OVIO — Restaurant in Athens

Stay humble. That’s my advice to this restaurant and its front of house. No doubt they’ll ignore it much like the tears of my little boy….

We were in the middle of town and we fancied pizza. My little one’s favourite food is margarita pizza preferably Neopolitan style. He’s six. I’ve brought him up the right way.

Ovio was nearby. It had good ratings. It’s even in the Michelin guide. What could go wrong? We walked in without a reservation and were promptly shown to a table. All good so far.

My marinara pizza came out first. It wasn’t bad. Lots of octopus. Tangy pomodoro. Heavy on the crust for some reason. But the centre was way too wet so you very quickly get a pancake textured base. Just not to my liking to have no undercarriage to speak of. Portnoy would not love this.

Then the margarita came out. My son was sooooo excited. BUT the pizza was orange. ORANGE?!?!? My son was inconsolable. Tears began to run down his sweet little face bless him. Clearly this was an over-reaction by my boy. The chef did not go out to upset my child. I asked our server why the orange. So it transpires the pomodoro is blended with cheese first and then laid on the pizza turning the vivid red into a garish orange. To be fair it tasted ok but there’s no reasoning with a 6 year-old child when he’s used to a classic margarita at least once a week. Our server could see our son was visibly upset. His response? Laughter. Yes laughter. A nervous laughter mind you not one borne of malevolence I’m sure. A like it or lump it laughter….

My blood was boiling but in fairness I couldn’t send the pizza back. There was otherwise nothing wrong with it…other than it wasn’t a classic margarita!!!! Look at the picture I’ve attached to this review. The Neopolitan guideline makers would be in uproar!!!

The server’s lack of empathy however was a hint of how this restaurant operates. They’re drunk on their “success”. Group after group of non reservation holders were turned away despite there being several empty tables. The bar tender had a constant scowl on her face. Overall a horrible ambience.

And genuinely the food was mediocre at best. My marinara pizza came with a stock pomodoro sauce. A kind and welcoming restaurant would have taken the margarita away and rustled up a classic to restore the ebullience in my child’s soul. Am I asking too much? Probably. But u suspect this standard from a restaurant in the Michelin guide.

Avoid this restaurant. I cannot recommend anything good about it. Especially...

OVIO in Athens offers an exceptional dining experience, blending a warm and inviting atmosphere with impeccable service. The staff is friendly and attentive, making sure every guest feels well taken care of from the moment they step in. Also they are willing to help and explain everything on the menu. The ambiance is chic yet cozy, perfect for enjoying a quality Italian meal.

Everything we tried was amazing. The star of the evening was undoubtedly the gnocchi with creamy gorgonzola sauce and if I am not mistaken the most well known dish of the restaurant. The rich, velvety sauce paired perfectly with the soft, pillowy gnocchi, creating a dish that was both indulgent and satisfying. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Another standout was the spaghetti with pomodoro and basilico, simple but bursting with flavor. The sauce struck the perfect balance between sweet and savory, with a fresh aroma of basil that elevated the dish to something truly special. The pasta was cooked to a perfect aldente and I was amazed by how sushi a simple dish had such a deep, comforting and memorable flavor.

The mushroom risotto was also a highlight, cooked to perfection with a smooth, creamy consistency. While it was a bit heavy, the deep, earthy flavor made it delicious. I recommend sharing this dish cause is a bit too much to be eaten by one person.

For something different, the zucchini pizza was a pleasant surprise. With a super-thin, soft crust reminiscent of Neapolitan-style pizza, it was light, airy, and incredibly delicious. I found myself wishing I could order more.

The prices are a bit higher than usual but it is a well known restaurant with quite the reputation so ai guess is expected. Portion sizes are a bit too small.

As a fan of good Italian food, I would gladly return to OVIO whenever I visit Athens again. The quality of the ingredients truly shines in every dish, and it’s clear that the restaurant is helmed by a chef who takes pride in his craft. Knowing that the chef and owner, Panos Ioannidis, is also a judge on MasterChef Greece adds an extra layer of excitement for fans of his cooking and personality. His culinary style and passion for Italian cuisine come through...

In general it is a good Italian restaurant, a bit overpriced but with a good taste. Pizza and rissoto I think that stands out here. All the dishes were underseasoned which was a bit annoying. The location is not the ideal especially during summer that you have to sit outside closely packed with the other tables.

In details:

We got burrata which was a half of it and for sure not the quality one ( is my fav cheese after 5 years in Italy) , it would be better to serve a smaller one but a whole. Arancini were quite good though, filled with speck and served with tomato marmalade .

We had a mushroom risotto with extra truffle and was very good. Very well balanced, excellent truffle quality (which is difficult to find nowadays) with deep flavours , I highly recommend it. On the other had we got a porchetta which wasn't at all the porchetta that I would expect to eat in Italy. It was just a piece of pork belly !!! ( Porchetta is a pork loin wrapped with pork belly stuffed with herbs etc.) Well, the pork belly wasn't bad, just a bit dry, with espresso sauce, an amazing sweet potato pure and a peach which didn't add anything to the dish .

The dessert was quite good, we had a lemon pie which was quite balance with a touch of thyme that I loved , very flavourful!

The serving was good but , they didn't explain the dishes to us, we had to wait a long time to order as the restaurant was quite full and the didn't have all the wines that was written on the menu which is quite annoying. They waited for me to decide the wine that they don't have in order to tell me that the dont have...