Tavernas, Souvlaki Joints and More Plus a Culinary Trip to Pireaus

Anyone who chances across the most recently published statistics of the Greek Ministry of the Interior1 might easily be convinced that Athens is paradise for restaurateurs. According to the report, Athenian adults spend more time dining out than the residents of any other city in the world. Of the nearly one million people over the age of 16 who live in the city's greater metropolitan area, 85% start their day at a cafe; more than 50% visit a cafe twice every day; nearly 75% have dinner at a restaurant at least once a week; and 55% have dinner out three or more times every week. According to the same report, during the course of their lifetimes, Athenians spend more time in restaurants and cafes than they do at either school or work. Even more startling, Athenians pass more time eating out every week than they do watching television.

Dining out or spending one's time in public places where food and drinks are served has been an accepted and important part of the Athenian life style since philosophers strolled on the hill of the Acropolis, 2,000 years ago. Even more than this, however, today as then, the people of the city thrive on the fact that dining out, whether for a snack, a beverage or a full meal is as much a social as a culinary activity.

Also as in olden days, Athenians have a wide variety of places in which they can satisfy their appetites. The best known of Athenian eateries are probably the "tavernas", which, while never truly luxurious, are often extremely welcoming and comfortable. The simplest tavernas, which for many of even the wealthiest and most sophisticated of Athenians, are often found in plain rooms in nondescript buildings or in patios and gardens under arbors and olives trees. The furnishings at most of these places usually consist of plain wooden tables and chairs, the tables covered with white paper, and a kitchen that is fully open to view. In many of either the simplest of fanciest of tavernas, diners are fully expected to wander into the kitchen, peek into the pots on the stove and perhaps even take a forkful of this or a spoonful of that before deciding on what dishes they want to order. In some tavernas, no choice is offered, and waiters simply arrive at your table with platters of whatever dishes are being offered that day.

Some of the most charming aspects Athenian tavernas are set in a gardens on the roofs of the buildings in which they are housed. Traditionally, the roofs of Athenian buildings used to be flat in order to collect rainwater, which was drained off and fed into storage tanks. When water systems became common in the 19th century, people no longer needed their roofs as a source of water, but realized that they could be refreshingly cool places to spend spring and summer evenings. The idea first became popular with restaurants in the 19th century. It has never lost its popularity.

Taverna dining may be a relatively informal affair but meals taken there often include many courses and thus require at least several hours. Unlike the tavernas in most of Greece, those of Athens are open only in the evening hours. And, because Athenians dine late according to French, English or Italian standards, most tavernas do not even open their doors before 9 in the evening during the months of winter and 10 p.m. during the summer months.

Lunch, which is generally eaten at close to 2 p.m., is taken in places even more informal than the tavernas. Even though several Western style snack bars (and to the sorrow of the most civilized Athenians, even some American fast food eateries) have opened in the last decade, the most popular places for lunch or snacks re- main the city's six thousand souvlaki shops. (Souvlaki, like the Turkish shish kebab or the Arab shishlik, consists of small cubes of marinated lamb that are placed on wooden skewers and cooked over hot charcoals).

Even though such establishments are categorized by Athenian law as "public dining establishments" it is probably more realistic to categorize most of them as "joints", for there is absolutely nothing fancy about such places, many of which exist in tiny little shops, the most prestigious thing about which is a framed photograph of Saint Spiridon that hangs on the wall. All such places have a bar at which people sit and eat. Some have tables as well but like the chairs or stools that one sits on these are generally rickety and if they are covered with anything at all it is with a well worth sheet of oil cloth or a paper tablecloth. With nothing the least bit fancy and lacking any signs whatever of pretension, the food is the only reason to come to one of these places and even that is simple, a variety of meats cooked on the grill and almost invariably accompanied by good fresh bread and chips. Many souvlaki joints also have a vertical spit on which is cooking meat remarkably similar at first appearance to Middle-Eastern shawarma. That first glance is the end of the similarity, however, for this treat, known as donner kebab in both Greek and Turkish, is made only from the highest quality lamb, lovingly spiced and marinated, and is often a treat beyond compare. As to what one drinks at a souvlaki joint - only tourists order wine at such places and the locals know that the most refreshing beverages are ice cold bottled beer or fresh apple cider.

