Ταβέρνα Μαχαιρίτσα — Restaurant in Athens

One of the visits we planned to do in Athens, beside the archaeologies sites and museums, was the central market with its surroundings. The sea product area is especially beautiful regarding it seems they pay a special attention to the presentation of their booths. So, to walk among all this fresh and beautiful food makes you hungry. Fortunately, someone got the idea to do an open air restaurant at the middle of this market hall. The place is a terrace, a bit higher than the level of the alley; you then have a better view of everything around. The restaurant proposes a menu with starters, main courses …and some unusual speciality. On the side of the terrace, they are 3 big old school steamers. When they opened the first one for us to see, we could discover a kind of dough (like a huge ‘’calzone’’ inside which there are some pieces of pork prepared with potatoes and herbs. The all thing is cooking extremely slowly for hours from the early morning. The second and the third work on the same concept, one filled with lamb and the other with chicken and some again special preparation made of a kind of hops pasta. Considering we arrived there, that day, before 10 AM, we got for this first time some Greek starter and main. On the other knowing that we should come back to Athens after our 3 weeks trip on the Cyclades islands, we decided to pay a visit to this restaurant and try the 3 specialities. We came back then after 2 PM to get the best level of cooking. We had the 3 different dishes… It’s being awesome and unforgettable part of our Greek food experience. Looking back, this is a small place at the middle of a market hall, an amazing friendly owner who shares with you what he loves to do, and a fantastic food, you almost cannot find anymore anywhere. And finally, 2 complimentary shots of a Greek liquor coming with the bill; 3 main courses for the price of 3 starters in most of the restaurants we’ve been this month. I really recommend this place to everyone goes to Greece also for the well-known cuisine, don’t miss it, that...

Misleading and Overcharging Experience

My visit to this restaurant was far from satisfactory. As tourists unfamiliar with the local language, we had hoped for a pleasant dining experience. However, from the moment we arrived, things took a turn for the worse.

Upon inquiry about the restaurant's specialization, the waiter seemed uninterested in our preference for fish and instead insisted we try their meat platter. Despite our initial request, we were swayed into ordering the large meat platter, which turned out to be meant for at least four people, not two. This left us feeling deceived and frustrated.

The quality of the meats served was also disappointing. Over-grilled with a distinct charcoal-ish taste, they failed to live up to any expectation of a delightful meal. After a mere one and a half pieces each, we had had enough.

Adding to the poor experience, we were served a bottle of water without our consent and charged for it even though we didn't touch it. The restaurant also brought us bread we didn't order, only to find it included on the bill. It turned out that we were overcharged for the meat platter as well.

To make matters worse, when we pointed out the overcharge, they admitted to their mistakes regarding the water and platter but still charged us for the unrequested bread. This further deepened our sense of being taken advantage of as tourists.

In conclusion, this restaurant failed to deliver on its positive reviews. We felt disregarded, misled, overcharged, and let down by the quality of the food. I would advise anyone seeking an authentic fish dining experience to...

I don't usually give bad reviews, at most I avoid rating the place. But, on this case, I have to explain what I have experienced here: Food: while the salad was great (fresh vegetables and a nice piece of fetta cheese), the meat platter was too cooked, bits where totally burnt and the french fries were soggy. Atmosphere: well.... it is in the market, right in front of the butcher's stand. So... you get the smells of uncooked meat, and watch carcasses when you eat. Service: WE WERE CHEATED, plain and simple. We have order meat platter for one, we got meat platter for two accidentally. The tab at the end had three different mistakes, includded the wrong price for the platter, bread that we didn't order and a bottle of water that we didn't ordered or opened. There were no apologies at all, and we felt that they were angry for being exposed. I do not understand how the place got 4.6 ranking on Google maps. I will never go back and will never recommend the place to anyone,...