Cheap Holidays Greece

Eating out in Athens

 

In Athens as like other parts of Greece, going to eat out is seen as both an adventure and a way of life. Restaurants are not only seen as places to enjoy a meal, but are also seen as part of the entertainment itself. For most of the Greeks, eating out is a family occasion. It is therefore very likely that you will see large families of parents, grand parents and children together in a restaurant. It is important to remember that meal times for Greeks start later. Breakfast at 9:00 is rare for the Greeks, so finding a restaurant open at this hour will prove to be difficult. You will however find restaurants opening early in the tourist parts of Athens. Lunch for the Athenians is eaten at mid-afternoon, and the evening meal may sometimes start after 10pm! For those who would like to have a taste of the Greek way of life, it is advisable to stay away from self-catering holidays as this would no doubt would make you miss one of the greatest aspects of Greek life.

 

 

 

Athens has a wide range of high quality restaurants; these range from traditional taverns to the more expensive conventional restaurants known as estiatorian. We also have the popular psistaria restaurants, which specialize in grilled meats, and also the psarotaverna, which specialize in seafood. The prices in Greek restaurants almost always include the 10% tax, it is however good to tip your waiter an additional 10% tip. One of the most popular foods is souvlaki, (this is known as the Greek hamburger) the chef grills the meat and places it in the pita bread with tomatoes and salad. The majority of the popular souvlaki shops in Athens are close to Monastiraki Square. Another famous type of restaurant found close to Monastiraki Square is the Patsazika where soup made from beef offal, but also other soups made from goat and cockerel is served.

 

Although traditional patsazika and souvlaki shops in Athens Greece have stood the test of time, Resturants in Athens have now started to evolve. Many of the traditional taverns have been replaced by Mezedopolia. A more noticeable change is the increasing number of international restaurants in Athens, thus bringing Indian, Mexican and Chinese tastes which had previously been unknown to the Greek people. This to me is a reflection of how living standards for the Athenians have increased. Food outlets such as McDonalds, Starbucks and Pizza-Hut are now in competition with traditional Greek restaurants and cafes.