The Athens Restaurant and Steakhouse in Eastbourne

It was ok, nothing special. It wasn’t bad and it wasn’t wow! Average..would we return if we’re in Eastbourne again? Probably not as loads of other restaurants around here to try. This review is purely based on the food as the waitress was really lovely and friendly.

The food is amazing & the Feta my Gods! I wanted a bsrrrl if it to take home. The waitress brought me extra , bless her. Highly recommended

Having eaten in Greece and a number of Greek restaurants in the UK I thought the food was poor. The pork kebab was so tuff my wife had trouble to cut the meat (it was over cooked). I had the kleftiko this was okay, however it came with a meagre portion of rice and potatoes. We spent the same amount in an Indian restaurant and got a lot more food! I am an average eater not a greedy person, but when you spend over £50 for two I expected better food.

It doesn’t look appealing from the outside, but I had booked a table based on tripadvisor reviews, so we went in. The advertised hours are incorrect, we were informed they don’t open untethered evening. Barely mediocre service, unfortunately, no check back at all, and we had to flag down a waitress to ask for our bill, and more drinks. One of the waitresses was too busy sat at a table in the restaurant messing with her phone to help. See photos, taken 15 minutes apart. The place seemed clean, but awful plastic table covers, like you would expect to find in a truckers dive bar, tiny thin napkins, dreadful plastic flowers, and cheap giant cutlery were a let down. We ordered chicken and chips, and a medium rare fillet steak. The menu needs more accurate descriptions, half the items on it were so vague, we didn’t want to ask what they all were, too time consuming. Even when we did ask what one dish was we were told ‘veg’ mixed with rice, no details of which veg, courgettes, sprouts, peas, aubergines, sweetcorn etc? Could have been anything, so we avoided it. The chicken was nice, but it didn’t mention it was a quarter of chicken on the menu, hubby expected a filet, he hates bones in meat, so had to leave most of it. Chips and gravy were nice. My filet steak came in 2 pieces, a tiny bit and bigger piece, very peculiar. I asked for it medium rare, received it well done. TBH I was so hungry after a 45 minute wait I just ate it anyway, didn’t want to complain and have to wait another 45 minutes for a replacement. Mushrooms, peas and chips were nice. I asked to take some of the chips and steak home, was full, but only received the leftover steak, pity, I had paid for the chips, and asked for them. We didn’t notices the 10% added to our bill for a service charge until after we had left, not impressed! Having to flag a waitress down to ask for more drinks, having to flag a waitress down to ask for the bill, and not even receiving a check back is very poor service, certainly not worth paying anything for! The owner, apparently called Mike, suddenly started an impromptu karaoke session just as we were finishing our meal. We noticed several people sit down, then leave immediately, there’s no mention of this being a karaoke bar. He has a great voice, and personally I thought it was fun, but I can understand it being very off putting for those just wanting dinner. Definitely not a place for a romantic meal, or to enjoy conversation, it was very loud. All in all, we would book again, but next time choose different items from the menu, and check what they actually are. I gave this a very good rating as the food was tasty, and the atmosphere was nice. They definitely need to improve on service, and get rid of the horrible plastic flowers, rusty fridge in the middle of the restaurant etc too. The 10% automatic addition to the bill needs to be removed as well, especially as service is rather poor.

The fact that it has been going so long says a lot. Nearby many other restaurants, in a street with little else, close to the seafront. Found the steaks and starters perfectly acceptable, and the service good. Be back again.

Truly lovely and freshly cooked food with fresh ingredients. Waiter was lovely and welcoming. House wine was good. Hadn't planned to eat out, but passing on our way to get the bus back to Brighton and couldn't resist the welcoming look.

Amazing staff Amazing food and Atmosphere Highly Recommended you will love it.Best Restaurant in Beautiful Eastbourne

Fab food great welcome friendly atmosphere great evening with our friends for our anniversary if we lived closer it would be a regular visit

We ate here 3 of the 4 nights while on holiday. Could not fault the service or food served. Friendly staff and great authentic home made Greek food as well as English. Well priced for the amount served, very welcoming and we will be back.

