Athens is History, People, and Great Food

We travelled to Athens, Greece in the Spring of 2024, and found a wealth of history, great people, and food traditions beyond our expectations. While I have been to Greece before, my spouse had not, so we chose areas to visit I had not seen, and places that were on bucket lists. Here is a description of the wonderful culinary experience we had in Athens, Greece.

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Our Experience in Athens

Arrival + Hotel

Our travel from home, to our first Greek hotel, was a long journey. At the end of April we drove to the San Francisco Airport to catch a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, Germany, then caught another flight and arrived 20 hours later in Athens, Greece.

We were picked up by “G”, who would be our driver throughout Athens, and who kept an eye on our welfare. He introduced us to Greece by using a 3-word mantra: shouting EAT, then shouting DRINK, and in a softer voice finished with relax.

From the airport he drove us to the Athens Flair hotel for a 3 day/4 night stay. Athens Flair is housed in a neoclassical building located in the Kolonaki neighborhood, and was built between 1880-1889. It was designed by Danish architect Theophil Edvard Freiherr von Hansen, and is now considered a work of art by the Greek Ministry.

Athens Flair is a small, boutique hotel that has only 6 rooms or suites, and no elevator, but lots of stairs of course. What we liked was that it was located in an alley courtyard that had a small coffee shop, so that fresh coffee and outdoor seating was available just down the stairs. Very cozy and nice. The staff there were really helpful, clearly 5-star service, and they also provided us great breakfasts each morning.

Touring Athens

We limited our guided tours so that they would start a day after our arrival, as we needed time to recover from jet lag. Either on a tour, or by our own, we spent long hours walking and exploring the Metro’s museum at Syntagma, the Greek Parliament, the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, and caught the solemn Changing of the Guards.

Then we walked through the National Gardens, saw the stadium where the first modern Olympics were held, the Zappeion Hall, the Temple of Zeus, and Hadrian’s Arch. Finally, we walked toward the Acropolis on the beautiful (and with high winds, kinda scary) pedestrian walkway called Dionysiou Areopagitou and saw the temples there, including the Parthenon.

After 3 days in Athens, we left knowing there was more than enough things left to see and explore in Athens for another week of just pure site seeing. But mainly, another visit would allow us to branch out from Athens to other close-by areas.

Travel Hints + Tricks

The thing about our experiences over our 13-day stay in Greece, was that this is a country of hills, lots of stairs, and cobblestones (even marble in some areas), and that walking is the main mode of transportation. Thankfully we knew this ahead of time and brought very good shoes. However, if you have a mobility type of disability it is hard to get around. We used taxi services and lots of pre-arranged drives to guided tours or events. Even so, it was hard going sometimes.

We were sure to always carry water with us, although water was available everywhere; as it was deceptively hot and dehydrating; but we were also told to not drink the tap water. This also meant bringing a hat, and wearing both sun screen and a sun shirt.

In Athens specifically, most of the hotels were geared toward the Acropolis. All around the areas we walked, there were rooftop terraces advertised as having the best views, also featuring bars and hotel-related restaurants. The views were great, but especially so in the evening hours, as the ruins are lit up. Very romantic setting.

On a sad note, there was a fair amount of graffiti in the city of democracy, thankfully not on the precious ruins. But the graffiti did not mean we were in a bad neighborhood, this form of democratic expression did not symbolize gang territories from what we were told, as they tend to where we are from.

Our pickup driver “G” told us that while we would be safe walking any time of day in Athens, we were warned about pick pockets. As in any big city, not every neighborhood is safe, so we were told to keep our valuables close.

Also there were many free-roaming, and well fed cats all over Greece.

Another thing we were told, is if you find a bakery that makes its own phyllo dough, eat there. There really is a taste difference between freshly made dough, and the pre-frozen pasteries that many bakeries serve.

Culinary Experience

Current foods in many parts of the world are still influenced heavily by the past. For instance, Greek coffee is like Turkish coffee, because of occupation. Food styles have been influenced by the various occupiers of Greece over time, as normally happens all over the world

One thing that was obvious, was that butter could be said to be king in French cooking, in Greece it was clearly olive oil, as butter was rarely used according to what I saw. In fact, Greeks used ~20 liters of olive oil per person, per year (1) in recent times. Many of the locals we met on the islands had their own olive trees on their land, and pressed their own oil for personal use.

Likewise, wine, liquor, and fruit juices (especially orange juice) were readily available; milk to drink was not, but cheese and yogurt were everywhere. Fortunately, there was milk for my coffee, thank goodness.

Tipping at restaurants is not specifically expected, but we were told use ~10% as a guide if we wanted to tip. And eating was a very leisurely event, so we ate, talked, and laughed our way through meals and were never asked to move on, no matter how long we stayed at a table.

• As an aside, Greeks smoke, a lot! Mainly at outside restaurants or coffee shops, and some special indoor smoking areas. Coming from California it was a shock; completely forgetting that when I lived in Europe I smoked too.

