Platanos Taverna — Restaurant in Athens

The wood under our chairs was worn by time and shaded by a canopy of vine leaves. This was good. This was very good. The kind of place where you eat slowly and feel the moment.

The service was fast and sharp, like a well-trained waiter in Paris or Pamplona. They knew what they were doing, and they did it without fuss. The house wine came in a cut-glass carafe. It was red, light, and cheerful — the kind that makes you smile before the first sip.

I had the makaronia me kima — spaghetti with meat sauce — and it was real food. Not overdone. No tricks. Just honest flavor, well-spiced, and satisfying. My wife had the chicken souvlaki, served with fries and rice. The chicken was tender. Spiced just enough to wake you up, but not shout over the rest of the meal.

And the horiatiki salad — tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, and a slab of feta under olive oil — it was perfect. The tomatoes were ripe, the kind that taste of the sun. The feta was rich and briny and smooth, not crumbling, just right.

You come to Athens to eat under trees, to talk with your hands, to finish your wine, and to live like it matters. Taverna Platanos lets you do all of that.

We left happy. And full....

After having eaten there frequently in the past I came to the conclusion that it is under new management this evening,and not good management,unfortunately. We were a group of 3 people,who had one main dish amongst us ,a few beers ,a salad,a plate of French fries, beans,tzatziki,2 cokes and bread. When we asked for the bill we were told 97.50 euros but we were supposed to pay first before actually being given a bill. Upon asking to see the bill first, the waiters became very surly and rude. We told them that we had no problem in paying the bill but we did want to see it before paying. Not unusual. 3 waiters appeared , speaking very threateningly. We were mild-mannered throughout and ,of course,did pay,but figured out we had probably paid 30 euros more than necessary. More than anything it was the incredibly rude and inhospitable behaviour that was shocking and definitely not Greek. Yes,the food was good ,the place lovely as ever,but the management and service dreadful. We were ready to call the police. We didn't . We paid,left and will...

This was a delicious experience that I enjoyed thoroughly. The food is curated to be some of the most delicious Greek food I have ever had. Amazing high quality tzatziki, fresh vegetables and the grilled lamb was divine.

Everything was amazing, but one little thing that did happen was the card machine broke, and our waiter asked if we were okay to pay with cash, and we agreed. But then it took 20 minutes to get us drinks. I completely understand that, this was an issue that they had no control over, and due to the increase in customers due to summer season, maybe the restaurant was understaffed as they may have been resolving the issue. In the end they did provide us with complimentary dessert, and the machine was working again!

All in all, amazing restraint, good service, and classic Greek architecture all around you. I was in awe. Amazing,...