Oxo Nou — Restaurant in Athens

We had several great meals in Athens but this was perhaps the best. After climbing Lycabettus Hill (totally worthwhile), we walked down through the Exarchia neighborhood on the northwest side. If you do any research online, you'll see that Exarchia has a tough reputation: it's famous not only for its dramatic street art but also for its open drug deals, run-down buildings, and the riot cops that line the borders of the neighborhood to keep the anarchists from spreading to the rest of the city. The restaurant we had picked was closed (or non-existent) but we stumbled across Oxo Nou just one block away. From the start, it was a great experience. Our waitress Maria helped explain the menu in detail, offered samples of all the Cretan wines, and patiently answered our questions about Greek culture, geography, and cuisine. Pictured is a carafe of "Red Romeiko," a strong "village" wine with an aroma of sherry. Also pictured is the "Kritika Salada," with the exquisite fresh mizritha cheese. Our appetizer was the fried zucchini balls, which were terrific. For an entree, we shared the Tsigariastou, a delicious pan-baked lamb with potatoes. At the end of the meal, we were pleasantly surprised to be presented with a complimentary dessert of yogurt and carrot marmalade. From start to finish, this restaurant was a lovely experience. A midday lunch in Exarchia in early winter was perfectly pleasant, but your mileage may vary at different times of the day and different seasons. It's always advisable to check with your hotel or local news sources about potential issues...

We believe that we were literally subjected to racism in that place! We arrived at 12:55 at night and sat at an empty table. A Greek couple had just sat down at the table next to us a few minutes earlier. We could easily understand this since their table was completely empty and there was no tablecloth. The lady, who I assumed was the owner or the manager of the place, was putting a tablecloth on the table of the couple at the next table and she was taking their order. But when she saw us sitting at the table, she did not allow us to sit down, saying that the kitchen was already closed and the place would be closed soon. We got up from the table and left the place without any argument. When we passed by the same place around 1:40 a.m., we saw the Greek couple at the table I mentioned eating their meal. It was a very frustrating situation and later we were very angry with ourselves for quietly leaving the place without arguing with this woman while we were being...

This affordable indoor/outdoor local hotspot is a little piece of Crete, full of life every night. Come for the food & raki. Stay for the (free) yogurt & carrot spoon sweet dessert—best in Athens (sounds weird, but it’s not 😂). €15-25 per person for a BIG meal WITH alcohol. Groups are ideal so you can order a ton of dishes. (2-4 dishes for 2 people, 6-8 dishes for 3 or 4 people). Most dishes have 4 servings. Vegetarian 🥬 friendly. VERY slow service—expect to be here 3 hours. Call for a reservation on weekends year round and for weeknights during spring/summer.

MUST ORDER: Kapnisti melitzana (smoked 🍆 w feta & 🍅) Keftes ke de dyes (fried zucchini balls) Keftedakia (meatballs) Hortopita (flat wild green pies) Patatas me staka (potatoes w 🧀 gravy) Gamopilafo (“wedding rice” = lamb with the best rice you’ll ever have)

ALSO GOOD: Fava dip (ask for extra bread) Kalitsounia Hortarina (fried wild green pie) Togania kotopoulo (chicken) Rosemary snails Moshari (cardamom...