Because Athenians have a freely admitted passion for sweets, many will have their lunch at one of the city's many zacharoplasteion, pastry shops where, among the most popular treats are baklava, kadaif (both of which originated in Greece and not in the Middle-East as is often thought) and galaktoboureko, hollow pastries filled to overflowing with custard cream, and an enormous variety of layer cakes, custards, puddings and mousses. One of the few truly uncivilized things about Athenians is that even though most of these pastry shops also sell excellent coffee and tea, many of them insist on drinking Coca-Cola with their pastries.

Those who want to dine even more informally on sweets purchase their cakes from pastry vendors, most of whom sell their fare from tiny little windows in even tinier little shops. Most of these vendors feature such treats as bourekia which are similar to jelly doughnuts; bougatsa, which are pastry pies filled with chocolate or vanilla cream; or milopitta, which are miniature apple pies. Many of these street-side vendors also offer rolls that are filled with small sausages. What never fails to surprise is that the fare at even the simplest most out-of-the way of these places is almost always exceptionally delicious. What delights almost as much is that these treats never cost more than a few drachmas.

Nor are such places the end of one's dining possibilities. Popular at any time of the day from 5 in the morning until midnight or later, are the hundreds of yoghurt shops that are to be found everywhere in the city. All of Greece is famous for the freshness and quality of its yoghurt, and Athens is no exception to that rule. Many Athenians wander into one of these shops (most have a counter and chairs at which one can eat their purchases) and feast on fresh, thick yoghurt with honey for breakfast. Even more have learned to make their lunch by first wandering into one of the many shops that specialize in figs, dates, prunes, raisins and nuts, there to buy a few drachmas worth of whatever suits their fancy, and to take their purchase to a yogurt shop, there to buy a cup of yoghurt and to mix it with the fruits and nuts of their choice.

Athens is also a paradise for lovers of the cafe. As in most Mediterranean countries, Athenians need no excuse at all to enter any of the hundreds of cafes or cafenion, that are found everywhere in the city. Athenian cafes range in size from the miniscule (I know of one that has only three places), to the huge (one of the cafes in Syntagma Square seats 3,000 people at a time). Regardless of their size, all serve coffee, cakes and snacks. Some, more accurately categorized as cafe-restaurants, serve full meals. Regardless of the style, level of fanciness or price range, after ordering even a single cup of coffee one is entitled to keep his or her place for as long as they like. No one will ever rush you or ask you to live.

Greek coffee comes in three degrees of sweetness: metrio - medium strong and medium sweet; variglyko - strong and sweet; and sketo - strong and with no sugar. Unlike most Greeks who drink their coffee fee metrio, Athenians tend to like their coffee with no sugar. Definitely worth remembering is that because such strong negative feelings exist between Greece and Turkey, one should never ask for a cup of "Turkish coffee". In a fine, cultured cafe that is a certain way to alienate oneself from every other person in the cafe. In some low class cafes, a request for "Turkish coffee" might be tantamount to committing suicide.

Dinner at Costoyannis

Everyone has a favorite Athenian taverna and mine is "Costoyannis", a place that has been in the same location and owned by the same family for almost 90 years. The entrance to the rambling dining room is via the kitchen, which has the advantage of letting you know exactly what you will be eating. One large glass case displays the various appetizers that are ready to be served and another holds the fresh fish, seafood and meat that will be cooked to your order and, whether one dines in the garden, surrounded by whitewashed walls and grape vines or indoors in the comfortable but not overly formal dining room, the food here is always spe- cial.

