full list is only available to those who subscribe to the Souvlakination Substack, where I’ll be posting more exclusive content going forward. A key reason is that I would like to talk about my favourite places without worrying about the negative effects that heavy tourism and excessive footfall might have on them and their regulars. While protecting those spots, I also want to be able to share this love for good food with the people that value it most. If that’s you, you can subscribe and read the full list here:
About the list
This list covers the best souvlakia I ate last year across Greece, Cyprus and the UK in 2025. While limited to those countries, the list would remain unchanged even if I were to factor in the 5 other countries where I’ve found good Greek street food (I’ll write about those another time). Secondly, factoring in the best of 2023 and 2024 combined wouldn’t change the list either. Which means something very important: these are the best 10 souvlakia I have eaten since Souvlakination began in August 2023.
Geography
Because the tradition of souvlakia flourished in cities, ports and stations where large crowds would pass daily, a lot of the best souvlatzidika were and still are based in cities, particularly Athens. Just like any cultural movement, it’s usually clustered in places where many are practicing the tradition, exchanging ideas, copying, iterating, competing and trying to stand out. Abroad, good souvlakia are sometimes dispersed, but the best often trail migration trends of diaspora communities. This helps explain why some of the best souvlatzidika in ‘London’ have actually ended up just north of London, following a large number of the Greek Cypriot community (as I wrote for Vittles at the end of last summer here.)
It’s also not coincidence or bias that much of this list is centred in Athens, which, based on the sheer volume of good, traditional souvlatzidika with a high-quality product, is the single best city for souvlakia on earth. Due to its persisting network of farmers’ markets, independent traders and family-run souvlatzidika, no city anywhere else on earth can compete with it in this category. Besides, given that half of all Greeks live or spend most of their year in Athens for work and childcare commitments, it’s not actually that surprising. That’s not to say that great souvlakia haven’t also emerged outside of cities – they have, as a portion of this list proves.
Cyprus and London also make the list, but Athens dominates. In the future, you’ll also see souvlatzidika in Australia, the US, and wherever else I go. Although we have some friends doing great work in those places, I’m not sure there’s anything on my radar that looks like it would alter this list either. For the time being, we’ll have to assume and trust feedback from our Australian and American friends. The quality of food in Greece and Cyprus is, of course, the benchmark here.
Methodology & disclaimers
What I can promise is that you definitely will not find a more informed and thorough list out of such a large sample size from anyone, anywhere else on earth. This list gets its value from the depth of context it is built on.
It isn’t simply the result of the hundreds of souvlakia I’ve eaten in the past year across Greece, Cyprus, and the UK, but is also based on the context and lessons from eating Greek food and Greek street food across Athens, Thessaloniki, Aitoloakarnania, central Greece, the Peloponnese, Epirus, the Ionian, etc.; across Cyprus; London; and across Europe (Belgium, Holland, Germany, Czechia and Switzerland). You can see most of the places I’ve eaten at on Souvlakination’s Instagram feed.
The official sample size for 2025 is over 200 souvlakia eaten. I’m not all that proud of that, but you can trust that my judgement is based on a lot of data.
I am one man, and I haven’t eaten absolutely everywhere, but I have eaten at most souvlatzidika that are lauded by locals, food writers and informed foodies wherever I have been. I’m therefore lucky to be guided by some very competent food writers and souvlaki addicts who are kind enough to share their informed opinions for us all to read, which, together with the countless conversations with experienced locals (the biggest perk of running Souvlakination), makes something like this list a lot more achievable than it would have been otherwise.
Finally, it’s worth considering that restaurants and the quality of their product change based on a multitude of factors, sometimes with volatility and unpredictability and, hence, someone else might have an entirely different experience to me at any given place depending on the day they visit. All I can do is tell you the best souvlakia I ate in 2025 out of an embarrassingly large sample size, and months of compounding research.
What the list includes
This list covers souvlakia in all senses of the word: the pork skewer (also known as kalamaki, especially in Athens); the pita wrap as a whole (which Athenians call souvlaki); and therefore pites that also include gyros (or bifteki, kebab, kontosouvli, etc.). It covers Greek-style and Cypriot-style pites and souvlakia, with no bias or preference given to any one type. If you’re new to souvlaki terminology, you can read the most comprehensive definition and introduction to souvlakia here.
