Greece - Part 5: Oikonomou

This is the last post of the Greece series and I have saved the best for last: a traditional meal in a proper, local Greek taverna.  Coincidentally, this was also our last meal in Greece and a perfect way to end our holiday.  We had walked for almost half an hour from Lykavittos Hill through the suburban streets to find Oikonomou,  nestled amongst other local tavernas and apartment blocks.  The area around the main street of Troon had a lovely local feeling, especially on Sunday when families were out for a meal or a stroll in the neighbourhood. 


Oikonomou doesn't have a sign and is so plain and simple you would miss it if there weren't so many people eating there.  We were lucky to get a table outside under a tree, although there were some free tables inside.  There are no menus and we were sent the youngest waiter to speak to us in English which confirms just how traditional this place is.


There are the usual basics and daily specials which they read out to you.  We made the most of our last meal, sticking with the local favourites:  fava bean dip with a splash of lemon and olive oil to add smoothness and taste to the lovely yellow bean taste.  This was served with some lovely fresh bread and went well with stuffed cabbage leaf rolls which were so delicious, I considered asking if they would hire me as a waitress so I could stay in Athens.  It was surprising that we hadn't come across the cabbage rolls as much and quite a shame that we hadn't discovered Oikonomou earlier although it wouldn't have been very adventurous to eat there every day. 

Fava bean dip - rabbit stifado - Greek salad - stuffed cabbage leaves

Our main dish was Stifado - traditional Greek rabbit stew made with lots of pearl onions in a tomato sauce.  This was hearty and was just the thing to have in a traditional taverna like Oikonomou.  And of course, our final meal in Greece would not have been complete without a Greek salad which had become a staple during our trip.


All washed down with Mythos beer and sunshine, what a perfect way to end our trip.  Oikonomou is the perfect place for a traditional, hearty taverna meal.  It's simplicity and great value add to the charm of the place and we recommend it to anyone who wants to experience the real flavours of Greece.


What:  Oikonomou
Where:  Corner of Troon and Kyndantidon
How much:  Can't remember the details but the dishes were reasonable local prices

Greece - Part 4: Athens

Returning to Greece again after reminiscing about those tasty kebaps, this post features Athens, an interesting city full of historic sights, nestled amongst the different neighbourhoods of the capital.  Two great areas away from the main tourist spots are Psirri and Gazi.  Psirri is an old neighbourhood where small, winding streets are filled with bars and restaurants, many playing live music.  It's where the locals, both young and old, come out to enjoy the nightlife.  We had drinks at one of the relaxed bars before dinner at Oineas with it's welcoming and interesting decor. The food here was simple but enjoyable and service was friendly which we found just about everywhere in Greece.


Further west from Psirri is Gazi, the area named for the old gas works that it surrounds.  Gazi is very trendy and modern which attracts younger groups.  We enjoyed the many new restaurants and bars all in one concentrated square which made it easy for checking out.  Dinner at Mamacas was nice as the restaurant was so pretty and comfortable and the food simple but fresh.  What I liked most were the bars, especially the Hoxton Bar which served good cocktails in a cool but relaxed environment - oh and they serve popcorn as a free bar snack!  Prior to cocktails at the Hoxton, we had splashed out on a cocktail at the Galaxy Bar in the Hilton after reading about the great views over the city.  But for the price and atmosphere, I preferred my cocktail and popcorn at the Hoxton and highly recommend the lively area if you want to have lots of options without going too far.

Mamacas -  Oineas - The Hoxton Bar

During the day, I also recommend the streets around Thissio Park, en route to many of the tourist sights of Athens.  Here you can find many bars and cafes serving more of those excellent ice frappes.  My pick would be Moma, followed closely by Gallery Cafe, both on Adrianou.  

Make the most of the best iced coffees in Europe

Meat lovers will love Greece

But back to the food and you can expect to find a lot of meat in Greece. At both Oineas and Mamacas, Dave and I were faced with unlimited meat choices but not much else.  It was nice and tasty but nothing amazing.  For something more special but not over the top, we we recommend Strofi, a restaurant with a great view of the Acropolis.  


Strofi is a little more upmarket but service is still friendly and the place has a nice relaxed feel to it, especially on the terrace looking up to the Acropolis.  We had our best Athens dinner here with starters of moussaka (we couldn't get enough of the real deal here) and some zucchini fritters.  For mains I had a simple, fresh grilled fish whilst Dave had lamb baked in a bag with potatoes.  Greeks really know what they're doing with lamb, fish and vegetables so all of it was a winner.  And yes, we couldn't go past our favourite Greek red, the Katogi.