Athens is a traditional Cypriot family run restaurant, serving top quality traditional Greek fare. The food did not disappoint, my lamb chops were succulent and well seasoned, but the star of the show for me were the chips. Beautifully soft inside, like mashed potato but with a lovely crispy case, just like little roast potatoes. Best chips ever! My partner had the Beef Stroganov, which was also delicious. The service was impeccable, and the family made it even more enjoyable by spending time talking with us, and making us feel really welcome & valued customers. Easy to see why Athens is #4 out of 381 restaurants in Eastbourne

A bit of authentic Greek taste in the heart of Eastbourne. Helen and Steve went above and beyond to make sure our dining experience was great. We felt welcome and well cared for the whole time. Prices are very reasonable, the place is spotless and the food was so good! We love independent, family run restaurants and this is one we'll be coming back to. Athens is a must if you ever find yourself in Eastbourne.

Saw this place in the early part of the day 31/08/23, and thought I'd try it early evening, I was not disappointed, not only were the staff/owners extremely friendly but the food was supurb, a fantastic find and will definitely use again when next in Eastbourne

Amazing food, friendly staff 10/10 experience will definitely be coming again. I really can’t recommend Athens enough

I would just like to say thank you to the whole family who run this amazing family restaurant.You made the night that we had with you a very special time your food is absolutely delicious your hospitality is second to none the night will be remembered for a long time.I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who has the pleasure of visiting Eastbourne if you do not go here you are missing out on one of the best family run restaurants in the country.Once again a big thank you to you all for making the whole night one that will be treasured for a long time.love from the Burnett family.

A great find in Eastbourne. Lovely family run restaurant with very tasty food. Very welcoming and friendly staff. Thank you for the extra home baked muffin, it was delicious!

Had a brilliant evening with my family, I was even aloud to sing! Loved it! Thank you Steve and team!!

We found this wonderful family restaurant some years ago. We always eat there whenever we visit Eastbourne. We love the homely Greek food and the warm welcome and friendly service from Helen and Zoe. The kleftiko and moussaka main courses were both delicious. We followed up with the home made tiramisu and baklava desserts, which were delightfully moist and filling. We choose Sauvignon Blanc wine from the wine list, which was refreshing and well priced. We look forward to our next visit! Lorraine and Peter

This restaurant has been at the same location since 1963! Same family, great Greek good. The owner (son of the founder) is a delight. He serenades everyone with Elvis, Neil Diamond etc. Such a fun atmosphere! Great end to our Eastbourne vacation from the USA.

Il ristorante è abbastanza spartano, personale cortese. Cucina aperta oltre le 21.00 e si è serviti al tavolo! Buon menù di specialità greche ma anche da classica steak house, incluso pesce. Cucina tipica ottima, piatti gustosi e abbondanti. Buona scelta di vini. Prezzi abbastanza alti, specialmente il bere, ma di fatto in linea con tutti i posti in questa zona turistica, etnici e non.

Lovely family restaurant! Nice atmosphere, friendly owners. Steve sings fantastic! Zoy - beautiful lovely lady 😻 Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A lovely restaurant. Great atmosphere and lovely food. Reasonably priced and lots of good options on the menu. Would happily go again

Came across this restaurant in Eastbourne and, as we both like Greek food, thought we would give it a try. We are so glad we found this fantastic family restaurant. Excellent tasty food, wonderful friendly funny people and joyous experience all coordinated by an 82 year old superhero lady in the kitchen (Hi Stella).

Such a fantastic restaurant. Great food, atmosphere and service, The owners are very friendly and we loved the stories of Wimbledon and we will definitely be back again. Steve looked fabulous in his shirt and we would highly recommend this place. Thank you very much...

Wonderful atmosphere, fantastic family run Restuarant with great service and very yummy food, we booked half an hour before arriving and we were lucky to get a table in this vibrant Restuarant( 2 families 5 children & 4 adults) Highly recommended by all of us...

4 adults and 5 children, lovely atmosphere and a simply terrific family run restaurant. Food was excellent, as was the service. Highly recommended

Gezellig en niet al te groot restaurant. Hebben er heerlijk gegeten. Moussaka en mixed grill XL. Mixed grill was wel...

Family run , good service , delicious food , good laugh with the owner towards the end of the night having a singalong

Tonight was the second time I dined here, and once again, had a wonderful meal! Me and my partner had just returned from Skiathos, and were craving some genuine Greek food - Steve and Helen looked after us throughout the meal, and you can tell...

The food was delicious, the staff are friendly, service was great and the live music later in the evening was wonderful.

