Meintani Restaurant — Restaurant in Athens

My sister and I arrived at Zafolia Hotel in Athens (a good 10- to 15-minute cab ride from the Plaka and other downtown attractions) around 9:30 a.m. after a 9.5-hour flight from the U.S. At the hotel, we found out our room wouldn't be ready until 2 p.m. We were exhausted and grimy from traveling and didn't want to adventure into downtown without storing our passport and other important items in a safe. ... So we weren't pleased.

We left the luggage with the hotel and decided to explore the area (which didn't seem to offer much, to be honest). Thankfully, we discovered Meintani Restaurant just around the corner.

It was our very first experience in Greece, and oddly enough (considering the unexpected circumstances) it couldn't have been more perfect. The service was excellent — the server was friendly and accommodating and went out of her way to make us comfortable as we killed a couple of hours sipping on wine and (eventually, when the kitchen opened) eating food.

When we realized it would be an hour or more until they served food (the chef wasn't there yet because the kitchen doesn't open until 11:30 a.m.), the server brought us some olives, cucumbers and tomatoes — she could tell we were hungry and tired. We eventually ordered Greek salad (unbelievable!) and souvlaki, which turned out to be some of the best we had throughout our 9-day adventure around Greece.

Plus, I just loved the vibe. It was so relaxed. When we first got there a little before 10 a.m., there were just a few old Greek men reading their newspapers, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. Eventually one of them started up a conversation with us, asking where we were from, where we were visiting in Greece, etc. He made us laugh and feel at home in a country we were unfamiliar with.

These bits of hospitality went a long way, and we went back to the hotel feeling incredibly positive about the trip to come. I highly recommend this charming little cafe, which appears to be a gem...

Food is decent, nothing crazy. Overpriced considering the alternative options in the area. Giving just two stars due to our waitress insisting we leave a review on Google and wanting us to do so in front of her on the spot (after charming us with 2 shots on the house of some tasty local spirit). Not only, but she then took my phone from my hands - yes! She did...- gave the restaurant 5 stars and returned it to me so I could finish off the review with some nice comment. Wow. Judging by the other reviews, her little routine worked on most people, who must also have been guests coming from Hotel Zafolia across the road: each member of staff asked us on different occasions if we were staying at Zafolia (4 star hotel), who probably sends their guests to eat here, which would explain the not-so...

I got really ambivalent feelings about this place. Food is really good and the owner, Rusłana, is very friendly. The waiter on the other hand is a little (or maybe not only a little) weird and scary. It was hard to communicate with him, his talking and gestures seemed agressive. At the end, he just came to us and told us the amout of money we have to pay, no receipt! We're sure it was about 15-20 euro more than we should pay, it's possible we were charged for the shots and desserts we didn't order, it was just brought to us and we fought it's for free! I don't really think it's waiter's doing, I believe it have to be the policy of the restaurant. We even wanted to leave a tip, but after the extra charging we felt just fooled, like some dumb tourists. I add extra star for a food though,...