Dinner on the terrace at Strofi overlooking the Acropolis

If these places and the kebaps  haven't sparked your interest to visit Athens or Greece, then stay tuned for the final part of the Greece series which features the last, but best meal of our Greece holiday.  


What:  Restaurants, bars and cafes of Athens
Where:  Oineas (Esopou 9, Psirri Square), Mamacas (Περσεφόνης 41, Gazi), Hoxton Bar (42 Voutadon Street, Gazi), Galaxy Bar (The Hilton, 46 Vassilissis Sofias Avenue), Moma and Gallery Cafe (Adrianou 49 and 33) and Strofi (Rovertou Galli 25)
How much:  Various but food is generally good value

Greece - Part 3: Kebap Heaven

Although there are so many places to blog about including the endless list of amazing food experiences in Japan, I can't help but keep returning to Greece and whenever I do, the kebaps from Thanassis pop into my head.  They were so good, Dave and I had it twice during our 3 days in Athens!


Famous for their kebaps on pita with grilled tomatoes, Thanassis is a vibrant souvlaki restaurant near Monastiraki where you can sit down for the famous grilled meats plated up along with some Greek salad and a beer.  Alternatively, you can grab a kebap to go from the takeaway part of the restaurant which we did on our second visit and had no regrets.  You could order the kebap rolls with chips as an optional filling - what a combination that I'm sure Jack would love it!.  And what amazing value at only €1.90 a roll!

Kebap on a plate - grilling the meat, tomatoes & bread - kebap to go

Obviously as we were in Greece, there were plenty of choices for souvlaki, but Thanassis is popular among locals and tourists and with a constant flow of patrons, it means that the food is fresh and hasn't been sitting there for ages.  


No trip to Greece is complete without a kebap - I think it's unavoidable in this country.  But I would say no trip to Athens is complete without a visit to Thanassis.


What:  The best kebaps ever at Thanassis
Where:  Mitropoleos 67, Monastiraki Square, Athens, Greece
How much:  €1.90 for a takeaway kebap (guys will probably need more than one for lunch),  plates from €6 (from memory)

Greece Part 2: Santorini

It's been a long time waiting for part 2 of my Greece series so I apologise for the delay - Jack and I are obviously too busy with work and other things such as organising our Japan trip that we haven't made enough time for the roof.  So back to Greece, and in particular Santorini, a beautiful island in the Cyclades, famous for it's caldera.  We had a relaxing four days here with a lovely meal each day in Oia where we stayed.

Illegal Kokoretsi!

The first restaurant we ate at was Anemomilos, which was recommended by the staff at our nearby hotel Ikies.  Anemomilos served true home cooked dishes in a very relaxed atmosphere.  As we had arrived at the restaurant quite late (although Greeks tend to eat dinner around 10pm) it was pretty quiet and they had run out of the traditional Easter lamb on the spit.  I was extremely disappointed but my spirits picked up when I was allowed to go to the food counter where they had many of the pre-prepared dishes available on show.  This was great as each dish was explained to me and when I couldn't decide, a selection was provided.  

Kofta, moussaka and orzo pasta

This was a good chance to sample kokoretsi - roasted lamb/goat intestines.  It is definitely not for everyone and is technically illegal to sell under EU regulations!  Nevertheless, Dave and I are always keen to try local "specialties" and were glad to have the chance at Anemomilos.  It wasn't too bad, especially the outside but it's definitely a dish you can't eat too much off.  Unlike the other dishes we had:  moussaka, kofta with orzo pasta and some lamb and potatoes.  Anemomilos is a great option if you want simple, home cooked Greek cuisine in a relaxed setting.


The next day, Dave and I had lunch down in Amoudi Bay, which is popular for it's fish taverns and for catching some sun or the famous Oia sunsets.  We went to Dimitris, recommended by our hotel.  You could pick your seafood by going inside to the kitchen which looked more like a fish shop with lots of fresh fish on ice.  They also served some frozen seafood but will inform you if it is not fresh.  We had a couple of red mullet which was lightly fried - the flesh was so soft and juicy and you could really tell it was fresh.  We also had a black bream which was grilled on the coals outside, along with some fresh eggplant and of course, some Greek salad.  It was very tasty although it is not a cheap meal as the seafood is fresh but a lovely lunch option. 

