To Elliniko Mezedopoleio @ Glyfada

On 7th May (replacement holiday of 1st May), we found ourselves in Glyfada to receive some sunshine. After a coffee at Casual in Asteras, we looked for somewhere to eat.

First we wanted to go to To Sardelaki, but we found it closed. Maybe because they worked too much during the Holy week.

We decided to enter this place, because there was a lot of people. It is a mezedopoleio with fashionable "bahariko-pantopleio" style decoration.

The menu is very long, with lots and lots of mezedes. Some of the choices sounded interesting and it took a while for us to choose.

They charge 1.40 Euro p.p. for bread, but it came with two small mezedes, one beans the other potato salad. Edible, but not particularly good.

This is bougiourdi with kavourmas 5.80 Euro.

Loads of cheese and quite rich.

Salad "Grandfather's garden (kipos tou pappou)", 7.50 Euro.

It included various rather unfamiliar green leaves like young cresson. Not bad as a concept, but was somehow ruined by too-much dressing. Probably not worth 7.50 Euro.

Chips were supposed to be fresh, but they did not taste like it. 3.50 Euro.

Honeyed pork fillets (7.50 Euro) were the worst of all the dishes.

It was because 1) pork fillets were over-cooked and very dry and tough, 2) the "honey" sauce was burnt and bitter.

The free dessert (free-style baklavades), instead, was the best thing I ate at this restaurant.

With a bottle of beer, the total bill came to 29.80 Euro.

In many elements, this place reminded me of GouGou Meze in central Athens, but the food was not as good. Different from GouGou Meze, To Elliniko gave us the fiscal receipt without any prompt, but it wasn't much of a consolation to me.

Mezedopoleio to Elliniko
Lazaraki 28, Glyfada, 166 74
Tel. 210 8941471

Μεζεδοπωλείο Το Ελληνικό
Λαζαράκη 28, Γλυφάδα, 166 74

Mouzilo & Mezes @ Piraeus

Happy New Year, everyone! The year 2012 was pretty bad for Greece. Although nothing particularly bad happened to me or my family, the air was dark and depressing. I really wish 2013 is for the better, although so many difficulties are in front of us.

Husband and I had a pretty long vacation during this period, so we went to various places to eat, but not to anywhere noteworthy. In many cases it was snacking during the shopping trip. Nevertheless I will keep on taking note.

The below is one of these stoppings-by we made.

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In Piraeus, new small mezedopoleia and tsipradika are springing up as mushrooms after the rain (does this expression makes sense in Greece?) Evidently many of them are cheap and good, so it is a welcome development.

Recently we tried one of them called Mouzilo kai Mezes which opened about a month ago (so I was told).

The shop is very small, but there is a larger space in the promenade in front. It was where we were seated. Waiter asked us if we wanted the stove turned on, but it was warm enough, so we declined. It was a nice gesture, when many restaurants and cafeterias keep the heater at the minimum to save money.

The menu is very short and prices are low. Most of the dishes are betweel 2.50 and 4.50 Euro.

We were surprised to find these small knife and folk. As if we were about to eat dessert or fruits.

The food were all meze size. Here are Dakos with Mitzithra (3.50 Euro) and Peppers Stuffed with Minced Meat (3.50 Euro). Both good.

The fried potatoes (2.50 Euro) and Pan-fried Chicken Gyros served with pita (4.50 Euro).

Again, both nicely cooked.

With half a litter of red wine, the total bill came to 17 Euro. The fiscal receipt was provided without being asked.

Because of the size of the dishes, if you want to feast on mountain of food, this is not an adequate place. On the other hand, if you are after a place to snack during the shopping in Piraeus centre, or to have a drink with some mezedes before going home, this tsipradiko seems to be a perfect choice.

Mouzilo & Mezes (Μουζίλο & Μεζές)
Kolokotroni 69
Piraeus
ΚΟΛΟΚΟΤΡΩΝΗ 69
ΠΕΙΡΑΙΑΣ
Tel. 210 4100040

I read the name "Μουζίλο & Μεζές", but it can actually be "Μουζήλο & Μεζές".


And come and see the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus, fully renovated after I don't remember how many years!

GouGou Meze @ Panepisthimio

A week before the Christmas, we found ourselves near Syntagma at around 9 o'clock.

Not wanting to cook at home, we decided to try out a new mezedopoleio near Panepisthimio. I think it was there since this summer.

It is called GouGou Meze. Glass-walled shop with colourful interior looks quite attractive.

Even it was a Wednesday, the place was almost full. We thought it was because of the time of the year (people getting together for Christmas and the End of the year), but a waiter said it was always busy. I do not know if I am to believe it.