Breakfast

Coffee, aka the fuel of life, was an experience we prepared for, as I already knew that in many countries the hot coffee and grounds were served together. Sure enough, Greek coffee is no different than Turkish coffee in that they both contain finely ground coffee beans that are boiled in hot water to make a thick, visually murky, and strong cup. Since the grounds are in your cup, I took sips.

• How to Make Greek coffee
  • Purchase Greek coffee grounds
  • Use a demi tasse or small coffee cup (2-3 fluid ounces)
  • Put water in your cup, to know how much is needed
  • Put 1 heaping teaspoon of the ground coffee in a briki
  • If you want your coffee sweetened, add some sugar to the grounds
  • Then pour your cup of water into the briki as well, then mix really well
  • Put on heat and do not mix
  • Boil the water until foam rises
  • Then before it boils over remove from heat and pour into the cup
  • Greeks do not add milk
  • Serve coffee with something sweet

The hotel we stayed at offered a great breakfast on their roof balcony, which was tasty and introduced us to some of the first foods of Greece. In fact, we ordered this each morning we stayed there: Strapatsada (Greek scrambled eggs), yogurt, fresh sliced fruits, bread, honey, jam and butter. For drinks, we had coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, and water.

• Strapatsada (Greek Scrambled Eggs)
  • In a small mixing bowl whisk 2-4 eggs and set aside
  • Grate 150 grams great tomatoes, and compost (or feed the chickens) the skin
  • Add 2T Greek olive oil to a hot skillet
  • Add the grated tomatoes + pinch of salt and pepper
  • Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is gone
  • Stir in ~100 grams Greek feta cheese and stir
  • Turn heat off, pour in the eggs, and keep stirring until eggs are incorporated

As we walked around, we quickly learned to not pass by a bakery, pie shop or patisserie. There were always a Bougatsa available to purchase, warm from the oven. This pastry treat is savory or sweet; either a creamy, custard-filled or cheese-filled philo (or pie dough) pastry, or a ground meat and cheese pastry.

Appetizers or Small Plates or Meza

If not sure what to eat, you can always find a place serving Greek sheep’s milk (or cow’s milk) yogurt, smothered with honey and walnuts. We have heard that Stanni is a restaurant to go for this great dish of yogurt, or to get anthogala, the cream of the yogurt that is served in a glass cup topped with honey; aka as a super dose of fat and sugar.

For some, there was street bread vendors out early in the morning to fill the need for quick food. One such bread was koulouri, a round wheel of bread topped with sesame seeds.

There we plenty of bakeries making handheld pies (sort of like calzones) with sweet or savory filling. One is called Tiropita with feta cheese, another is like spanakopita, but as a pie filled with spinach. Others were meat filled.

Stuffed grape leaves, known as Dolmades (dolma is the word for one), were almost everywhere, but the fillings varied from meat, rice, and mixtures featuring herbs.

Athens is known for several dishes, including Saganaki. This is a rather simple appetizer in Greece, generally it was lightly fried cheese that ranged from bland to tasty depending on where we ate it at.

• Saganaki
  • Wrap a Greek cheese (or Gruyère) in flour
  • Fry in olive oil for ~10 minutes
  • Serve with a slice of lemon

Side Dishes

Choriatiki or Horiatiki, is the Greek Salad we all know of, and is made with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, olives, and olive oil with a sprinkling of Greek Oregano. There is no lettuce in this meal, just chunks of the vegetables mentioned.

Kolokythokeftedes, or zucchini fritters, were also sold at restaurants and street venders alike. These were made with grated zucchini, spearmint, dill and other spice; usually containing some cheese, which made them creamy, and served with tzatziki dip.

Main Dishes

Moussaka is a dish I have made a few times, with layered ground lamb, sautéed eggplant, and fried pureed tomato with garlic, onions, and spices. It was topped with cheese and béchamel sauce browned in the oven.

Street dishes included Souvlaki, a charcoal-grilled meat-based sandwich stuffed into a folded pita with sauce, french fries, onions and tomatoes. We were told by many websites that Kostas Souvlaki was the place to go for this meal, but really it is available in many little restaurants all over Greece.

For vegetarians/vegans, there was Gemista, a dish of stuffed vegetables (usually tomatoes or bell peppers) that are filled with rice, herbs, and spices. The dish was baked in the oven and served with a side of Greek salad. (This dish is coming up later, when I describe our experiences in Crete.)

Spanakopita is a favorite in my house and is another vegetarian dish. Spanakopita means “spinach pie”, and this is a savory phyllo pastry stuffed with spinach and feta cheese. Now I have made this many times, and in many different ways, but always with Phyllo dough. In Athens, however, I learned how to make this as a thick pie, using simple pie dough.

Dessert

We have mostly all heard of the Greek dessert Baklava, made with layers of ground nuts and honey wrapped in phyllo pastry. There’s also a similar dessert, galatoboureko that’s filled with custard.

