Erato Restaurant Plaka — Restaurant in Athens

My favorite dining experience in all of Athens, not just Plaka. The host of this restaurant was welcoming, not pushy, as he stood outside of his eatery and invited tourists passing by to come for dinner.

We selected Erato because it offered a number of vegetarian options. If you're visiting Plaka with a vegetarian, this restaurant offers far more dinner selections than most of the other neighboring restaurants. There were a number of Italian dishes on the menu, and they were done quite well.

The meal here was well-paced. We never felt rushed, but it was easy to get the attention of a waiter if we needed something. The wait staff also went well out of their way to make sure all diners had pleasant experiences. Like all the eateries in the area, their outdoor tables jut out into the street, where it is not uncommon to find panhandlers passing. At other restaurants, panhandlers would come right up and go table to table, trying to sell trinkets or ask for money. At Erato, the wait staff were very observant. When they noticed someone approaching tourists seated at tables, they would intervene and make sure the diners were not interrupted. Their efforts to prevent interruptions and pickpocketing were evident to us, and likely helped out a few of the more oblivious customers (like a young woman who, while dining alone, had unpacked her entire purse--phone, wallet, and souvenirs-- onto her table!).

The best way I can describe this restaurant is: when you eat here, you feel as though you are being...

Visited with family and we both ordered steaks ( menu very unclear as for each steak there's a choice of standard and better quality ! Surely a ribeye is a ribeye !!)

One steak was truly awful, full of gristle , so most was left on the plate having been chewed and rejected

Nobody came to ask if everything was OK, and each waiter actively avoided us as they could see there was a problem

One rude waiter then eventually took the plate away without saying a word and abruptly slammed a bill on the table. I tried to then tell him that the steak was awful and he cut me short by saying I had eaten it . At this point, the plate had gone with the chewed up steak on it and he said I had eaten it

I asked to see the manager and 3 rude, intimidating waiters surrounded us and made out we were the issue

Apparently because we ordered the standard steak, these are frozen (!) so not as good !!

I wasn't trying to make a big deal out of it but they need to be aware if the meat quality is poor and despite me trying to calmly tell the owner this , he got more and more aggressive to the point that my wife was very intimidated by these 3 irate men surrounding us over a simple issue

We left immediately and needless to say will not return or recommend this restaurant due to its bullying,...

I have no idea what challenges one of the waiters in the photo might have faced in life, , but he clearly took out his frustration on the customers.

Me and my mom were passing by this restaurant and wanted to stop in for lunch. As we walked in, a man who looked like an ordinary customer greeted me with a “hello.” I politely responded with “hello.”Then he just stood there, repeating “hello, hello, hello,” before sarcastically adding, “(you should say) table for two, that’s why I said hello.” He then abruptly told us that all the tables were reserved and refused to seat us, turning away without further explanation just left us there.

Would it have been so difficult for him to simply ask how many people we were? Who could have known what he meant by saying "hello"? He even didnot look like a waiter. Sensitive period for order) occurs in young children, not in adults.

I’ve traveled to many countries, and I’ve never encountered such weird and rude behavior. His actions were completely baffling, and I’m left questioning the management of your restaurant. If this is how customers are treated, it’s hard to imagine how the business can continue to thrive...