The menu is pretty long. There are many mezedes and also about a dozen of main dishes.

As the main dish we wanted was exhausted, we ordered some mezedes only.

Instead of bread, we were given warm (probably freshly-baked) pita, together with many green olives. The pita was very good being partly soft and partly crispy.

The place was rather cold because of the glass walls. Not wanting cold salad, we had a serving of horta. Good.

Lemony Pork Tigania was not a good choice. It had a nice flavour, but the portion was small and the quality of meat wasn't satisfying containing some sinew. I suspect the meat was cut so small as to hide the poor quality.

Fried potatoes were fine. Tasted freshly cooked and not from freezer.

Bougiourdi turned up when we were about to finish the other dishes. It came in a big portion.

At the end of the meal we were offered these cakes and ypovryhio (Greek sugary paste-like sweet).

With a big jug of beer and all the above cost us about 26 Euro. But, as we were not given the receipt, it would be unfair to say it was cheap.


Gougou Meze
Sina 6, Kolonaki
Tel. 210 3645575
http://gougoumeze.com.gr/

ΓκουΓκού Μεζέ
Σίνα 6, Κολωνάκι
(The nearest Metro station is Panepisthimio)

Tree decoration near Hilton Hotel was merry and cheerful without being ostentatious. I liked it.

Lolita's Mezedes @ Petralona

Petralona is becoming a new Gazi of Athens. Taking advantage of relatively low rent of the area, many entrepreneur-restaurateurs have opened/ are opening small tavernes and mezedopoleia targeting at younger generations.

One Sunday evening, we visited one of such meze restaraunts there: Lolita's Mezze Bar. "Mezze Bar", because it wants to be a tapas bar offering Greek small dishes.

THE strong point of the place is surely its cheeful decoration. Either you might like it or not, you cannot deny that it is quite original. Lots of colour and bald paintings. Don't forget to go to the toilets and admire the painted door of Gentlemen's room.

The menu is not very long, but there are also several dishes-of-the-day (there is a sample menu on their website, but the prices are not up-to-date as I see it now). You should be able to find something you would like to try. The food are Greek, but often with twist.

Bread - mixed basket of black and white - accompanied with cheesy spread was fine, but too little for 3 persons (0.80 Euro p.p.)

Pantzarosalata was beetroot salad with walnuts and pickled cabbage. There were also beet leaves at the bottom. Fine. 4.80 Euro.

Baby potatoes with rosemary were quite salty, but also tasty. It costs 2.80 Euro and comes in a very small tapas dish.

Squash-pies was one of the dishes of the day. Squash was mixed with white cheese and mint (this is common combination in Greece). Home-cooking taste. Surely over-priced for 6. Euro, as they are small (6-7 cm long each).

Biftekia yaourtlou were not much yoghurty. The biftekia (burgers) were fine except that they were a bit too charred making them too bitter. 8.50 Euro.

Chicken morsels with hot sauce served with cracked wheat. Marinated chicken was nicely sweet, but not hot. Cracked wheat was also well-seasoned and wasn't bland. 8.50 Euro.

At the end they offered us a round of shots of limoncello.

The service was quick and unobtrusive. Our waitress was sweet and pleasant-mannered.

The total bill with a bottle of coke came to 35 Euro.

Taste-wise, it was satisfying, but the price was not particularly cheap considering that we did not eat much and portion size is relatively small. For example, if you order biftekia at casual tavernes, you often get a plate almost of full meal for 8.50 Euro, while here it is just a big meze.

This is a right place to drink wine picking some dishes, but for full meal, I would prefer to go elsewhere.

Lolitas Mezze Bar
Δωριέων 26 Αθήνα 118 52, Ελλάδα
Tel. 211 4013574
http://lolitasmezze.gr/

O Vatrahos @ Keramikos-Gkazi

Last Tuesday, we visited a taverna-mezedopoleio "O Vatrahos (Flog)" in Gazi-Keramikos area.

It is somehow distant from the other restaurants/bars of the area and I wondered who would come all the way to here (actually it is not so far from the Keramikos Metro station, but being on the other side of Iera Odos, it is a bit daunting).

It is surprisingly large space and when we entered at 20:30 there was absolutely no customer inside. While we were there, another couple and one man joined, but for such a large space, it was rather depressing.

The menu does not look much different from usual ones of classic tavernas and mezedopoleia, although the dishes were with twist, as we were going to experience.

The first is grilled bread with oil, salt and oregano. We ordered also a half-kilo of wine (I don't know why the Greeks use 'kilo' instead of 'litre' when they order wine.

We ordered red wine, but it was like dark rose imigryko (half-sweet), which was all right.

