Greece: Tastes of the Mediterranean...
- Faisal
- Mar 22, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 6
All the culinary delights which the Mediterranean has to offer as summarised by the intrepid explorer.
I have been travelling through Southern Europe for the last 3 months and I thought it might be a good idea to collate my favourite places to eat out and to also share my experience tucking into the Mediterranean cuisine, starting with Greece. This blog post is split into 5 sections.
Breakfast
Quick Bites
Lunch & Snacks
Dinner
Dessert & Treats
1. Breakfast
LOCATION: Naxos Island, Greece
I tried my first traditional Greek breakfast when I was on the island of Naxos.
In the Chora (old town), there is a pretty hip cafe/bar called Zio which serves a breakfast menu which should satisfy those who enjoy a substantial breakfast (I guarantee you will not leave hungry).
I walked past this cafe the previous evening and it looked pretty trendy, there was lively music playing and a chilled out vibe so I thought I would see what it was like during the daytime.
The cafe was much calmer, as demonstrated by the screens showing videos of underwater sea-life rather than DJs and music videos. They also had a good selection of breakfast menus. As I was largely sticking to vegetarian food I opted for the option that best served that goal.
The breakfast service was an interesting experience. Each plate arrived at different times so the meal gradually built up until the finale. This was first up:
Toasted bread with butter and honey, plus freshly squeezed orange juice - a strong start. The bread was fresh and springy and I decided to have one with butter and one with honey, having never tried this on toast before. It was quite good actually and I have become accustomed to seeing honey being served with hot drinks and other dishes.
The next to arrive was the black coffee and fruit salad - the coffee brand was filtered, the brand Hausbandt, I had not heard of it before arriving in Greece but it is very popular here. It tasted pretty good to me. The fruit salad consisted of Apple, Banana and Strawberry, the Greek twist was the dressing - honey and cinnamon. For me, it worked, there was not too much honey to make it sickly sweet and the cinnamon was a nice addition. Definitely better than just drizzling orange juice over the fruit.
I wasn’t sure whether more would arrive, although I knew there was at least one more element left. It turned out to be the pièce de résistance. An authentic Greek breakfast dish called Kayanas (scrambled eggs with tomato) served with more toast and topped with melted Naxian gruyere cheese. Alongside the Kayanas, there was a salad consisting of cherry tomatoes and rocket.
At this point I was really struggling, feeling quite full having finished the toast and fruit salad - all the portions had been extremely generous.
My verdict?
A very satisfying breakfast. I thought the service was excellent too. I would recommend some tactical eating to make sure you can get through all the plates as they will just keep coming...
OVERALL RATING: 8/10
2. Quick Bites
LOCATION: Athens, Greece
One evening I was looking for a quick bite and I was wandering around down-town Athens when I spotted this place on Aioulo street.
Disclaimer: I didn't take this picture, I forgot to get one at the time. So this image is courtesy of our old friend Google images :)
Aioulu street is a very busy street which runs from Xayteia to Plaka. I noticed that even during the winter months there are so many restaurants and bars vying for attention, the proprietors outside trying to attract passersby and tourists, so it would be easy to miss this unassuming cafe/restaurant sandwiched between a large restaurant and a lively cocktail bar. I thought it was worth a try though. The staff were very friendly and they had excellent options for all appetites. They offer breakfast, hot and cold plates, vegetarian dishes and authentic Greek and Mediterranean-influenced food with the usual staples such as Hummus, Falafel and Zucchini. They also have a small outdoor area if you prefer to dine within the buzz of central Athens. I went for the Falafel plate which included Hummus, Warm Pita, Olives and Greek salad.
It arrived quickly and was exactly the right amount of food. I was glad not to be tempted into the vegetarian platter which would have been too much.
Speaking to the staff afterwards, I found out they had only just opened up a store here last year and were still trying to make a mark in this location. If they keep up the high standards they should have no problems attracting more customers!
OVERALL RATING: 8/10
3. Lunch & Snacks
TBC
4. Dinner
LOCATION: Santorini, Greece
The only place I had a proper sit down meal in Santorini was Pelican Kipos.
This is a very popular restaurant in the main town (Fira) and can be found near the Fira Theotokopoulos (main square). I turned up on a Tuesday at around 7:30pm and it was very busy already. I asked for a seat inside and after a few minutes they were able to accommodate me. The decor inside is very impressive, they have made it look like a vinyard and the use of glass screens is also a nice feature, which allows you to observe the bustle of the main square from within the restaurant.
My research had indicated this was a good place for a vegetarian meal and so it turned out to be the case, very helpfully they indicate the vegetarian meals using green ink so its easy to spot on the menu. I have found that you should never make assumptions in Greece, I ordered scrambled eggs for breakfast the other day in a cafe and it came with bacon!
There was some good options for starters, but I decided to try the Fennel Pie (as I had not sampled any of the pastries in Greece yet) and then selected Tourlou (roasted eggplant) as my main dish.
It took a while for the starter to arrive but when it did, the pie did not look like I was expecting:
The triangle shaped pastries looked more like samosas and the filling was packed with flavour due to the fennel, onion and spices. They were like little parcels of goodness, the onion came through strongly and I didn’t think the fennel was too overpowering but I do quite like to use fennel in my cooking. It wasn’t the most filling and they could have also provided more salad - a Greek salad would have gone down nicely.
The next dish didn’t take quite as long to arrive and I was also a little underwhelmed when I saw the size, this however was a traditional Santorini dish served in a ceramic bowl. Suffice to say it was piping hot and although they provided many options to attack it with, I wasn’t quite sure what was the best way - Fork, Knife or Spoon? In the end I tried a bit of both, using the fork and knife to cut through the eggplant pieces.
I am not a fan of eggplant, but this version, which was roasted, did have a nice texture and I enjoyed the flavours. The melted feta on top of the tomato and garlic sauce was delicious and overall it was a very tasty dish.
The one observation I made towards the end was it was a bit oily and you can see this in my empty pot:
As I was still hungry I decided to go for a third course (dessert) and ordered the Chocolate Souffle with ice cream:
This was a more satisfactory portion and was actually pretty decent.
So my verdict?
Good, but I was expecting more. It was also a bit on the pricey side for what you get, but the atmosphere is really good and in terms of vegetarian / vegan Mediterranean cuisine, it was miles better than the vegan restaurant (5senses)
OVERALL RATING: 7/10
5. Desserts & Snacks
If there is one Greek dessert everyone must try, it is this one. And I found the best place in Athens.
LOCATION: Athens, Greece
The dessert is called Loukoumades and I have to say that it is a very indulgent snack. It is shaped like a ball and the exterior looks a lot like a doughnut, but that is because it is in fact the Greek version. Crispy on the outside with a soft core that can be filled with a variety of flavours such as chocolate, pistachio, etc.
I ordered a box of honey and cinnamon flavoured ones which is I guess was the most 'vanilla' version but even this flavour packed a punch:
So my verdict?
I don't have a sweet tooth but these doughnuts were very more-ish. I loved the ground cinnamon topping which gave it a nice hint of spice and honey complements it so well. I've got used to it being accompanied with pretty much everything now :D
OVERALL RATING: 8/10
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