The restaurants and the taverns in Athens with relations to particular places and cuisines around the country are multiplying; the majority among them being the Cretan establishments thus creating a tasty Cretan community in the capital. We present here 8 popular haunts, ranging in location from the city centre to the suburbs, that offer rosemary escargots, sfakianes (mizithra cheese pies, often served with honey), fried mushrooms, skioufihta (traditional pasta) and lots of raki.
Rakoumel
“I’m reminded of your lips, whenever I eat a sfakiani, and to feel better I eat two, and go on and eat three” is one of the favourite mantinades (Cretan traditional rhymes) of this Cretan tavern serving raki in the neighbourhood of Exarcheia. Apart from raki and sfakianes pies with honey, here you can have various Cretan cheeses, tomato balls, sausage, eggs cooked in staka (a traditional dairy product from Crete that is somewhere between cheese and yogurt) and also fried pork cooked in marouva wine and molasses.
71 Em. Benaki str, Exarcheia, 210 3800506, https://rakoumel.gr, Facebook
Ta Romanakia
This popular tavern has for many years been bringing a Cretan air to the suburb of Agia Paraskevi with authentic flavours of Crete. While the weather still holds, sit in one of the tables on the square and try the tirozoulakia (a sort of cheese ball) made of various cheeses and spicy tomato sauce, the homemade kaltsounia (traditional pies) with greens or myzithra cheese, the goat casserole with Cretan greens, and, of course, the roast lamb.
366 Mesogeion Ave. & 1 Korai str, Agia Paraskevi, 210 6532278, https://www.romanakia.gr, Facebook
Rakaki
It might be overlooking the Kaisariani square but it’s taste compass is constantly showing Crete. Try the chickpeas cooked in the oven with feta cheese, onion and olive oil, the Cretan roasted lamb on vines, the Cretan wedding pilaf, and the various other great Cretan dishes, while you can also choose between one of their platters (cheese, meat, cured meats) in case you just want to snack.
2-4 Moschonision str, Kaisariani, 210 7237457, Facebook
To Kaplani
This white clad restaurant with the elevated veranda in the Caravel area, is one of the most recent arrivals on the Cretan map of Athens. Along with the more traditional dishes of the Cretan cuisine, here you’ll also find some dishes with a more modern twist like the delicious ground beef tart with graviera cheese, xigalo cheese and various vegetables, the skioufihta made with carob flour with chicken, sigklino (traditional cured pork cut), courgette, cherry tomatoes and anthotiro cheese.
47 Efroniou str, Ilisia, 210 7211161, https://www.tokaplani.gr, Facebook
Krissa Gi
This atmospheric restaurant on Agiou Konstantinou street in Marousi stood out from the very first moment it opened, introducing people to the deliciousness and special characteristics of Cretan cuisine. Fennel pie, Cretan baked potatoes with staka, sigklino cooked in its fat with lemon, rosemary escargots, and Sfakian lamb are some of the options you must try.
23 Agiou Konstantinou, Marousi, 210 8056666, https://www.krissagi.com, Facebook
Pasifai
This Cretan restaurant is in the heart of Glyfada and directly connects it to the great island with its atmosphere and flavours. All the Cretan dishes you’d expect are included in the menu, together with a good selection of handmade pies, like meat pie and kaltsounia with various stuffings, and also a few rare recipes like kaprico, the slow cooked pork on lemon leaves.
63 Lazaraki str, Glyfada, 210 9944024, https://pasifai.gr, Facebook
Rakopaignio
This popular Cretan tavern in Ano Glyfada loves raki and anything Cretan. The menu consists of an extensive variety of Cretan specialties including fried mushrooms with graviera cheese, rosemary escargots with coarse salt and vinegar, chicken apaki (traditional smoked meat from Crete, usually pork), chicken cooked in wine, and of course Cretan wedding pilaf.
105 Gennimata str & Anatolikis Romilias str, Ano Glyfada, 210 9610118, http://www.rakopaignio.gr, Facebook
Arismari
Cretans call rosemary arismari, and the popular Halandri haunt of the same name has just reopened after the summer holidays. You can have apaki, stuffed vine leaves, eggs with staka, skioufihta pasta, grilled liver, spicy fried chicken, and many more tasty foods in their garden at the back of the building that is decorated with Cretan touches.
43 Aristotelous str, Halandri 210 6800808