Greek salad came in a pita bowl and dressed with mustard dressing, with some strips of fungus. Except that the amount of dressing was too generous, it was nice and different.

Fava came with caramelized onion and rocket sauce. It would have looked beautiful, but it was SOOOO dark, it was difficult to see what I was eating.

I hate dark restaurants, but Fava was very good and pleasantly sweet.

Dolmadakia were totally indifferent, re-heated with microwave.

Don't take me wrong. I am not particularly against the use of microwave, but still the execution was mediocre.

Grilled pork fillet (psaronefri) was much better.

I usually do not like grilled pork fillets, as they turn too dry, but this one was well grilled and saved from being too dry.

No freebees at the end and the final bill came to 36.50 Euro, which was just OK.

We might return it we happened to be in the area, but I would not say it is a destination restaurant.

AND IT IS TOO DARK to go in the evening.

Taverna-Bar O Vatrahos
Eurymedontos 3
Kerameikos, Athens
210-3411 662

Ταβέρνα-Μπαρ Ο Βάτραχος
Ευρυμέδοντος 3
Κεραμεικός, Αθήνα

Filema Mezedopoleio @ Syntagma

This happened in October 2011.

It was one Saturday afternoon that we visited Filema Mezedopoleio between Syntagma and Athinas street. I don't know how this area is called; there are lots of whole sale type shops selling shoes, jewellery parts, etc.

Filema is tucked in a narrow street called Romvis where there are other two restaurants and two cafeterias. The souvlaki shop in the same street is also quite good (portions not generous, but good quality meat).

It was our second visit; the first visit is reported here.

The menu is not long, but not short either. There are several dishes changes at intervals and I guess anyone can find something they fancy.

We ordered as startar tyrokafteri & red beets.



Red beets were plenty & very good value for money, while tyrokafteri was so salty that verges on inedibility.



Our main dish was pork and potatoes in oven. It was not bad, but again was too salty.



But fried potatoes were fresh and cheap.



They gave us a dessert as well.



We managed to find a table when we arrived at 1, but when we left there were a couple of groups waiting for tables. When we stood up, a couple literally ran to our table to grab it.

The total bill was about 30 Euro, if I remember well.

The food did not particularly impress me, but it is very conveniently located and there is any other mezedopoleio in its close vicinity. The service is quick. These are probably the secrets of their success.

Mezedopoleio To Filema
Romvis 16, Athens
tel. 210-3250222

Μεζεδοπωλείο Το Φίλεμα
Ρόμβης 16, Αθήνα
τηλ. 210-3250222

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Our table was in front of this barbar shop.





These small shops are charms of this part of Athens.

Mezedes @ Galaxidi

When we went to Arta, we stopped at Galaxidi on our way back.

We found this attractive mezedopoleio and decided to have lunch.



As Galaxisidi is by the sea, most of the restaurants are concentrated in the seaside area, but this one is inside the down and there is no view whatsoever. The traditional architecture, however, is charming enough to make it up.



On seating, a waiter brought us 3 small jugs of wine saying that these are for tasting. We were afraid of rip-off, but eventually it wasn't. Evidently we should pay as much as we consumed.



Hubby drank only red wine and paid 2 Euros.

With bread, we were given these dips, one is olive paste and the other is tomato paste.



These are stuffed onions. We ordered it, because on the menu it was described as "Galaxidian".



Oblong onions were stuffed with minced meat and rice mixture. Maybe not particularly imaginative, but tasted very good.

This is pork morsels stewed with prunes we ordered as main dish.



It was served with crumbled feta cheese.



It was tasty and hearty, but it was too salty for me. I am afraid they add much salt to killed the sweetness of prunes. They should have used less prunes to avoid oversweetness.

The oven baked potatoes were brought to us when we were almost forgetting to have ordered it.



Surprisingly, the potatoes were served with blue cheese, which is unfamiliar type of cheese in Greece.

Baked potatoes cannot go wrong, but I thought it was a unsuccessful attempt to sex up potato to 5.50 Euro dish.

When we asked for bill, we were offered this homemade sweet.



It looked like ravani, but it wasn't. The waitress told me that it was just a oven baked semolina cake, but I don't believe her. It should have some other grain like rice and the syrup should be made from brown sugar. We liked it very much.

Although some of the dishes looked overpriced, he total bill was only 31,50Euros which looked just right.

We will be visiting this mezedopoleio next time we will be in Galaxidi.


Mezedopolio "O Bebelis"
Μεζεδοπωλείο Ο Μπεμπέλης
Galaxidi
Γαλαξίδι
Tel. 22650 41677