What a fantastic Saturday night! We visited Eastbourne for our 6 year wedding anniversary and were expecting a quiet night after a very late and boozy night on the Friday! We loved the relaxed, cosiness and fun factor about this restaurant. Constant flowing wine (which...

We had a wonderful meal here last night. Helen was amazing, made us feel really welcome with her wonderful service. The food was lovely, we had the souvlaki and stiffado, plus bread and a few beers. The food was obviously cooked with love! Can highly...

Das Restaurant ist nur wenige Meter vom Strand entfernt und nur abends geöffnet. Geführt wird es von einer griechischen Familie....

Unlike a recent reviewer (and I appreciate that reviews are of personal opinion), I would highly recommend Athens in Eastbourne (UK). This visit was my first (of many I hope) and we were there for a friends birthday celebration. Food: The food I received was...

did not know what to expect, as only a vague memory of going there back in the eighties with my parents and brother. was blown away by the entire evening! amazing food, and hosts. enjoyed the moussaka, very yummy! we sang after our meals in...

My sister and I went to Athens restaurant tonight and what a great fun night we had! Food was good and the entertainment Steve laid on was great fun. We all had a good sing along with him after our meal. At the end of...

What can I say, I moved to Eastbourne 26 years ago, how have I not been here, its the best restaurant in town, the family that run it go a few extra miles to make you feel so welcome, even got my mum up dancing,...

We had an exceptionally rare child free evening. Rather than just waste it by staying home, we decided to treat ourselves. Born in Eastbourne and I remember going to this restaurant as a child with my parents and sister . When we arrived I was...

Friendly family run restaurant, delicious food, great ambience. Good service. . Calimari, moussaka, Aphelia, Greek salad and baklava all outstanding.

Visited Saturday night after the Devonshire Park tennis finals. The food was superb and great atmosphere. We didn't book and we're lucky to get a table for 2. Steve performed some fun songs too. Will definitely return next year.

This restaurant is one of my favourites, so I took my husband along this time . We both throughly enjoyed both our starters and main meals . My husband loved the Whitebait so much that he had for his starter he asked after his main...

This was a great find, wandering the town streets after a late finish at the Rothesay International. Most tables booked but they kindly squeezed us in near the door ( which was draughty because the elderly people seated up the dining room insisted the three...

What a great spot, had an amazing Kleftico. Then the owner started singing and all the patrons, great, great fun. Also had a lovely friendly chat with the Owner Helen. Great, warm and friendly family owned restaurant. We didn't stop singing and laughing fun, fun...

Not a place I would recommend. It started with the greeting from what I took to be the proprietor with his flowing grey locks straggling a la 70s all over his shirt. I ordered deep fried whitebait to start, which any google lookup will tell...

Excellent food, and great atmosphere. The owners are super friendly, and we had a fantastic evening filled with laughter. Clearly unbeatable. We will visit again.

Not only a lovely meal but the host, another Brummie, was perfect and made us feel really welcome. Would definitely go again in we're ever in Eastbourne and definitely on a Saturday night. Thank you for making our day.

This was a great find, Helen was fantastic, stayed open for us on a Sunday night, by the way, Eastbourne closes at 8 on a Sunday night :) Fantastic lamb shank & haloumi cheese salad, very enjoyable. When there next time, a definite return.

Lovely food - all 4 different dishes cooked to perfection. Fantastic relaxed service from the friendly owner. We’ve been here twice in the last year and we live 280 miles away so if you’re local you have no excuse.

Absolutely unbelievable food Helen was amazing she could not do enough for us atmosphere was wonderful, and again the food was to die for, me and my partner will be back again I cannot recommend this place enough.

Six of us enjoyed a lovely Friday night in Athens recently. We were immediately made to feel very welcome and comfortable, and the service was excellent all evening. We had starters and mains - so a decent variety of dishes - from a very good...

Its not very often you go out for a neal and all the courses exceed your expectations but at Athens in Eastbourne they done it excellent food and lovely staff Thank you so much you made our weekend

The restaurant was a bit cold at first. The service was a little slow. The food was OK. The house Pinot Grigio wasn't good at all. The atmosphere was good. Great for groups. The singing owner was good fun but one table had the microphone...

