SkyEurope Inflight Magazine - Athens Gourmet Guide

Athens Gourmet Guide

WORDS BY RACHEL HOWARD / PHOTOS BY STEFANIA MIZARA/WPN

Arrive in Athens with an appetite and sample the local treats

For a real taste of Athens, forget dinner at eight. Locals eat late. Forget formalities like starters, mains and desserts. Locals order as many dishes as they can squeeze onto the table and share everything.

Athens is an expensive city, but follow the locals to their neighbourhood taverna or favourite souvlaki joint and you can still find authentic Greek food at reasonable prices. With a new wave of chefs focusing on seasonal and regional ingredients in unexpected combinations, coupled with a new breed of exciting wine-makers, eating out in Athens is now an experience to savour.

CHEAP EATS

Athenians aren’t big on breakfast, but if you’re up early head to Doris (Praxitelous 30, +30 210 323 2671), an old-fashioned workers’ canteen, for rice pudding or loukoumades (deep-fried doughnuts slathered in honey and cinnamon). Traditional Greek dishes like stuffed tomatoes or soutzoukakia (meatballs in spicy tomato sauce) are amazingly good value for lunch, too. The quintessential Greek fast food, souvlaki, is a greasy but delicious meal for a few euros. A trio of rival establishments (Thanassis, Savvas and Bairaktaris) on Monastiraki Square throng with tourists by day and sozzled clubbers after-hours. Locals prefer two souvlaki joints nearby, both coincidentally called Kostas (Agia Irini Square and Adrianou 116; open for lunch only). For a taste of bygone Athens, seek out Diporto (Socratous 9, +30 210 321 1463) in the central food market. Crowded with a rowdy mix of market traders and artists from the surrounding galleries, this basement dive serves chickpea soup, grilled sardines and retsina straight from the barrel – all at rock-bottom prices.

TRADITIONAL TAVERNAS

For grilled chops and Greek salad, you can’t beat the no-frills taverna. The best tavernas are in neighbourhoods like Pangrati, Petralona or Exarchia. A lone survivor among the fancy restaurants of chi-chi Kolonaki, Philippou (Xenokratous 19, +30 210 721 6390), has been dishing up stuffed vine leaves and moussaka since 1923. Hidden down a cul-de-sac among the tourist traps of Plaka is Xinos (Geronda 4, +30 210 322 1065), a throwback to 1950’s Greece. Economou (Troon 41, +30 210 346 7555) in Petralona is another old-school classic, serving delicious lamb in lemon sauce, rabbit stew or gigantes (baked beans Greek-style).

FRESH FISH

With a coastline that stretches for miles, Athens is a city for seafood with sea views. A string of waterfront eateries line the coastal strip east of Piraeus port. The best is O Faros (Akti Themistokleous 344, +30 210 451 8908). For a spectacular setting, it’s worth driving 20km to Akti (Leoforos Posidonos 6, +30 210 896 0448), in the seaside suburb of Vouliagmeni, to feast on grilled fish and crispy calamari.
Downtown, splash out on superlative seafood with Acropolis views at Papadakis (Fokylidou 15, +30 210 360 8621), where celebrity Chef Argyro Barbarigou serves her signature dishes. Sardelles (Persefonis 15, +30 210 347 8050) in the hip neighbourhood Gazi has sidewalk tables strung with lights that are perfect for people-watching. Try grilled sardines and lemon tart for pudding.

GREEK WINES

There’s more to Greek wines than retsina. Small-scale producers like Sigalas, Gerovassiliou and Kyr-Yiannis are creating a buzz with award-winning wines. The bone-dry Assyrtiko grape from Santorini is an excellent companion to seafood. Intensely flavoured red grape varieties like Agiorgitiko or Xinomavro are great with lamb or goat.

In need of nibbles? Pick up olives, herbs and other edible souvenirs at Lesvos Shop (Athinas 33, +30 210 321 7395), Pandopoleion (Sophocleous 1, +30 210 323 4612) or Mesogaia (pictured below; Nikis 52, +30 210 322 9146).

REGIONAL TREATS

Restaurants that showcase Greece’s regional cuisine are cropping up across the capital. Alatsi (Vrasida 13, +30 210 721 0501) specialises in authentic Cretan dishes such as dakos (barley rusk topped with tomatoes, oregano and myzithra cheese), kaltsounia (cheese pastries drizzled in honey), and snails with rosemary and garlic. For dessert, don’t miss the bougatsa (custard pie) flown in from Crete daily. Despite its unpromising location in a shopping centre, Ouzadiko (pictured right; Karneadou 25-29, +30 210 729 5484) has a huge selection of outstanding dishes from Salonica. Share smoked eel, bite-size meatballs, and onion fritters as you work your way through the list of 380 varieties of ouzo.

MODERN GREEK

Greek chef Lefteris Lazarou is widely credited with kindling a culinary revolution in Athens. Lazarou likes to surprise diners at Varoulko (Pireos Avenue 80, +30 210 522 8400) with an array of ever-changing recipes – perhaps squid ink soup or sea urchin risotto. At Athiri (pictured left; Plateon 15, +30 210 346 2983), Alexandros Kardasis gives traditional flavours a modern twist – try the delicious slow-roast lamb with lemon tagliatelle. Athenians also flock to Maroussi to sample Vassilis Kallides’ seasonal menu at Aneton (Stratigou Lekka 19, +30 210 806 6700).

WHERE TO STAY

Moderate to Luxury

The Periscope Hotel
www.periscope.gr

Head to chic Kolonaki and stay in this cute boutique hotel. Interiors are sleek and trendy – and in the bar there’s a periscope controller linking to the device on the roof. Play around with it as you sip a cocktail and watch city hotspots on the flat screen TV. The penthouse suite features a rooftop deck and outdoor Jacuzzi. Doubles from €135.

Budget

Apollo
www.apollonhotel-athens.com

Newly refurbished 3-star hotel with 51 rooms and a good central location. The roof garden has views over the Acropolis. Doubles from €70.

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