The traditional way to open the evening meal at a taverna is with mezedes, a selection of mixed appetizers. Because over two hundred different mezes are offered here, on my last visit I was with a friend and we decided to trust Spiros the waiter and asked him make our selection for us. Spiros must have thought that we two had the appetite of a small brigade of soldiers, but each of the five dishes that made their way to our table proved magnificent. The vine leaves filled with rice, raisins and pine nuts had been seasoned with parsley and mint and the egg and lemon sauce that accompanied them was a delight; the octopus, marinated in garlic, oil and vinegar was as tender as one could want; the hard goat's cheese, fried just until it began to melt was splendid and went marvelously with the fresh country- style bread that was served; and the veal sausages, seasoned with hot pepper, grill spice and oregano went marvelously with hot home-made mustard. As soon as we had polished off these tidbits, Spiros showed up with several more plates, one of onions that had been marinated in dry white wine, olive oil and bay leaves and another of chicken livers that had been fried together with onion, chili pepper and paprika. All was marvelous but the best of our meze was still to come, and we could not have been more pleased with the large plate of clams that made an appearance. Cooked in a rich chicken stock and then stuffed with rice, fried onions, currants and pine nuts, all hinting of the flavor of cinnamon and allspice and white wine, these were a treat worth remembering.

Spiros seemed pleased with our appetites and after a visit to the kitchen we decided on two main courses. In the first dish we tried, large shrimp had been marinated in a mixture of white wine, vinegar, minced garlic and pepper. The shrimps had then been wrapped in slices of bacon, placed on wooden skewers and then grilled. The result was splendid. For our other dish we ordered one of the house specialties, goose that had been stuffed with chestnuts, apples and onions and then baked slowly and basted often with its own drippings until the meat was perfectly tender. It would be difficult to find a more perfect example of this classic dish anywhere in Greece. Our bill come to a most reason- able 8000 drachmas (about $52) including two bottles of wine and an extra tip for the very pleasant Spiros the waiter.

Feasting on Souvlaki

There are literally thousands of souvlaki joints in the city but the one I find most to my taste is the tiny little "Apostos". I have probably dined here a hundred times but always have trouble finding the little arcade, not far from Syntagma square, in which this place, with its high ceilings and walls lined with posters and mirrors advertising English biscuits, Scotch whisky and French mustard. The waiters here all seem to be either under thirteen years old or over eighty and the cashier watches the customers as if they were all potential armed robbers but the search is always worthwhile and on my last visit I settled down at a rickety table, there to start off with two salads. The first, taramasalata, is a light salad based on smoked cod's roe which is processed to a paste with garlic, breadcrumbs and lemon juice and then enriched with olive oil and is always scooped up with bread. The second, tzadziki, is a simple but elegant combination of fresh yoghurt, cucumbers, garlic, dill and lemon juice. When my waiter asked what I wanted for a main course, I told her to bring souvlaki. When she asked how many I wanted, I simply smiled and told her that I would tell her to stop when I had had enough. Before long I had managed to finish nine souvlaki, a portion of the spicy veal sausage known as nadenitsa, a large order of chips and a generous basket of bread. My bill, including two beers came to just under 1,000 drachmas, (about $6).

Call them traditional, conservative or limited, but it is an in- escapable fact of life that Athenians show a strong preference for the dishes of their own nation when they dine out. This is not as limiting as it may seem, however, for in addition to culinary in- fluences from different regions within the nation, restaurants and tavernas are made different by the talents and whims of the cooks that work in them. There are no chefs in Athenian tavernas. Those responsible for the preparation of food are often reliable and competent professionals, but to a person they acknowledge that they are "cooks" and not "chefs". Interestingly, it is just as likely to find a woman in charge of the kitchen of a taverna as a man and regardless of their sex, most of the best cooks started to learn their profession as apprentices at between the age of eight and twelve.