Criteria
What are the criteria? When I say ‘best souvlakia’, I’m very simply talking about the tastiest, best quality souvlakia I ate, which I’d want to run back to. I haven’t given weight to the appearance of the shop, service, or pricing – just the food.
At the same time, I’ve also held that list up against some criteria: is the meat of good quality, does it taste fresh and natural, is it handmade and cooked to order, is it cooked well with care, is the meat tender and well-seasoned, are the vegetables fresh, ripe and flavourful, is the pita wrap or bread any good, are any condiments made in house, and is it ultimately served or wrapped well?
Not only does every souvlatzidiko in this list fulfil those criteria, but all have flair: that mystical ‘special factor’ that is the difference between great and amazing, which, as human beings, we often fail to explain in words and ultimately resort to using terms like ‘made with love’ or ‘from the heart’ to make sense of how something so simple can taste so good.
Some souvlatzidika that I love, wanted to include and would nonetheless rush back to just about missed this list when I tested them against these criteria or that ‘special factor’. Likewise, there were also a few souvlatzidika that follow the right processes, e.g. ones that make their own pites in house (incredibly rare), but where the end product wasn’t quite as tasty, enjoyable or special as the ones that made the top 10, even if I wanted it to be. I’ve been honest, fair, but appropriately harsh. Let’s go!
10. ‘Kostas’, Athens, Greece
There are two main traditional souvlatzidika in the centre of Athens that go by the name Kostas, and both have been around for over three-quarters of a century. Despite being incredibly well-known and arguably over-documented, I struggled to justify leaving them out of the top 10. So much so, that I’ve already broken the rule of sticking to a top 10, using the loophole of putting the two together for the #10 spot (even though they’re not affiliated).
“Kosta” (Monastiraki), Athens, Greece
Starting with the one that has been standing in some form since 1946, Kostas of Agia Eirini, which famously read “ΚΩΣΤΑ” at its current entrance, is one of the souvlatzidika you cannot miss if you’re visiting Athens. Location and longevity guarantee long queues of tourists in busy periods. However, locals whose families have been eating here for generations and hardcore souvlaki fans remain as loyal as ever. Among its biggest fans is Zois Chalkiopoulos who runs the Instagram account @searchingfortheperfectsouvlaki.
Here you find pork kalamaki and beef bifteki cooked on a griddle plate that is heated with charcoal, and finished in a fluffy pita with a herby, soulful tomato sauce (the traditional condiment served with souvlakia in Athens since the 1950s). It might not always be 100% consistent, and it might be overpowered by herbs at times, but when you catch Kosta on a good day and the souvlaki is piping hot, you’re not going to forget it. And you’ll keep on returning.
📍Plateia Agias Irinis 2, Athens 105 60, Greece
Souvlaki O Kostas (Syntagma), Athens, Greece
2 years ago the Kostas who was closer to Syntagma square moved even closer. Like his namesake, he inherits his trade from his grandfather (also Kostas), consistently serving the exact same product that his grandfather took to market in 1950. Loyal locals and tourists alike also guarantee queues here. Some argue Kostas is overhyped because of the long queues of locals and its simplistic product, but they miss the point.
This is one of the simplest, purest, truest souvlakia that you’ll find in Greece. Kostas follows his grandfather’s tradition to a tee and carries with him an honourable attention to detail: he only uses meat from pigs of a specific age; he only adds salt, pepper and olive oil to his minced beef bifteki; he even advocates for the correct order in which ingredients should be added to a souvlaki (onions first so they soften from the residual heat of the meat and pita, sauce last so the heat doesn’t loosen it too much and make it drip out melting).
