TRAVEL GUIDE
Athens
Old school tavernas and a thriving natural wine bar scene. Is Athens transforming into the new cool city?
I travelled to Athens with my business partner and three chefs from The Apollo and Greca to go to a food and wine trade fair and eat out as much as possible. Coincidentally my great friend and fellow restaurateur Con Christopoloulos (City Wine Shop, Butcher’s Diner, Supper Club, Siglo) was also in town researching for his freshly opened Kafeneion in Melbourne. We ate everything in the Athens food spectrum from street food to a couple of fancy hotel meals. Most people travelling to Greece bypass Athens or only spend a day seeing a couple of sites and I admit to have been guilty of this in the past. But never again.
When staying in Athens, I like to stay at Ergon House, a new hotel that is specifically laid out for foodies. It has an amazing deli, butcher and fresh seafood and produce mini market on the ground floor of the hotel. There are baked goods, tinned products and a wine shop located together adjoining a cafe restaurant. It is situated conveniently right in the centre of the city.
The bar scene in Athens has always been well regarded for its cocktails but on this trip I found the wine bars to be really excellent. Most of the great new wines of Greece do not actually make it to Australia as their production is so small. It all gets gobbled up locally or elsewhere in the E.U. The staff at Materia Prima wine bar in Pagrati are really knowledgeable and passionate, there is a great selection of wines, mostly Greek but also international wines, inside a modern space where you can order small plates of food. For something a little more old-wordly, Hetereclito is a European-style wine bar in Syntagma that has a Greek and natural leaning wine list.
Bread and tarama from Isandsia; The produce store at Ergon House
Greek food to me is about place, memory and seasonality. Having never been to Greece outside of the summer we were all fascinated to eat more of the comfort food that is cooked in the cooler months. And we found plenty of it. If you're looking for a traditional old-school taverna, where the locals eat, then Diporto is about as rustic as it gets. You'll find this brilliant but basic 130 year-old restaurant under a small archway around the corner from the Varvakeios markets, and down a few stairs into a basement. The food is so delicious but don’t go here looking for ceremony, there is no menu and you kind of eat what you are served. The owner has been working here for close to 50 years. Don’t ask for share plates, either.
If you want a delectable seafood restaurant then Travolta is a polished restaurant in a slick setting with a beautiful courtyard. You'll need to make a reservation here. It's a little outisde the city centre, but it's worth the taxi ride out.
The rustic taverna that is Diporto (above). An assyrtiko wine from Materia Prima wine bar.
In an old candle factory that still sells beautiful massive orthodox candles is Isandsia. This is a restaurant that would not be out of place in either Enmore or Collingwood. It has terrific taverna food with an inspired wine list with lots of interesting and rare Greek wines from all over the country - sidenote: it is also right in the middle of the best nightclub and late night bar area in Atens, too.
Kerameikou is a really great and vibrant part of town where you'll find Seychelles, with traditionally-inspired food. This is a lovely lunch spot with both a group or as an intimate meal for two. You can't come to Athens whithout trying a classic souvlakia, and Kostas is a great pork souvlakia stand not far from Syntagma square on Pentelis St. Make sure you ask for mustard, and eat it straight on the street with a can of Alpha beer, of course.
Words by Sam Christie
Christie is the restauranteur behind Sydney restaurants The Apollo, Cho Cho San and recently Olympus Dining.
Images Adobe and Instagram.