Fresh mullet and black bream and grilled eggplant

That evening we went to Kyprida which was recommended to me by Tess (who comes up with the goods time and time again).  Kyprida is a lovely terrace restaurant which is great for enjoying a glass of wine.  This was also the place where we had out first bottle of Katogi, probably one of the best Greek red wines at €20.  I had some haloumi to start which always satisfies, then moussaka which was delicious.  Dave had kebap which was simple but nice.  The best part of our meal was the fabulous service from Panos, a lovely waiter from Athens who had also become friends with Tess and her travel party.  Kyprida is a great spot for enjoying the lovely evenings.

Kebap - restaurant from outside - Moussaka

For something a little more special, I would recommend Nectar and Ambrosia, which is slightly more casual than it's sister restaurant Ambrosia.  Our meals here were excellent and also a little different, especially Dave's calamari cooked in a mushroom and ouzo sauce which was delicious.  I had Santorini feta in filo pastry as a starter then lamb for my mains which were satisfying. 

Calamari and Filo Pastry Starters - Lamb Main

Dave had moussaka for his main which went well with another bottle of our favourite Greek wine. Service was excellent here and it was lovely to see the changing colour of the sky from the restaurant.  

More moussaka - the sky from Nectar & Ambrosia - Another bottle of Katogi

This was a great way to finish our stay in Santorini.  

Greece - Part 1: Introducing Mezés & Frappés

As summer is coming to a rapid end in the UK, I decided to take myself back to the lovely spring holiday to Greece in April.  In this series of posts, I will share some of the tastes of Greece and also recommend some great places to visit and eat based on our 10 day trip.

Fresh fruit and bread everywhere from street vendors and fresh coconut juice

To start I am going to do a quick intro of some of the flavours of Greece including Greek mezés (small dishes of food) normally eaten with a glass of ouzo (an 80 proof alcoholic drink, often served with ice) if you are in an ouzeria (a type of Greek tavern).

Some of most popular mezés we tried include:

• Fava - a puree/dip made from yellow split peas, served with salty food or bread.  It's especially lovely with a drizzle of olive oil and/or lemon.
• Dolmathes - stuffed vine leaves with rice and sometimes meat; also commonly found outside of Greece but tastes much lighter and fresher in Greece 
• Greek salad - again, so much better in Greece where the feta is light and smooth and the tomatoes are full of flavour
• Spanakopita - spinach pie (in filo pastry); can be served in small triangles or as a slice of a big pie
• Saganaki - a saganaki is a small fry pan and cheese or prawn saganaki are commonly served as mezés.  Cheese saganaki is like pan fried halloumi served with lemon - those who know my love of halloumi will appreciate how exciting this was for me.
• Soutzoukakia - spicy little sausages in tomato sauce

Mezes - the perfect accompaniment for Greece' climate and lifestyle

I was also introduced to carrot dip which I had a couple of times - the dip has strips of fresh carrot in it which gives it a smooth and crunchy taste sensation.  Yum.  Along with the fresh fruit and veg, there is also plenty of fresh seafood in Greece given the coastline and the hundreds of islands that make up Greece.  Grilled or marinated octopus is popular, as are fried calamari.  Sardines and anchovies are also commonly eaten and can be found on many menus as a starter.  And of course there is loads of fresh fish.

Now a quick word on Greek frappé coffee - iced coffees with a sweet but strong coffee flavour, served chilled.  I wasn't expecting Greece to be the land of iced coffees but Dave and I pretty much had one everyday as they were sooo good, especially in warm weather.  Fresh coconut and orange juice is always available also but the iced coffees were so consistently good we couldn't pass them up.  Apart from that, the other well known drink of Greece is Retsina, a white wine with resin added to it.  We weren't game enough and instead stuck to our favourite local beer of Mythos, in between the frappés. 

Outdoor cafe in Parikia - Another refreshing frappe - Outdoor bar in Naoussa

In my next post, I will give a tour of the best eats from Santorini which was the second Cyclades island we visited.  Our first stop was Paros, a relatively large but quiet island.  As it was the Easter weekend when we arrived, a lot of restaurants in Parikia (where we stayed) were closed and whilst we had some nice meals, there was nothing blog-worthy.  I would like to however, mention the bars of Naoussa (on the other side of the island) which are the typical white washed buildings right on the water - very chilled out with great views, perfect for a frappe or a glass of your favourite drink and some mezés.  What a great way to live!