Best restaurant in Eastbourne! Amazing food and atmosphere! Can’t wait to go back! Thanks Steve & family for a great night x

Had the most amazing night, great food great atmosphere, we sang our hearts out with the karaoke that the restaurant offers. The owner Steve is a legend! Such a fun guy! The staff were amazing. We will defo be back very soon!!

I was at Athens with family and friends to celebrate three birthdays. We were not disappointed. The food was very good and the owners and staff made it an evening to remember. When the owner bought a microphone to the table and turned on the...

Helen and Steve were so lovely and funny! They were very accommodating and even laid on the karaoke for us! Food was fabulous, the chicken pilaff was incredible! We were laughing and singing all night. Thank you for making our evening one to remember, will...

Great food served by lovely people. Food was great we feel stuffed. Super friendly place. We will definitely go back

We visited Athens to celebrate Mum's 80th birthday I cannot speak highly enough of the whole visit. It was easy to book, the food was delicious and the staff were amazing.

We had our office staff Christmas get together and the evening was absolutely brilliant. Great food and service. Staff are all superb and the entertainment and music was icing on cake. Thank you.

We have been trying to go to Athens restaurant for some time now, always really busy when we do get to Eastbounre. We were lucky last night and got a table. The food was beautiful, my partner is still going on about the meal he...

Always enjoy my food from Athens, lovely family own restaurant, always treat you like family members, had lovely meal last week with my family and once again we all had a wonderful meal, highly recommend this place and we will be back soon, thanks

I am not quite sure how anyone can make a bad review about this restaurant. Firstly, the family run business offers such a welcoming reception. Secondly, the food was amazing. We were a party of 8 and had 3 courses. There wasn’t one complaint to...

Thanks Steve and Helen for a great night. Lovely food and good entertainment, every one enjoyed themselves.

The octopus did not disappoint in the least. Staff was friendly and family feel. Food had tasty ingredients andcame in good time. Lovely placlce to go as a couple or with friends

We had a fab Friday night here with my fellow HOK Girls! The food and service were great and the family that run this restaurant are lovely. Karaoke was so much fun. Highly recommend.

Well… what can a say other than, what an absolutely fabulous family run restaurant, amazing food, so friendly and the weekend singing was an extra bonus!

We booked into this restaurant after reading the ‘ positive ‘ reviews, and so disappointed. Firstly, the service was between patronising and rude , plus the younger staff spent most of the time chatting around a corner table. Very dated furniture , and very dated...

From the moment we walked into this restaurant, I said to my partner “I have a good feeling about this place” that’s the beauty of it, it has an authentic, very friendly vibe about the place. It was as if I was eating a meal...

We were recommended by friends to visit Athens. From the moment we walked in we were made to feel very welcome. We ordered hummus, halloumi for starters. All very nice. Our mains were moussaka and pork in red wine again were nice. We had some...

We visited this restaurant after a recommendation and wasn't disappointed. My partner hadn't tried Greek food before and he loved the beef stifado. The food was lovely, service was very good and friendly. Good, traditional, family run restaurant with a great atmosphere

Eastbourne was our first stop during our Roadtrip last week. We had dinner at Athens and we will remember the kindness of Helen forever. He mother has golden hands because the food was superb 👌 Helen kept saying that I looked alot like her God-mother...

Thank you so much for taking pity on three drunk guys. Your hospitality was beyond measure. Kitchens where closed but you still offered us a table and some of the best Kleftiko I've ever had. Thank you so much. Will definitely visit again.

Went here few days ago with some friends and we had a brilliant time,food was fresh and tasted amazing, will definitely return.

Great food, authentic and cooked with love. Lovely family run restaurant. It was a pleasure to be served, by honest passionate family. The cooking was done by the Mother, at 82 years. The passion is still burning. A real honour to be served authentic Greek...

Popped for lunch today which was lovely. Really good service and nice food. Stifaldo followed by Baclava. The owners were really friendly Enjoyable lunch

We had such a great time at Athens last night! Amazing food and service with very welcoming staff. A true authentic greek meal with an amazing atmosphere plus the karaoke at the end of the night was an added bonus! Highly recommend x

Was welcomed in by the owner, had great banter We placed order quickly Drinks came first Dinner came about 30 minutes later But we’ll worth the wait It was fresh and extremely tasty Will come back next time in Eastbourne

If you want a great atmosphere and great food then Athens is the place, we all had a great time it was worth every penny, what a fantastic family run business.

