Mokka
CremeRoyale Bake House Cafe
Strouga
Food Rating: 7/10
We started the tour with the famous Greek coffee. They demonstrated the very fascinating process of how they prepare coffee in Greece, and Alexandra shared the history and context of Greek coffee. I don’t drink coffee, so they provided me with a chocolate shake (a great substitute). It seemed like the coffee was so good though.
Strouga
CremeRoyale Bake House Cafe
Strouga
Food Rating: 9/10
I loved sampling an assortment of cheeses (ricotta, ladotyri, graviera, metsovone) and Greek yogurt at a cheese/dairy shop. This spot felt extra special because it’s truly for the locals and has been around for so long—it’s not even listed as a business on Google Maps! All the cheeses were delicious and my favorite was the ladotyri, which is made with olive oil. I’ve also had so much Greek yogurt in the States but have had nothing like this one. It was so fresh, creamy, and had just the right amount of tang and sweetness. Topping it with their local honey made it the best combo.
CremeRoyale Bake House Cafe
CremeRoyale Bake House Cafe
CremeRoyale Bake House Cafe
Food Rating: 9/10
Another amazing combo is sweet and savory pie. The Spanakopita, Greece’s spinach pie, at this spot was the best one I’ve ever had. The pie was baked to perfection as it was so crispy and flaky—their crust was the highlight. I loved the Bougatsa (sweet pie) just as much, if not more. The sweet custard was lovely.
Kastello Taverna
Kastello Taverna
CremeRoyale Bake House Cafe
Food Rating: 10/10
Wow is all I can say about this stop. I was shocked by all the dishes we tried and loved that our group of 8 was able to eat them family-style. Tavernas are a great way to experience authentic Greek food and “hole-in-the-wall” dining. Each dish was DELICIOUS and I likely wouldn’t have tried most of them if it weren’t for the food tour. My favorite was surprisingly the Kolokithokeftedes, which were fried zucchini balls. They were fried to perfection and had a savory and tasty filling that reminded me of a samosa. I dipped these in the Tzatziki and it was the best combo. The Tzatziki was also the best I’ve ever had because of its freshness and flavor. I also loved the Bekri meze, known as their “drunken pork stew.” It was the most flavorful dish on the table and even had a little kick! The feta on this dish was also so good. The Calamari was fried perfectly and had so much flavor—it was comparable to, if not better, than the one I had in Italy. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Makarounes, their pasta with caramelized onion, cheese, olive oil, and butter. It was simple yet delicious—a good pasta doesn’t need excessive ingredients in my book. This was also the best Greek Salad I’ve ever had; all of the veggies were so fresh. I like how they didn’t use lettuce and had bell peppers instead for more crunch. They served us Ouso, Greece’s signature drink. It was very strong for my taste, but I liked the black licorice flavor. I wouldn’t have tried it otherwise but am glad I did! What a meal!
Kostas Souvlaki
Kastello Taverna
Kostas Souvlaki
Food Rating: 10/10
The tour was far from over because the souvlaki at Kostas felt like the star of it, even after all those dishes at the taverna. Kostas is revered as one of the best souvlaki places in all of Athens and was Alexandra’s favorite. I can attest to its popularity and success because each bite was an explosion of flavors. Each component was done so well and came together so beautifully. The beef was grilled perfectly, so flavorful on its own, and very tender. The beef, onions, and tomato were topped with marinara, which was unexpected as it’s usually served with tzatziki. But I preferred the marinara because it’s lighter than tzatziki and went so well with the other components. This was all wrapped in the best, fluffiest, and softest pita. I learned here that the best souvlaki doesn’t need fries and saw why—it would’ve detracted from all that flavor. Highly, highly recommend.
Lukumades
Kastello Taverna
Kostas Souvlaki
Food Rating: 10/10
This felt like the grand finale of an EPIC food tour. These doughnut holes were like fried balls of heaven as they were perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Greece is known for their honey and the honey & cinnamon went so well with the doughnuts. However, the pistachio stole the show. It was decadent, creamy, nutty, and so flavorful. I’m now a pistachio cream aficionado. I couldn’t get over how delicious this dessert was; it was the best way to round out this incredible tour.
Restaurants
Achilleas Vergina
O Gyros Pou Gyrevis
O Gyros Pou Gyrevis
Food Rating: 10/10
The Pita Chicken Gyros at Achilleas Vergina was the perfect way to start my food tour; it was incredible! I had gyros and souvlaki in the States and nothing compared to this. I normally order pork but the server recommended chicken and he didn’t steer me wrong. The chicken was so flavorful, crispy, and juicy. The highlight was surprisingly the sauce, which I expected to be tzatziki but was an even better dijon/mayo/mustard concoction that I wish I knew the name of. Everything came together so beautifully and I highly recommend this spot, even though it’s a little far from the city center! We went after our morning trek up the Lycabettus Hill and it was the perfect lunch spot. It’s also close to the National Archaelogical Museum.
O Gyros Pou Gyrevis
O Gyros Pou Gyrevis
O Gyros Pou Gyrevis
Food Rating: 9/10
I enjoyed the Pita Pork Gyros at o Gyros Pou Gyrevis. There was a long line when I walked in and was welcomed by the lovely aroma of pork and chicken gyros being cooked vertically. I went with the pork gyros here, which was crispy and flavorful. The tzatziki was so fresh and not overpowering at all, which it tends to be in the States. It was such a great and satisfying meal!