His insistence on using meat with little fat divides opinion but creates a consistently tender yet meaty souvlaki that leaves absolutely no room for any of the ingredients to hide. Yoghurt is the only condiment you’ll find here, the other original Athenian souvlaki condiment (alongside the tomato salsa that you’ll find at the aforementioned Kosta of Monastiraki instead). It’s topped with parsley, optional paprika, and, although it’s so simple, it still tastes incredible. And it embodies everything that good Greek souvlakia are about. Kosta and his wife Popi are preserving an Athenian national treasure for us all to experience. It’s hard to find another souvlatzidiko like this in 2026.
📍 Filellinon 7, Athens 105 57, Greece
9. Ta Souvlakia tis Lilas, Athens, Greece
Even before we get on to the tender, caramel-sealed rotisserie meat in the fluffy pita, baptised in the legendary silky, glossy tomato sauce, there are so many talking points at Lila’s.
It’s that glossy, silky tomato salsa that Lila is best known for. Her secret homemade recipe helped make her husband’s souvlakia a fan-favourite at the Panathinaikos stadium, where he set out as a street vendor in 1953. By the end of the decade, Lila’s husband, Giorgos, opened the shop that is still adored for its iconic souvlakia with kontosouvli and grandma Lila’s secret tomato salsa. His daughter and granddaughter, also Lila, keep the tradition alive.
Kontosouvli (larger cuts of pork, cooked a rotisserie skewer and chopped to order) isn’t always that easy to find in a tylichto (wrap), especially not done this well. The meat alone is worth writing home about, and the salsa is as good as its story: smooth with a perfect balance of rich tomato, sweetness, and a hint of spice. By default, it’s paired with mustard, and the two condiments complement one another better than you would imagine. You can order your souvlakia with kalamakia (skewers) or bifteki too.
📍25is Martiou 41, Neo Psychiko 154 51, Athens, Greece
8. Mitsi Tavernaki, Brookmans Park, Herts, UK
Mitsi Tavernaki is the souvlatzidiko of the meraklides, mezetzides and souvlakofagous of the North London & Herts Greek Cypriot community. James is a souvlatzi’s souvlatzi. Like his regulars, many of whom often make a 30 minute trip or more for a takeaway, he’s a true meraklis, and the level of attention to detail that goes into the food here is clear.
Through December you would also find a whole lamb on the souvla at Mitsi Tavernaki. The souvla is quite possibly the best in the UK (deservedly pictured too). Because the shop sources whole animals and butchers them on site, everything from the souvles to the souvlakia and the gyros is prepared in the kitchen. (Finding housemade gyros – and, increasingly, souvlakia too – is becoming increasingly rare nowadays, as many modern souvlatzidika buy their meat pre-skewered in factories.)
You’ll find Cypriot-style pites with sheftalia, Cypriot-style souvles, and Greek-style pitogyra/gyros wraps here. Homemade gyros always stands out: it retains its meatiness and texture and is usually less oily and heavy on the stomach than the factory-prepared stuff. It’s obviously going to be fresher too, the meat having made the journey straight to the shop, not via a factory. Like good Cypriot-style souvlakia, the meat is free of complex marinades, simply seasoned with salt and cooked on metal skewers suspended over charcoal (rather than on a grill). This places the emphasis on the quality of the meat and the cooking, and Mitsi Tavernaki is one of the handful of places in the UK that reliably, consistently do it justice – even more so than a lot of places in Cyprus.
📍77 Bradmore Green, Brookmans Park, Herts AL9 7QT, UK
7. O Achilleas, Athens, Greece
At Achilleas you’ll find the best gyros in Athens. Food writers, hardcore souvlakofagoi, Athenians and visitors who eat around all agree to the extent that it’s hardly a bold claim.
It’s a gyros like no other: thick, honest, meaty fillets of pork that are skewered without cosmetic intervention. The weighty, overflowing edges show that the end goal here is getting as much meat on the skewer as possible to the end of feeding customers, not creating an efficiently-stacked pillar that draws their attention. The meat hasn’t lost its soul in a factory; the seasoning hasn’t had a chance to neutralise its meatiness or its flavour. It’s all fresh and in equilibrium. Achilleas is one of the few gyradika on earth where you get to experience that, and the best example in Athens.
