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| Kastros in Mykonos |
As with all our travels, scouring the city for the best eats
is critical. We would really go out of our way to check out a place to eat. Here
are the best ones we had in Greece:
In Athens, I had to eat at the place tracked down by both
Anthony Bourdain and Jamie Oliver -their photos are on the walls! Fortunately,
the Varvakios Market, was near our hotel and while signage was in Greek, we
were able to make it to the end of the meat market and find Oinomageireio
Epirus. This tavern is a very simple canteen with soups, casseroles and other
daily specials ordered at the counter instead of a menu.
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| Oinomageireio
Epirus |
I got the Giouvetsi
which is beef stew with Orzo. It was very tasty and hearty, a wonderful comfort
food.
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| Giouvetsi @Oinomageireio Epirus |
Hubby got their specialty, patsas,
which is a tripe soup. It is not the most appetizing (nor photogenic) of dishes
and I don’t like tripe very much but hubby said it was good. He added chilli
flakes and skordostoubi (vinegar marinated with garlic cloves) which made it
taste even better.
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| Patsas @ Oinomageireio Epirus |
We also had to have seafood so we went to Atlantikos. The
alley seating was plentiful but the place was packed. This was not a surprise
as the food was great and affordable. We had fried calamari and grilled big
shrimps. Food was fresh and very, very tasty. I can eat there every day!
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| Fried Calamari @Atlantikos |
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| Grilled Big Shrimps @Atlantikos |
In Mykonos, hubby booked weeks in advance for a table at
Kastro’s. While it is first-come, first-served with minimum order requirements
for the alley end table and private balconies for the best sunset views, we
managed to get one of the tables at the alley for a beautiful sunset dinner.
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| Sunset Dining @Kastros |
I got the grilled sea bream which was cooked perfectly. The
fillet flaked off the fork and was wonderful with the bouillabaisse sauce.
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| Grilled Sea Bream @Kastros |
Hubby got the Lamb Rack with pistachio crust drizzled with rosemary
and orange sauce. Delish.
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| Rack of Lamb @Kastros |
Of course, the sunset was just beautiful. Many a couple took
photos at the alley as we ate our dinner.
In Santorini, we had an amazing dinner at Alati, which was
right in our hotel, Vedema. The ambience in this 400-year old winery cave
turned restaurant was so romantic. The chandeliers were lit by real candles and
the décor was modern and very elegant. The service was superb and the food was
just divine.
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| Alati in Megalochori |
We had a delicious calamari for appetizers and they also served shrimp tartare complimentary.
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| Calamari @Alati |
Taking off from previous, proven winners, we again had sea
bream and lamb. They were even better than the ones we had in Kastro’s. Now,
that may be the wine (as we had quite a few glasses coming from a wine tasting
in Canava next door) talking or it may be the ambience, but everything was just
perfect. We also managed to catch the last live show of the season which
provided beautiful music while we dined.
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| wine tasting @Canava |
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| Sea Bream @Alati |
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| Lamb @Alati |
We also went to the best rated restaurant in Santorini,
Metaxi Mas. It was a bit out of the way at Exo Gonia. It was tricky to get
there on public transit. We practically had to climb a hill! However, the food,
service and ambience were worth the trip. And it had a nice view!
This time I had the grilled octopus and hubby had chicken
and rice. We started with a delicious white eggplant salad with feta cheese and
cherry tomatoes (white eggplant and cherry tomatoes are a must try in
Santorini!). Now, Grandma will be the first to say that I do not really eat
eggplant. But boy, I have never eaten or enjoyed as much eggplant as I did in
Greece. I loved this salad! It was so refreshing, especially with raki!
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| White Eggplant salad @Metaxi Mas |
Well, I don’t think I have to say much about octopus. It was
just beautifully grilled and well-seasoned.
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| Grilled Octopus @Metaxi Mas |
Hubby got the chicken and rice. How can you go wrong with perfectly
seasoned crispy chicken.
I totally see why this was the best-rated restaurant in
Santorini. Well-deserved accolade.
