With springtime gradually approaching, the prospect of short excursions to destinations not far from Athens is becoming increasingly tempting.
An outing cannot be considered complete without a good meal. We took a look around various areas close to Athens and present five eateries we really liked, both for meat and fish-based dishes.
Eviva
At Vohaiko in the Corinth region, west of Athens, the taverna Eviva was founded by two siblings, the Mavronasios brothers. It offers superb food and friendly service amid a hospitable environment. The dining area is spacious and well designed, while the outdoor space, picturesque and lush, promises a cool environment once temperatures begin to rise.
Meat cut experimentation for nearly four years developed Eviva from a traditional taverna to a high-end eatery offering premium cuts, exquisite grilling, as well as a series of creative dishes, including spinach salad with fresh spinach, onion, dill, feta and mustard sauce with honey.
Great attention is paid to meat quality and its full utilisation. For example, Denver steak is cut from dry age beef and offered as a ribeye steak with bone, while the remainder of the meat piece is transformed into a juicy and rich sausage with bourbon, peach marmalade and various spices. Eviva applies the same full-utilisation approach to ewe meat for chops, charcuterie, as well as exceptional sausages, mildly spicy and smoked, with ingredients including adobo pepper paste and some spices.
Eviva is supplied beef and lamb from selected farms in northern Greece, beef from Spain’s Miguel Vergara farm, one of Europe’s most renowned for grain-fed Black Angus, as well as wagyu from the US and Australia.
The people at Evia apply strict criteria when selecting meat, which, besides quality, take into consideration intramuscular fat content, or marbling, and aging. Greek and Spanish cuts are matured inside a special booth at the taverna for periods reaching between 40 and 60 days. All cuts are carried out by Eviva’s expert staff. Whether choosing a juicy ribeye, chuck eye steak, picanha, tomahawk or full-flavoured T-Bone steak, you are sure to enjoy a superb meal at Eviva. Other selections include special ewe, goat and lamb recipes, all delicious. An extensive list of wines, primarily from Greek wineries, completes the experience. This is a spot that must be visited if you appreciate quality meat dishes.
255 Vrahati-Nemea regional road, Vohaiko, tel. +30 2741 056531
Kotsannitsa
In mountainous Malakasa, north of Athens, Kotsannitsa, a traditional meze eatery launched in 2015, is co-run by Dimitra Lekka and Kostas Mitrou, a successful partnership, as reflected by the spot’s exquisite food and unique hospitality. The eatery, whose name combines the names of three of Dimitra’s family members, Kotsos, Anna and Nitsa, was once her family home. It still maintains a homely warmth. A vintage wood stove is still there, while family heirlooms adorn the small and cosy spaces. The tables are not distinguished by numbers but names – derived from friends and rebetika music legends – while the plates, old family dinnerware, highlight this eatery’s very personal note.
A charming veranda space with just a few tables and a lush yard complete the spot’s homely setting for a pleasant, open-hearted atmosphere. The menu features traditional Greek meze dishes carrying Asia Minor influences. Whatever you choose here is carefully prepared and incredibly delicious. Hand-cut fried potato chips are a perfect match for the handmade tyrokafteri (spicy cheese dip). The bekri mezes (pork pieces cooked in a tomato-based sauce with white wine, red and green peppers, and crushed chili peppers) is unrivalled. The Smyrna-style soutzoukakia (meatball sausages), made with beef and lamb mince, cooked in a rich tomato sauce with cumin, allspice and garlic, and served with sliced olives, and refreshing yoghurt with paprika, is another fine selection. On Sundays, Kostas, upon arrangement, can prepare a variety of popular baked specialties, including kid goat with potatoes and quince, incredibly tender; ewe; pork shanks; and osso buco. All are slow-cooked to melt in the mouth and offer sensational flavour. This place is definitely a worthwhile experience.
Athens-Halkida national highway, Malakasa, 19011, tel. +30 2295 098814
Galini
Galini, located northeast of Athens, at the quiet district of Polydendri, is a charming family-run taverna founded in 1983 by the Papaioannou family. The family’s two sons, Ilias and Giorgos, took over the business in 1990. This cosy spot, featuring a fireplace, is great for meat enthusiasts, offered great variety. Emphasis is placed on the use of fresh local ingredients hailing from the region as well as other parts of Greece, while the cuts are prepared at the shop.
