Athens – Kyklamino Restaurant

The first evening’s meal and we thought we’d go for something local. After much faffing about on my part checking Google reviews, we settled on this one. There was external seating available, but I’m not one for sitting next to smokers whilst trying to eat a tomato or some other decadent treat.

The menu which fitted into the style of the restaurant which was functional, welcoming and not overly showy. I also liked that they noted which items on the menu were frozen, which is something that perhaps more restaurants should do. The food felt traditional and authentic, with the restaurant feeling peaceful despite it being in a relatively busy area of the city.

The beer is the Alfa Beer from the Athenian Brewery, it’s light and smooth albeit perhaps just a little dull.

Free bread was brought out before the meal.

They also came over with some free olives, which looked a little sparse given the plate size, but any number of free olives is a bonus. Apparently the olives and the olive oil come from the owner’s own farm.

I will admit to Greek salad being one of my favourite meals and it’s served as a generous portion here with a slab of feta cheese.

The meatballs that we got to share and some lumpy thing on the left Richard got as his main course, but he enjoyed it so that’s all to the good.

The spicy sausages served with rice, with the meat being tender and full of flavour. I wouldn’t necessarily say that the food was the best presented that I’ve seen, but I’m far more engaged with quality over looks.

There was also a free dessert provided to round the meal off. There was a set meal which represented good value for money, although it didn’t quite match what we wanted, so we ordered off the main menu instead. The positive on-line reviews seemed justified and the restaurant felt like a family affair, with the service being informal and laid-back. Despite its location relatively near to the Agora and Hadrian’s Library, it didn’t feel touristy and it was steadily busy throughout the evening. They were in no rush to kick us out at the end of the evening and the payment process was efficient, so all rather lovely.