Visiting is a life experience. A stern, quiet calm defines the atmosphere in and outside of the shop as customers eagerly, yet patiently, wait. Everyone seems to be aware of the gravity of the situation, as if all are standing inside a place of worship, in the presence of something great, worthy of both fear and awe. The wait is tantalising.
The shop opens after about 4pm. Whether you arrive to find a queue or not, the team work endlessly to get pre-orders and orders out; it’s so popular that the gyros sometimes sells out from pre-orders before the shop even opens.
It’s not because of recent, haphazardous hype or marketing, as it might be in many cities like London. Achilleas is another Athens souvlatzidiko that has served its local neighbourhood and earned its reputation beyond it for staying true to its principles for decades. It’s the place where Athenians take visitors and send foreign journalists to show them what Greek street food has to offer.
📍Spintharou 18, Athens 117 43, Greece
6. I Volvi, Athens, Greece
Volvi is a special spot at the edge of Athens’ Varvakeios Central Market. It’s a souvlatzidiko with humour, character and a lot of notable talking points, which come together to produce a unique souvlatzidiko that is reminiscent of the hole-in-the-wall, on-the-go spirit of Athens’ old-school souvlatzidika. Volvi is younger, though, having emerged through the pandemic.
You’ll find the perfect form of the traditional Athenian souvlaki: small enough that you have to order two, in a light and fluffy pita with tomatoes, onions and parsley, and no tzatziki, no fries nor any chicken option. (The running joke here is that every time someone puts fries in a souvlaki, a crisis happens.) The product also incorporates some northern Greek quirks: beef soutzoukakia, chilli flakes, and mustard (the default condiment in the North). There is also an optional sweet paprika salsa.
You’ll regularly see co-owner Tasos, from Kavala, skewering and cutting the kalamakia (pork skewers) in the back, which are delicious: perfectly cooked over charcoal, and seasoned with nothing but salt. Volvi is also the only souvlatzidiko I have ever been to that gets better each time I go. The decision to change pita suppliers and switch to the lighter, fluffier pites from Stamatis family bakery in Peristeri also took Volvi’s souvlakia to the next level in 2025.
📍Evripidou 24-26, Athina 105 51, Greece
5. To Kochyli, Athens, Greece
You’ll have to travel a little out of the centre if you’re visiting Athens, and head to hardcore traditional souvlaki territory in the greater Piraeus area. To Kochyli, aka ‘The Shell’, is surrounded by clusters of cult souvlatzidika in Korydallos. It’s one of the spots that locals who eat around are highly likely to include in their list of favourites.
At Kochyli you’ll find the classic, traditional Athenian souvlaki pita: pork kalamaki or beef bifteki in pita with tomatoes, onions, parsley, paprika, and an iconic house-made red salsa. It’s a relatively large, spacious shop, but no charm is lost: a vintage menu hangs adjacent to the grill, where inox counters meet a varnished wooden veneer that hugs the walls and pillars. You don’t quite know what to expect when you arrive, but you know you’re somewhere unique.
As for the souvlaki itself, it’s difficult to find all the criteria fulfilled, with everything so well executed, woven together with so much care and balance. In terms of proportions, ratios, flavours, condiments, cooking, slicing and seasoning, this is easily the most balanced and harmonious souvlaki I’ve ever eaten in Athens. It’s what, in my view, sets Kochyli apart from its otherwise-equally incredible neighbours. Plus, the use of sweet paprika gives it a somewhat relatively distinct taste and another dimension of flavour that makes it all the more satisfying, without overpowering it or leaving a dominant aftertaste. With its first-class ingredients, ripe and full of flavour, fresh meat that’s tender, juicy and optimally cooked, it’s the model Athenian souvlaki.
📍Agiou Georgiou 82, Korydallos 181 20, Athens, Greece
4. Fig Tree Grill, Potters Bar, Herts, UK
One of my earliest memories of souvlakia is at the top of a hill, overlooking London – on the steps of Alexandra Palace, to be specific. In its heyday, the London Cypriot community used to celebrate its annual Cypriot Wine Festival there, arguably the main event in the UK Greek and Cypriot diaspora calendar. If you weren’t sure where the entrance was, all you needed to do was follow the cloud of smoke emanating from a sea of charcoal, over which rows and rows of souvlakia would cook and crisp and caramelise, with an army of souvlatzides relentlessly rowing against a tide of hungry Greek Cypriots. It’s the most tempting and tantalising smell I can remember, and the most satisfying that a souvlaki can be after teasing you and working you up for hours while your parents and grandparents keep making you wait. (That experience is a huge reason as to why we have this account today, I’m pretty sure.)