Regardless of how plain or fancy they may be, nearly all of the tavernas and restaurants in the city are family owned, and many have been owned by members of the same family for six or more generations. Many tavernas, including some of the largest and best known in the city, make it a policy to employ only family members. At Costoyannis, for example, the kitchen staff are all brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and first and second cousins of the mater- nal side of the family while those on the service and business side are all related to the paternal side. Spiros, my favorite waiter at Costoyanis, for example comes from Corfu, and his father was a second cousin to the founder of the restaurant. He calcu- lates with a smile that he is a sixth cousin, four times removed to the current owners. Although "outsiders" are sometimes hired by such restaurants, a bit of research will reveal that they are related, at least by marriage, to someone else on the staff.

ZONAR: 6 Panepistimou Avenue, one block from Syntagma Square. Open daily from 06:00 - 02:00. With its chocolate broen walls, light ceilings, chandeliers and marble topped tables, this is one of the city's best known zacharoplasteions or pastry shops. Considered one of the best places in the city at which to meet friends, the coffee is always superb and the cakes, whether done in the Greek or a Greek interpretation of the Viennese style are always excellent. Cappuccino, Vienese, French or Greek coffee cost about $1.00 and the cakes cost $2 - $3 each. Definitely worth trying.

COSTOYANNIS: 37 Zaimi St (near the National Archaeological Museum). Of all of the tavernas in the city, this is by far my favorite. For details on the ambiance and food see the box within the text of the article. Open from 21:00 - about 02:00. Closed Sundays. Reservations recommended. Telephone: 8212-496. Reasonable prices (the average bill, including wine, is under $20 per person).

TAVERNA MYRTIA: 32 Trivonianou Street (near the Panathenium). A traditional taverna that features excellent shrimp and lobster for starters, perhaps the best moussaka in town, and really good lamb stew, roast pork. Open daily from 21:00 - 01:00. Telephone: 7012-276. Reservations required. Expensive by Greek standards ($25 - $30 per person) but excellent value for money.

XYNOU: 4 Angelou Geronta Street (in the Plaka section of Athens). 0q? The favorite of cabinet ministers, university professors and wealthy businesspeople, some say that this is the best taverna in Athens. Open daily from 20:30 - 01:00. Closed Sundays. Reser- vations required. Telephone: 3321-065. Expensive by Greek standards ($30 - $35 per person).

GEROFINIKAS: 10 Pindarou Street, near Syntagma Square. A highly popular place with excellent traditional dishes such as lamb fricassee, lamb on the spit, chicken in yoghurt sauce, and calves liver in red wine. Open daily from 12:30 - 24:00. Telephone 3636-710. Dinner reservations recommended. Moderately priced. (The average bill is about $12.50 per person).

TA NISSIA: in the Hilton Hotel, 46 Vassilissis Sophias Ave. In addition to having retained the distinctive wooden ceiling and hand carved stone walls of the old taverna of this same name, this really fine restaurant features some dishes you will find nowhere else in the city. Try the suckling pig on the spit, the stuffed turbot, the deep-fried philo dough stuffed with chopped meat. Expensive ($40 - 45 per person). Open for dinner from 19:30 to 24:30 (closed July and August). Reservations recommended. Telephone 7220-201.

PRUNIER: 63 Ipsilantou Street (near the Hilton Hotel). Athen's only really good classic French restaurant. Specialties are artichoke hearts with foie gras, lobster quenelles and duckling in raspberry sauce. The fact that the menu is similar to that in Lyon's famous Mere Brazier is not a coincidence, because chef Jean Ange trained there. Open daily from 20:00 - 01:00. Closed July and August. Reservations required. Telephone 7227-379. Even at nearly $40 per person this is excellent value for money.

THE STEAK ROOM: 6 Eginitou Street (near the American Embassy): An American style steak house with really superb T-bone, Porterhouse and strip sirloin steaks. Probably the best steak house in the city. Open from 19:30 - 01:30, closed Sunday. Reservations recommended. Telephone 7217-445. Moderately priced.

DA WALTER: 87 Evzonon Street (at the corner of Anapiron Polemon in Kolonaki, between the American and British Embassies). An 0h? attractive little restaurant with completely genuine and quite good Milanese style food. Open daily from 20:00 - 01:00. Reservations recommended. Telephone 7248-726. Moderately priced.

