La Nonna Vineria — Restaurant in Athens

This establishment is in the cute Mets neighborhood of Athens. See my review of Olympion nearby to read more about the neighborhood.

The space is super welcoming: it has that Mediterranean, checkered garden table feel. It is lit mainly with draped/checkered lamps, which gives a speakeasy romantic kind of vibe, so a bit of romantic and edgy at the same time. The music is soothing and not overbearing. I love their choice of colors too: a mix of salmon, red, white, and brown. I very much enjoyed spending time at their bar the first time: I found it elegant with an edge. The people working here are very thoughtful. I'd say that this is a great place both for couples, friends looking to catch up, families, and other occasions.

The first time, my friend and I had the truffle pizza (white) and pepper pizza. Both were relatively big! 🤯😊. The dough felt just right to me, chewy with a slightly carbonized feel. The ingredients felt super fresh, especially on the truffle pizza 🍕: pure taste.

We also had the burrata, which came with an amazing honey dressing.

They have a nice wine list that includes Italian selections. I tried the Moschofilero and the Kir Yanni Xinomavro blend. Both tasted really nice!

The second time, I had the La Nonna Peinirli (pictured). First time I tried such a thing. Thin dough, moist egg 🥚, peppery 😋, stringy cheese. Niiiiceeee. The egg 🥚, wow, makes it really come together.

Before I left the second time, I moved to the bar and had a great conversation with one of the bartenders, Dimitri. He made me a great Mezcal margarita!

Overall, all flavor, thoughtfulness, and...

The place is very well-decorated, and the staff, except the manager and one lady working there, were friendly. Unfortunately, we were informed at the time of payment that only cash was accepted, which felt like a scam. Instead of offering an apology or assistance, we were forced to attempt a bank transfer, which we couldn't complete because the necessary details for international transfers were unavailable. The manager became upset with me because I was unfamiliar with Greek banking procedures, which seemed unfair. It was evident that these individuals are inexperienced and lacked hospitality knowledge. We felt sorry for the other staff members who seemed embarrassed by the manager's behaviour and tried to distance themselves from it. The situation was incredibly uncomfortable and the worst restaurant experience I've had. Additionally, despite offering various solutions such as paying the next day (as our Airbnb was nearby), we were not allowed to leave, which seemed to be against the law. The total bill was 31 euros, but we were only able to pay 20 because one of us had to go home (while I stayed like an hostage) to get cash. They then insisted on an 11 euro bank transfer, but provided details only for national transfers, making the situation even more awkward. I would strongly advise others to avoid this place. While Athens is an amazing city, the behavior of the manager did not reflect its welcoming and...

Lovely place to relax after a busy day in Athens! We had caprese & the prosciutto pizza and they were both excellent, fresh ingredients & a filling quantity for the two of us. I really enjoyed the light & chewy texture of the pizza dough with the crisp crust, and the generous amount of tomato & mozzarella in the salad. I also really loved the Roselio spritz; less sweet and more lemony than an aperol spritz & less sweet and floral than elderflower. Service was attentive and lovely. Also a really nice vibe, small tables on the sidewalk, kinda romantic kinda effortlessly casual while still refined. Would recommend for a couple or...