I'm not a big fan of Greek food, to be honest. The best Greek meal I ever had was in Paris, in a restaurant in the 14th arrondissement which I think was called Odyssee, and was taken there by a Greek called Pericles. So that's the key. Get a recommendation from a Greek with a name straight out of the classics (but establish that the restaurant is not owned by a member of his or her family). I remember that I had a delicious lamb dish called kleftiko, made with tender baby lamb and yoghurt, which I have never been able to find again, even in Cyprus where they tried to serve me mutton and thought I wouldn't notice. I am now persona non grata in Ayia Napa.
In May I was in Athens for the Euroompah championships, which involved a number of visits to Greek tavernas and other eating establishments. Many of them were chosen at random whilst wandering aimlessly through the Plaka. The only one that stands out is a taverna called Hermion in a courtyard off Pandrossou, where I had a Greek sausage omelette and a beer for lunch. There are some pretty restaurants on the slopes of the Acropolis, but I could not distinguish one from another in terms of food. Not one of them offered kleftiko. There was a fair bit of bouzouki music although to be fair, I didn't hear one smashing plate. I suppose in the current economic climate, they can't afford to be as extravagant as they used to be.
There is one restaurant in the Plaka which is reputed to be one of the best in Athens. Mais bien sur, she blushed modestly. Sadly I did not get a chance to eat at Daphne's since we were so busy with the championships, but if you find yourself in Athens do drop in. I do hope it hasn't been attacked by protesters.
On the last night we had booked a large table for what was meant to be a celebratory dinner in the Thissio district, which is where what's left of Athenian cafe society is to be found. Filistron is known for having the best view of the Acropolis in the whole city. The roof terrace was packed. As we had ended up with "nul points" we were not exactly cheerful, and the thought of another plate of moussaka was depressing us even further. The set meal was a seemingly endless series of plates of food to share. I have to say that, although I'm sure the grub is better than you'll get down by the Plaka, it's a bit like Lebanese food in that there are a limited number of dishes. Stuffed vine leaves, olives, feta cheese, calamari, meatballs, souvlaki, aubergines, when you've worked your way through one lot of meze you've tasted all Greek food has to offer.
However, the view made up for everything. As the sun slowly went down and the sky darkened from duck-egg blue to azure to dark blue to black, the lights on the Parthenon came up, and by the time darkness fell the ancient ruin seemed to hover in the night sky. Magical. No wonder I can't remember anything about the food.
We almost forgot our misery about the competition result. But not quite. Manfred and the boys started singing mournful tunes. We got some very unpleasant looks from couples who were trying to have a romantic evening and whose mood was not being enhanced by Germans singing Leonard Cohen. As if the Greeks didn't have enough to be miserable about.
In May I was in Athens for the Euroompah championships, which involved a number of visits to Greek tavernas and other eating establishments. Many of them were chosen at random whilst wandering aimlessly through the Plaka. The only one that stands out is a taverna called Hermion in a courtyard off Pandrossou, where I had a Greek sausage omelette and a beer for lunch. There are some pretty restaurants on the slopes of the Acropolis, but I could not distinguish one from another in terms of food. Not one of them offered kleftiko. There was a fair bit of bouzouki music although to be fair, I didn't hear one smashing plate. I suppose in the current economic climate, they can't afford to be as extravagant as they used to be.
There is one restaurant in the Plaka which is reputed to be one of the best in Athens. Mais bien sur, she blushed modestly. Sadly I did not get a chance to eat at Daphne's since we were so busy with the championships, but if you find yourself in Athens do drop in. I do hope it hasn't been attacked by protesters.
On the last night we had booked a large table for what was meant to be a celebratory dinner in the Thissio district, which is where what's left of Athenian cafe society is to be found. Filistron is known for having the best view of the Acropolis in the whole city. The roof terrace was packed. As we had ended up with "nul points" we were not exactly cheerful, and the thought of another plate of moussaka was depressing us even further. The set meal was a seemingly endless series of plates of food to share. I have to say that, although I'm sure the grub is better than you'll get down by the Plaka, it's a bit like Lebanese food in that there are a limited number of dishes. Stuffed vine leaves, olives, feta cheese, calamari, meatballs, souvlaki, aubergines, when you've worked your way through one lot of meze you've tasted all Greek food has to offer.
However, the view made up for everything. As the sun slowly went down and the sky darkened from duck-egg blue to azure to dark blue to black, the lights on the Parthenon came up, and by the time darkness fell the ancient ruin seemed to hover in the night sky. Magical. No wonder I can't remember anything about the food.
We almost forgot our misery about the competition result. But not quite. Manfred and the boys started singing mournful tunes. We got some very unpleasant looks from couples who were trying to have a romantic evening and whose mood was not being enhanced by Germans singing Leonard Cohen. As if the Greeks didn't have enough to be miserable about.