The portions are hearty and ideal for sharing. As for the salads, a mixed salad with green and red cabbage, carrot and lettuce is rich in taste and refreshing, while the wild greens are boiled to perfection. The frypan flatbread with feta cheese, tasty, fluffy and not oily, should definitely be among your appetisers. The freshly cut potato chips are expertly fried to a golden tasty crisp. The tyrokafteri cheese dip, given a slightly spicy yet sweet taste by Florini peppers included in the mix, offers profound taste and superb texture.
The sausages, made with a mince mix of ewe and pork, as well as various spices, offer a spicy, country-style taste. The bifteki (beef mince patty) includes moderate use of spices to highlight the meat flavour. It is skillfully grilled for a delicious, juicy result. The fillet is recommended, as are the mutton chops, especially in the summer, when this type of meat is most tender and juicy. The kontosouvli, pork chunks marinated in tomato, pepper, onion and spices for a tender and aromatic result, is another dish you must try at Galini. The kontosouvli is grilled on weekdays and prepared the traditional way, skewered, on weekends and public holidays.
8 Eirinis Ave, Polydendri, tel.+30 2295 053153
To Koutouki
To Koutouki, a small, picturesque and hospitable eatery run by Dimitra Lagonika and Hristos Davanaggelis, partners in this family business and life, is situated on an uphill stretch in Stamata, north of Athens.
The taverna is housed at an old family home from Dimitra’s maternal side of the family, which was converted into a taverna in 1998. A mulberry tree in the yard offers great shade in the summer. Lots of neighbours would often gather at this spot for good traditional when it was still a home. The traditional recipes have been preserved for a limited number of menu selections, all prepared by the two proprietors. The Greek salad and wild greens are superb. As for appetisers, the fried potato chips with fresh fried eggs are a tasty snack. It can take diners down memory lane, all the way back to childhood. Among the main dishes, the meatballs and biftekia are made with fresh beef mince and a light touch of spices, while the sausages are made with pork mince, soft and juicy, from Livadia, central Greece.
The pork steaks, served as delicious, aromatic and tender small pieces, are justifiably the shop’s signature dish. Upon arrangement, the proprietors can also prepare a range of dishes not included on the menu. These can include spinach-and-cheese pie, as well as chicken pie, made with fresh local chicken, Florina peppers and various cheeses. All pastry used for the pies is freshly kneaded by Hristos.
3 Athanasiou Diakou, Stamata, tel. +30 210 6218 108
Makarelos
A family-run fish taverna, Makarelos is about a one hour’s drive from Athens, headed west, past Elefsina, in seaside Nea Peramo, at a prime location with tables set by the water. The relaxed setting here offers a view of the Saronic Gulf and the island Salamina.
The attention given to quality ingredients and the grilling, for simple traditional recipes, have established this taverna into a favourite attraction for diners from all over. The menu’s limited yet worthwhile selections are seafood-based meze dishes. A small number of salads, dips, as well as fresh fish are also available. The taramosalata (fish roe dip), based on a family recipe, offering exceptional taste and texture, is recommended. The herring salad, slightly salty yet refreshing and tasty, is also superb. The fresh kydonia (venus clams), prepared as a marvellous soup for winter, and also served raw, with lemon juice, are a standout menu item. The fried mussels, unbelievably crisp and juicy, are also special. Make sure to include the baby prawns and smelt, both skillfully fried, in your order.
The fresh calamari, either fried or grilled, is also exceptional. It is soft and delicious. This eatery also serves superb prawn saganaki, big prawns cooked in a terrific sauce made with fresh tomato, pepper and feta cheese. The lobster spaghetti, also mouth-watering, and the baked orzo with prawns, made with fresh ingredients, are new additions to the menu. Fresh fish selections include seabream and gilt-head bream, appropriately salted and charcoal-grilled to perfection, crisp on the outside with juicy flesh. Make sure to consider Makarelos if desiring to combine a relaxed seaside outing with a seafood or fish meal.
Nea Peramo beach, 19006, +30 2296 032866
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