A Trip to Mikrolimano

This tiny little village, adjoining Pireaus about 10 kilometers from the city center is known as "the dining room of Athens" and thousands of people come here every night of the year to feast on fish and seafood prepared in the Greek way. There are dozens of tavernas here. All have tables set along the waterfront, the prices are almost identical wherever one looks, and none accept reservations, so one will do well to arrive between nine and nine thirty, when tables are still available. Nearly every Athenian has his or her favorite restaurant here, but my own is the long-established "Zefiros", where the shrimps always seem larger, the calamari always more garlicky and the lobsters always more meaty.

My last meal here started with baby eggplants preserved in sherry vinegar and fried zucchini seasoned with rosemary. From there I settled down to the serious business of seafood. Unlike the French and Italians who like their lobster mayonnaise chilled, the Greeks serve this dish as soon as the lobster comes out of the pot. With a mayonnaise made with tarragon vinegar and powdered mustard, the one kilo lobster I had was a treat and went well with the deep fried whole baby calamaris that accompanied the dish. The son of the owner, Nikos, insisted that I also try his casserole of shrimp with tarragon and feta cheese. With its subtle flavors enhanced by garlic, the dish was marvelous. My bill, (Nikos did not charge me for the shrimp dish), came to an amazingly low $18, including a bottle of the surprisingly good house white wine.

ZEFIROS: on the waterfront in Mikrolimano. About $8.00 by taxi or take the subway from Omonia Square to the Neon Phaleron stop. Open daily from 20:45 - 03:00. Reservations not accepted. Moderate prices.

A Few Notes on Greek Wines

Retsina is a wine with a two thousand year old history. When the Greeks originally shipped their wines from village to village they did so in pine-wood casks that had been caulked with resin. The taste of the resin permeated the wines, but because there was no choice in those earlier days, the people tolerated this. Later, the taste became a habit and now, even though modern vats and bottles are used, resin is no longer needed but the drink is so popular that the flavor is added artificially. Those who enjoy retsina claim that it rarely causes hangovers, aids in the digestion and is good for sexual energy. Others, like myself, find that even the best retsina tastes exactly like well aged turpentine and drink it only when refusing it might offend someone. Greek brandies are rated in quality from one to eight stars. To my great sadness, even the best of these are too sweet and too harsh.

Ouzo is another story, however. Probably the most popular beverage in Greece, this is a liqueur based on aniseed. Similar to the French Pernod or the Middle-Eastern Arak, it can be drunk with or without water. In its pure form ouzo is clear and nearly odor- less. When mixed with water it becomes cloudy and the distinct scent of anise is noticeable. A smooth, tasty drink, ouzo has only one drawback. No matter how much ouzo one drinks one will never feel intoxicated - until they try to stand up and suddenly discover that the eighty three muscles that control the legs and the sixty four that are used in giggling no longer respond to the commands of the brain. Only those who will not be embarrassed to find themselves planted on the floor, giggling uncontrollably should drink ouzo on an empty stomach.

Greece may be the land of Bacchus, but it is not a land of great wines. In fact, many of the wines produced here are terrible and unless you know what to order, there is a good chance you will re- ceive something relatively undrinkable. My suggestions, for good red wines are for Castel Danielis from the Peloponese, Caviros from Attica; Naoussa from Macedonia; or Chevaliaer de Rhodes from Rhodes. If you're on a budget, drink the red Demestica. Among white wines, the best are Sauta Laura from the Peloponnese; Robola from Cephalonia; Cava Cambas (my personal favorite) from Attica; and Domaine Carras from Porto Carras.

If one wants to try a broad tasting of Greek wines, the best place to go is the "Kellari" in the Hilton Hotel where over 100 wines can be sampled, many by the glass

To Find Several Traditional Taverna Recipes, click-here.

© Daniel Rogov