What an extremely friendly place with good quality and well cooked food served by a highly dedicated family, I'll be back when I'm in Eastbourne next that's for sure.

It is a good place to try traditional Greek cuisine. Family run business, very welcoming and chatty owner. It definitely makes a difference to a service in my opinion. I always prefer to support people rather than large businesses. Food was very tasty and just...

Although it was Airbourne weekend when we called the restaurant to book the lady said they were very busy but would fit us in. We arrived early and had a table inside. The restaurant is beautiful, bright and clean, recently refurbed during lock-down, you would...

Booked this up the other Sunday, arrived a little early but were welcomed and seated. Guy there started chatting okay and was friendly enough, commented on my shirt, saying he liked it, and asked where I bought it. When I told him, he turned his...

As a party of 11 for our 20th Wedding anniversary we were spoilt from start to finish, the restaurant was pretty busy for a Wednesday which was good to see, We all enjoyed our meals and the friendly atmosphere, Service was friendly and relaxed. I’m...

Booked latish on a Friday, other nearby establishments booked out. By contrast Athens near empty. The food was perfectly acceptable, though uninspiring. Unfortunately, service was slow, and attempts to order extra drinks and the bill were forgotten and needed to be reminded. Not rushing back.

Food was delicious and tasted authentic. Service was amazing, very attentive and friendly owners, nothing was too much trouble for them. Wasn’t planning on having puddings and coffees but we ended up staying for that too. Warm welcome with a family atmosphere, perfect for lunch...

We have visited this restaurant many times and the food and service has always been excellent. A lovely family run business for many years. We ate here on a weekday night and it was buzzing, Great atmosphere! We had chicken kebab, kleftico and a mixed...

Delicious food. Thanks Helen. Our group of six had delicious food and then had some amazing karaoke with a Greek god. Thanks. Really best meal ever.

Me and my boyfriend came down to visit the area after pride to get away from the busy town in Brighton, we saw this cute restaurant and had to come and have dinner here, we was greeted by the owner with a smile and conversation...

Great food , great service , great atmosphere, I would recommend it, lovely family run business , keep up the good work. Thanks for the personalised cocktails

My husband and I enjoyed a lovely lunch in Athens restaurant today.Steve and his team were so friendly and welcoming and Steve’s wife cooked delicious Greek favourites, Kleftiko and stuffed vine leaves amongst others. A really relaxing atmosphere in an elegant and comfortable dining room....

First time at this restaurant and will definitely be visiting again . The service was excellent and the owners made us feel extremely welcome . The menu had an there excellent choice and was reasonably priced and you could tell that the food was freshly...

Our second visit to this Greek restaurant in Eastbourne. Run by a lovely family. Good menu, with a lot of choice. I would recommend this place. Dancing some nights.

My wife and I really enjoy our Greek holidays. For various reasons we were unable to go this year and spent a week in Eastbourne instead. Having tried other restaurants, we then went to Athens. Our experience was so good that we opted to return...

We had a fabulous family lunch here whilst on a brief break to Eastbourne. The host was so friendly and the food superb. The octopus, white bait, Greek salad & home made hummus were particular highlights. Can’t recommend highly enough.

This family restaurant is great fun. We hadn’t booked and there wasn’t a table so we started by sitting outside but it was a bit cold and we were moved inside with a very friendly ‘don’t worry we’ll work it out’. The food was delicious,...

Just an amazing evening the food was fantastic the service was great can't wait to go back thanks for a great evening

My partner booked your restaurant for a special birthday treat as we love the atmosphere as been many times before but I can honestly say we were so disappointed at the terrible service we received. We were kept waiting over an hour and half for...

First time at Athens restaurant. Small family restaurant, really friendly Helen and her husband. Food was absolutely delicious Highly recommended 👌

Walked in without a reservation hoping they’d accommodate us… which surprisingly they did! Been very hard to get into this fantastic restaurant as always booked up! Super friendly like we’d known Helen for years! Bread on arrival was as fresh as can be, starter was...

We had an amazing night at Athens with my colleagues/friends. The food as always was perfect, the atmosphere amazing, and of course, the owners are just super lovely. They didn’t mind fitting us in last minute and stayed open longer to entertain us. Can’t wait...

The initial service was good but unfortunately our main took over an hour to arrive which is unacceptable such a shame as food is really good