Diodos — Restaurant in Athens

This place has a location that cannot be beat, right across a walking path to the Agora of Athens, beatiful view.

The food quality is very good. The Greek salad was the normal excellence in Athens, super fresh produce, a huge piece of excellent feta, oregano, and drizzled with high quality olive oil. 5/5. The lamb was quite good, I have had it a couple spots in Athens and am surprised to find they use very little seasoning. It is tender juicy lamb, but no lemon, rosemary, garlic. I like a grilled lamb that has been marinated for a bit and to have the spices from the marinade get the occasional charred bits. Still, 4/5. The fried potatoes were excellent for fried potatoes. 5/5 for what they were. I need to find a lemon roasted potato in Greece before I leave though...

Where this place wins though is the service. This place works hard to get people into the door and when they do they show you they appreciate it. After my meal they offered a free desert, and a free little bottle of a mulled wine type of thing that was... delicious.

I enjoyed my desert, drank my wine, and they brought me another bottle of the wine. I sat with a friendly cat looking at the Angora and Acroplis drinking the second bottle of wine and then appearred another bottle of wine! They certainly were not forcing it on me and asked if I wanted the third one, I took it gladly as I was walking back to the hotel anyhow.

By the time I got the bill this place was an unbelievable bargain given the food I ate, the desert, and the wine.

It was a perfect night really sitting there, eating, drinking, looking at one of the most amazing historical sites on this planet all lit up at night. I may have to revisit this place on my way back...

It was my first time in Greece at all and 1st day in Athens. We had dinner at Diodos (Δίοδος Αρχαίας Αγοράς) and it was a truly memorable experience. We tried moussaka and kleftiko: Moussaka is a traditional Greek baked dish with layers of eggplant, potatoes, minced meat and béchamel – creamy, rich and absolutely delicious. -Kleftiko is slow-baked lamb with vegetables wrapped in parchment. Its origin goes back to the klephts (mountain rebels), who used to cook meat secretly underground so the smoke wouldn’t reveal their hiding places. Both dishes were heavenly — tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. We also enjoyed their house wine, which you can even take away in a plastic bottle. A lovely touch was the complimentary panna cotta with caramel and homemade liqueur at the end of the meal. The view of the Acropolis is stunning, especially at sunset, and the sound of nearby church bells every half hour adds an authentic Greek charm. Outdoor seating is very pleasant, with water mist sprayers under the awning to keep you cool in the heat. The interior is authentic as well, and even the bathroom upstairs felt unique — almost like entering a small hammam, very clean and unusual for a restaurant.

Minor downsides: the bill is first shown only on a phone screen in Greek, and bread (1€ per person) is automatically added to the check even if it’s not served. But these are small details compared to the overall experience.

Staff are friendly and welcoming, which made the evening even better.

Overall: excellent food, wonderful atmosphere,...

Dissapointing expecience...

I usually try to find something positive in every dining experience, but this one was genuinely disappointing from start to finish.

We ordered mojitos, but what we received had no mint, no lime, no sugar, no soda water – and possibly not even rum. It tasted like a cheap bottled "mojito-style" soft drink, yet it cost €12.

The food arrived surprisingly fast – just 20 minutes after ordering, including a lamb dish that should have required much longer cooking. Unsurprisingly, it was tough and dry. We also found a hair in the food, and the cutlery and the glass was greasy and visibly dirty. We asked the waiter to take the meal away after two bites.

Even worse, the waiter handed us the cutlery by the blade, holding the eating end directly with his fingers. Completely unhygienic and unacceptable.

Plates were carried out directly under misting fans, which sprayed water droplets into the food and drinks – a serious violation of food hygiene standards.

As an apology, the waiter brought us a syrupy pudding-like dessert (possibly a version of galaktoboureko). While the gesture was acknowledged, it didn’t come close to making up for the experience.

And then, the waiter still asked if we would leave a tip.

I rarely write negative reviews, but this was truly awful. Poor service, dirty utensils, questionable hygiene, bad food, and overpriced drinks – definitely one of the worst dining experiences I’ve...