Loukoumades, fried donuts drizzled with honey and cinnamon. Amazingly good and very sweet.

While in Athens, I rested at a place at the base of the walkway up to the Parthenon, and ordered a fruit salad.I loved the small cut fruits topped with a strawberry gelato.

A Cooking Class

We signed up for a cooking class taught by a Chef who had worked in a Michelin Star restaurant he taught us how to cook in the Athens style. The approach was simple, use in-season, fresh, raw ingredients, and simple recipes to bring out the natural taste of the food grown on this land. A clear example of this was the Horiatiki.

• Horiatiki (Greek Salad)
  • 2 cut fresh in-season tomatoes
  • 1 half-moon cut small cucumber
  • 1/2 thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 thinly sliced green bell pepper
  • Olives
  • Greek Feta cheese
  • Oregano
  • Capers
  • Salt
  • Greek olive oil

• Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves)
  • Mix the stuffing ingredients in a bowl
  • 1C short grain white rice
  • 1/4C Greek olive oil
  • 2 diced onions
  • 5 sliced spring onions
  • 1/2 bunch of chopped dill (without the stems)
  • 1/2 bunch of chopped spearmint (without stems)
  • Season with salt and pepper
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • Mix all ingredients well, now prep the leaves using jarred whole grape leaves
  • Open them up individually, with shiny side down, stem towards your body
  • Cut off the stem and compost
  • Using a teaspoon, put some filling in the bottom of the leaf and fold burrito-style
    • Fold up once to enclose the filling in the leaf
    • Then fold the sides inward to make a rectangle
    • Then roll upwards toward the top of the leaf
    • Do not overfill the leaf, nor make it too tight, leave room for rice to cook + expand
  • Cover bottom of the lidded cooking pot with some vine leafs, and the dill and spearmint stems to keep the Dolmas from getting stuck on the bottom of the pot
  • Place the rolled leaves single file around the pot, then do another layer if required
  • Then pour 1/4C Greek olive oil and 2C water over the stuffed leaves
  • Then place an upside down plate over the food to keep them low in the pot + covered by the water
  • Lid the pot and cook on the stove at low for ~45min so the rice cooks
  • Then serve hot, or cold
  • If without meat serve with Tzatziki, if with meat serve with a Lemon sauce

And the dip for this would be Tzatziki, which is absolutely a must for a Greek lunch or dinner.

• Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt Dip)
  • 1 grated non-peeled cucumber in a separate bowl with salt to help drain away the moisture
  • Strain and add to a bowl
  • 1C Greek strained yogurt, leaving it very thick, and add to the same bowl
  • And mix in 2 grated or minced garlic cloves
  • 5T Greek olive oil
  • 2T red wine vinegar
  • Finely chopped dill and spearmint
  • Mix well and place in the fridge for ~30 minutes
  • Serve cold

Other food we learned to make were Spanakotiropita (cheese-spinach pie), Roasted Lamb with potatoes, Zucchini fritters, and a yogurt lemon dessert.

My Current Conclusion

We have been back for less than a week and I have some thoughts about our trip. First, it was overall fantastic, and especially so as we were able to meet up with our son Sterling and his girlfriend Alisha in Athens for a full day of touring and walking about the city. I did have to lean on him several times, as my knees were aching.

Second, is that my spouse was in heaven, amazed to be at the place, the actual city and country, that birthed the current concepts of the Olympics, the Marathon, Democracy, Voting, and the free sharing of opinions now known as the “freedom of speech.”

• As an aside, sometimes I think people in the USA think they are the basis of democracy in the world, and forget that history is much longer than the USA has been around. And actually Europe, ancient Greece in particular, experimented with democratic values the USA holds dear.

Third, Greece is also a country with continuing economic hard times, exacerbated (of course) by the pandemic. For instance, nearly every driver we encountered had a PhD in technical fields, and highly educated tour guides had advanced degrees as well. Yet, Greece is improving economically, it is just coming out from a very deep pit. Less than 4% of the economy relies on its agriculture, while an amazing 85% of its economy is based on the service industry, clearly tourism is the monster that drives the country. Luckily, the people of Greece are amazingly welcoming, and the service we received was beyond par.

Fourth is related to current and future climate changes anticipated for Greece. Athens is on track to experience climate change related water shortages in ~30 years time, but it has already started. Even currently, in 2024, a combination of less rain and record-high temperatures are expected to affect winter crops, fruit and olive trees along the coast of Greece, and many Mediterranean islands. My concern here is the potential loss of its agriculture, which is so unique to the various areas of the land.

Fifth, the Greeks appear to be very hard workers. Many of the people we encountered have multiple jobs to make ends meet. The land has its challenges for agriculture and other industries, but its people are clearly up to the task.

Finally, my sixth point is that Athens was a great city to visit and everyone should consider visiting and touring the land that created the concept of democracy, especially in these divisional times.

—Patty

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