Kuzina — Restaurant in Athens

I'm sorry to say I was quite disappointed with my experience at Kuzina. I had very high hopes given the "hype" around it on various websites which list best places to eat in Athens.

The highlight of our meal were the fresh muffins and red pepper cheese spread as well as the blue crab & vegetarian aranchinni starters. However, unfortunately, the rest of the meal was not up to the standard I would expect at a place this touted and expensive. The food was very overpriced for what we were served. The black cod was uninspiring and overly sweet. Even the broccolini that accompanied it wasn't well executed (over cooked). The grouper was ok, but nothing as special as the 40+ euro price would lead you to believe.

I was very tempted to give the service 1 star, but stuck with 2 stars b/c some of the staff were helpful. However, there was one waiter who was inattentive and borderline rude several times. It all started when I called him over to say that my gin drink (Homer's Stone) was too sweet for my liking. I asked him if there was anything they could do to try and lessen the sweetness. The waiter looked at me like I had just insulted him. All he said back to me was basically, "That's how it's supposed to be, sweet". So, I politely tried again to see if they could try to add something to reduce (or counteract) the sweetness so I could actually enjoy drinking this 12 euro cocktail. Again, with a disdained look on his face, he said they could possibly make it more sour. Now I was getting somewhere! I told him that sounded good and thanked him. In the end, I was able to get a drink that I could enjoy, but I wish the waiter would have handled it better without me having to almost beg him.

In addition, possibly due to them being busy, we felt fairly neglected as a table most of the meal. It started out ok with our initial waiter. He took our order fairly quickly, brought our appetizers over as well as our drinks. However, our initial waiter must have finished their shift, b/c we didn't see him after that. Our new waiter was unfortunately the less than accommodating gentleman mentioned above. We had to go out of our way to ask him to clear our main dish plates after waiting almost 20 min or so. Once we were able to get his attention, his response was simply, "My colleague will clear them". Gee, thanks :-/

The worst aspect of the service came from the same gentleman mentioned above at the end, when we were paying our bill. We asked to split the bill on two cards, which he nicely obliged. But, when my girlfriend told him how much to put on her card, he basically asked her, "What about the tip?". She felt quite uncomfortable b/c : a) She wasn't happy with the food or service and b) She hadn't experienced any other waitstaff in Athens before actually ASKING her for a tip. Putting a customer "on the spot" like this is beyond rude and really makes the restaurant look bad in my opinion. My girlfriend, not quite knowing how to handle this, told him she would handle that with cash. (she just wanted to end the interaction as quickly as possible). In the end, she did leave him a small, cash tip. But I wish there was a way for everyone else on staff to share it, without Mr. Unfriendly.

Overall, like I said at the top, this was a disappointing experience (especially for the very high prices). Besides the rude service by one of the waiters, the main dishes were not great which I wonder is b/c they try to be a little too inventive (for the sake of being inventive and unique). When it comes down to it, unique or not, the flavor of dishes should be on point, especially if the price tag is on the steeper side (which this was). Oh, speaking of price tag, I'm also not a fan of the fact they don't list prices on the menu you get from their website. I knew that was a bad sign already, but was hopeful based on the good reviews I had read beforehand. Why not publish prices so people know what to expect? In my mind, it's a bit deceptive and could be done in order to bring in more diners who would have otherwise been turned off by the...

Upon arrival at Kuzina, we were pleasantly surprised by a rooftop table, despite it being fully booked during our reservation. The view was breathtaking, setting the tone for our final evening in Greece.

We started with water and orange juice. While the water was served promptly, the juice took a reminder. Feeling weary from our Athens exploration, I also requested an espresso. By the time I made this request, the juice was still absent, prompting another reminder.

The tablet menus were an interesting touch.

Our starters were uneven. My fiancé's crab and avocado toast was delayed, while my burrata turned out to be mozzarella. The presentation was basic, lacking the expected finesse and flavor. The crab toast, when it finally arrived, was similarly underwhelming, though the novelty of crab added some charm.

I had to remind the staff about the missing espresso, which finally arrived after a wait. Despite being assured it was complimentary due to the oversight, it later appeared on our bill. The empty espresso cup sat ignored on our table all evening.

Adding to the confusion, we were mistakenly given a dessert menu, presumably intended for the neighboring table.

Our main dishes were also lackluster. While the striploin tasted decent, its accompanying grilled potatoes were limp and seemed reheated. My tuna tataki was incorrectly prepared as a thick steak and served with an unrecognizable vegetable and overpowering mustard sauce. The pink ginger garnish seemed straight from a low-end sushi spot. The dish evoked a German bratwurst and kale combo rather than an elegant tuna tataki.

The evening's conclusion was extremely cumbersome. It took almost 45 minutes to get the bill and settle it, with the previously mentioned espresso oversight adding to the delay. The waiter's forwardness in asking for a tip, and subsequent disappointment when we declined, was palpable.

While such experiences might be overlooked at a budget eatery, our dinner cost well over €130 for average dishes and minimal drinks. It's perplexing how Kuzina maintained a Michelin guide recommendation for over a decade. Judging by our experience, no wonder it no longer holds that distinction.

We'd advise Kuzina to prioritize their dishes' quality and refine their service. While the ambiance and past accolades (evident from Michelin stickers plastered on the entrance) are notable, the evening was marked by disorganization. Waiters seemed perpetually confused about order destinations, which, over time, became almost comically reminiscent of a slapstick circus.

However, we can't deny the mesmerizing view and our engaged amusement. Despite the mishaps, our evening was...

We had the degustation and for 110 euros what a disappointment.

The first dish was billed as bottarga and butter but no one could taste bottarga at all. Bland and uninspiring.

The second dish was mediocre bread served with a selection of olive oils. If you're going to do such a simple dish at least make sure the bread is decent.

The third dish was a crab salad that was quite good.

The fourth was a tiny and boring tuna tataki.

The fifth was a standout - a beautifully cooked piece of cod with teriyaki and other Asian flavours. Weird choice in a Greek restaurant that allegedly is recognised by Michelin, but delicious all the same.

The sixth was some lamb that tasted like it was cooked ages ago and just kept cool till delivered to the table. Served with a sauce you won't remember and nothing better than you could cook at home.

The seventh and final was a sad olive oil parfait with the wrong texture and a disappointing flavour. My dessert fiend co-diners couldn't even finish theirs - a rare feat, and one that speaks volumes.

Add to this the fact we had to ask 3 separate times for a wine list (no assistance in selection offered) and our lasting impression was pretty miserable.

The resounding success of the evening was (sadly) the cocktails, which were impeccable! Kudos to the legendary lady bartender who was also kind enough to offer some complimentary Muscat to help wash down dessert. The other clear winner was the view. We had an amazing view of the Acropolis while we ate. Yah.

Don't think we would have been happy paying 100 euros for this meal let alone 500 (nearly $1000 in home currency). Sad result for a meal that was supposed to celebrate the end of a great adventure together for the...