I recently discovered that the man who was responsible for that is the father of the son-and-dad duo that opened what is arguably the best souvlatzidiko in the UK. So many things set Fig Tree Grill in Potters Bar apart, and it certainly isn’t a coincidence that it’s a serial champion in the ‘Greek’ category of Ibrahim Dogus’ British Kebab Awards (although it’s actually a Cypriot souvlitzidiko) .
Firstly, you rarely find meat handled and prepared so well, yet with minimum intervention. No marinades, just salt. Owner Nick Louca uses a special trick that he learned from Cyprus to help make the pork more tender when it comes off the grill, without needing to add any other ingredients or marinates. As well as a standard pork (collar) option, there is a pork belly option that arrives with its fat perfectly rendered – no tough or chewy parts, but lots of delicious, caramel belly fat.
Secondly, the sheftalia (lightly-spiced Cypriot pork meatballs wrapped in caul fat) are by far the best in the country. There’s no other way to say it, you won’t find better sheftalies in the UK. Fresh, meaty, perfectly seasoned, and not overpowered by brash chunks of onions and parsley, nor diluted with breadcrumbs or hidden in its spices. Likewise, Nick’s souvlatzides cook the sheftalies perfectly so they are evenly rendered all over and all the way through, without drying them out (no stringy, chewy, unrendered caul fat either). Other than that, the pitta breads are brought over from Cyprus and always hold their shape and fluffiness, and, finally, the salad (cucumber, tomato, onion and parsley in a Cypriot pitta) is always fresh, appropriately cut and proportionate.
On its day, a Cypriot pitta at Fig Tree is faultless, especially in a day and age where fewer and fewer souvlatzidika are preparing their own souvlakia in house, let alone with so much care and the level of expert insight that can only result from lifelong or generational passion and knowledge. Nick and his father Sotiris have transported that from Cyprus to the UK. Even on a bad day, it’s probably still the best in the country, with the meat and final product beating many spots in Cyprus too.
📍 34 The Broadway, Potters Bar EN6 2HW, Herts, UK
3. Canale, Isthmus of Corinth, Greece
If the theme of this piece is that the good souvlakia of the previous decades are slowly fading and harder to come by, then Canale by the Isthmus of Corinth is another Thermopyles in that story. Here, you find what’s probably the best living example in Greece of the iconic, thin rectangular souvlaki skewers, with alternating pieces of meat and fat (ξίγκι) that were popularised in places like the port of Rio-Antirrio, at KTEL bus stations, and at a few spots in Athens. Something like the souvlakia of panygiria and at the laiki, but one up from that: fresher, better-quality meat.
My Greek grandfather is from a village near the port of Rio-Antirrio, and my family recall just how good the souvlakia were until the construction of the iconic bridge in 2004 took the footfall and buzz away from the kantines and, with all that, the magic out of the souvlakia there. Likewise, I recently shared a video in which the daughter of a retired souvlatzis also speaks about how, following her father’s retirement, she can’t find this kind of souvlaki anywhere in Athens anymore either.
Thankfully, you can still find this kind of souvlaki done well, in a spot that still gets a heavy amount of traffic on the old national highway, overlooking the Corinth canal. Mrs Eleni, who runs this spot day-in-day-out, sources those classic, uniformly neat souvlakia from a local butcher, cooks them over charcoal, finishes them with salt, oregano, and lemon juice, and serves them with slices of fluffy bread. No matter how hungry you are, you’ll need more than two per person. Traditional Greek souvlakia, the way Greeks enjoyed them half a century ago, still as good as ever. A must stop that is worth the detour whenever you’re driving in or out of Athens.
📍 Palea EO Athinon Korinthou, Isthmia 201 00, Greece
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