Athenian Greek Resturant

In January 2012 the Vuj and I were off again, this time it was my turn to pick it.  We invited some friends and we were off to the Athenian Greek restaurant (see map below).  I have to say I had my reservations going there because of the traditional Greek décor and big columns outside, and the dated Website.  It spelt, tourist rip-off to me.

However, after some positive feedback from my Greek connection we decided to give it a go for a night sitting, and I must say, food wise we were not let down.

Looking at the menu they had the typical appetizers and Meze like Taramosalata, Tzatziki, Spanakopita, and Vine leaves.

The mains were filled with an assortment of hearty meals like Souvlaki, Stifado, and Moussaka.

Alcohol wise they had some typical Greek wines such as Retsina and other typical beers as well as Mythos.

Entrees:

1. Taramosalata ($8.50)
2. Cheese Filo Turnovers ($9.00)
3. Grilled Haloumi Cheese (13.50)
4. Pita Bread ($1.50)

GK:

I personally liked the Taramosalata (excellent).  It was fresh and fluffy with a hint of lemon and not fishy at all.  The Grilled Haloumi was cooked perfectly, not hard at all, it was soft and easy to eat.  Not so soft that it was too gooey, or too hard so you felt you were eating a tough piece of cheese.   Pita bread was fresh and warm.

The Cheese Filo Turnovers were cooked well and fresh, however they disappointed me slightly.  They had a little too much dill, and the cheese inside was not mixed with any spinach at all, so the feta left you with an over salty taste.  Not how Cheese Filo Turnovers aka ‘Tyropitas’ should taste like.

AV:

Yes I have to agree.  The taramoslata was very moreish especially with the pita bread.  There was a variety of dips to choose from and my favourite would have to be the eggplant.  The grilled haloumi was very soft and not chewy as George stated.  With a drizzle of lemon on top, the haloumi was delicious.  The cheese filo was a little bit of a let down, I would have been happy to have just eaten the dips and haloumi.  The cheese tasted a bit sour and oily. 

Mains:

1. Athenian Special – A combination of greek lamb, stuffed capsicum, cabbage roll & mixed vegetables  ($22.50)
2. Moussaka – Tradition style mince meat between layers of eggplant & potato topped with Béchamel sauce  ($20.00)
3. Stuffed Dish – A combination of cabbage rolls, papoustakia & staffed capsicum  ($20.00)
4. Roasted Greek Lamb – Slow roasted greek lamb with lemon baked potatos sprinkled with oregano and dill.  ($26.50)

GK:

The roasted Greek lamb had been obviously slow roasted over four or five hours.  It was very soft, almost to the point where the meat had broken down and been shredded.  It had an awesome hint of lemon, dill, salt and pepper – not over complicated at all.  The Moussaka has to be the best dish I have tried there by far, I have heard good things about it, and I have to say it was very good!.  Soft, filling, and tasty.  The stuffed vegetables aka ‘Yemista’ were cooked nicely.  A great option if your vegetarian or don’t want to feel bloated after a hearty meal.

The service was ok, the waiter could have been more informative and helped offer advice to the people around the table that had never tried Greek food before.  He was not very knowledgeable about the food he was serving. I would have preferred one of the other Greek speaking waiters to serve us.  I have been to the Athenian two times now and the service needs to be a little more professional, it’s a little rough for a white table cloth restaurant.

AV:

Wow, what can I say about the Lamb (I ordered the Anthenian special).  It was so tender and soft, it just melted in your mouth.  It’s not like when you order a Greek slouvaki at a corner takeaway, there lamb can be a bit chewy.  But this just fell off the bone, perfectly cooked for me. The capsicum was nice also, but was unable to finish it, because I ate the lamb first :).  The meal was huge!

The moussaka was nice and tasty, best I have had so far.  however the meal was also huge, you could definitely share this with someone.  

The Greeks are not shy when it comes to food and you get a good serving on your plate for the price you pay.  I definitely recommend sharing your meals on the first go; it will give you the opportunity to try more on the menu.  I have no complaints about the service, it was Ok.  The waiter was very friendly however as George said, the waiter did not highly recommend some dishes over others.  I don't remember if he was Greek or not.  Lucky we had George there as he is Greek to better inform us on the menu. 

Ok so how do we rate the food out of 6?

GK:

1. Taramosalata – 5 stars
2. Cheese Filo Turnovers – 2.5 stars
3. Grilled Haloumi Cheese – 4 starts
4. Pita Bread – 4 stars
5. Athenian Special – 4 stars
6. Moussaka – 5.5 stars
7. Stuffed Dish – 3.5 stars
8. Roasted Greek Lamb – 5 stars

Average Overall - 4.2 stars 

AV:

1. Taramosalata – 5.5 stars
2. Cheese Filo Turnovers – 2 stars
3. Grilled Haloumi Cheese – 4.5 starts
4. Pita Bread – 4 stars
5. Athenian Special – 4.5 stars
6. Moussaka – 5 stars
7. Stuffed Dish – 3.5 stars
8. Roasted Greek Lamb – 5.5 stars

Average Overall - 4.3 stars 

Would we go again - YES

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