Spondi Restaurant — Restaurant in Athens

As everyone visiting a restaurant of this level should do, I ordered the menu of "Discovery"; a full course, hand picked by the chefs. It is an 8-course menu, with a range of dishes, from starters to sweets giving you the whole experience the chefs want to portray. As it is served in order I will review the plates one by one (disregarding the taste of the dish).

1. Beef tartar with oysters, arenka and king oyster; 5/5 It was the first dish, and an exceptional introduction to the menu. Seasoned to perfection the veal combined with the oysters and king oyster mushrooms was just incredible.

2. Crayfish with caviar, beetroot and lemon; 5/5 Perfectly balanced tastes of seafood. From the crayfish fillet to the beetroot with caviar, and the lemon were perfect. All the tastes blended together harmoniously and made for one perfect dish.

3. Χριστόψαρο/Christofish with corn, sesame seeds, shimeji mushrooms and lemongrass; 5/5 Two different textures of corn combined with shimeji mushrooms give an earthy taste, while lemon grass, shiso and sesame gives the freshness you are looking for. A perfectly cooked and low seasoned christofish is complimented by the servings, making this plate one of the best Spondi has to offer.

4. Foie gras with Nashi pear, burned leek vinegar and sake; 5/5 As foie gras is banned in some countries and should be banned across the globe, there is not much for me to say, as I want to be fair against the restaurant. It was perfectly cooked, seasoned and the burned vinegar pear combined with the lemon sorbet, made for an exceptional dish.

5. Pigeon with Celeriac, Tonka Nuts and Blackberry; 2/5 Pigeon meat is not my favorite kind of meat, and although it was very well cooked, there are big flaws with it. Beginning from the presentation, I feel like it is inappropriate to present a plate with the foot of the bird. It felt more like Greek patsas then a high class restaurant. Tonka was very prevalent in the dish, as it is a very strong tasting nut. The celeriac combined with the blackberries and Tonka gave a very strange taste. It was not a very well thought dish, and pretty uninspiring considering the plethora of French pigeon dishes that reseble this one.

6. Metzovone Cheese; eggplant, onion and buckwheat; 1/5 There is nothing positive to say about this plate. All around the most uninspiring and not interesting plate I have been served in a long time. It was a small cheese tart, that you can get from your local bakery, and nothing more. A plate with no place in a restaurant of this caliber.

7. Green Apple with citronella, yogurt light cream, green apple sorbet; 4/5 From an aesthetic point of view, this might very well be a perfect five out of five. Breaking it reveals multiple apple textures, that combined give you a very well and strong taste of a good and fresh apple. But as the icing outside is just sugar, and all the preparations inside have sugar, it makes it a lot sweeter than it should have been and taking away from the very good taste. Alongside the apple is a cheesecake of sorts that was some what out of place but tasted rather well.

8. Caramel with cereal and goat milk ice-cream; 4/5 Goat milk is very difficult to master especially in a sweet capacity, but that is exactly what they achieved with this dish. Three different perfectly executed textures of goat milk and a milk caramel balanced with its airy texture, make it a very good dish that does not take risks and although being very good is nothing to brag about.

Portions were incredibly small, especially considering you are easily in the range of 300€ for two people and may leave still hungry.

All in all I feel like the restaurant is worth of a Michelin star but in no way two. There are dishes that can be replaced especially in the discovery menu, for me to change my opinion. But for what I have tasted, there are things that are easily avoidable but...

January 26, 2019

Tonight, my partner and friend Melissa and I had the pleasure of having dinner with our friend and business partner Dimitiris and his wife Marina. Melissa and I had decided that we wanted to try every Michelin star rated restaurant in Athens over a year ago. Some we’ve been to multiple times but for whatever the reason was we hadn’t yet made it to Spondi, for those of you not aware Spondi has to it’s credit 2 Michelin stars. To tell you that we were all looking forward to this dinner would be a gross understatement. We arrived at the appointed time and once we were seated I decided to look at the wine menu. There were wonderful selections from all over the world and being that I have an extensive cellar of my own I had to rule out a bunch for no other reason then price. However, I’m familiar with the wines of Sicily so the decision on what wine to order was easy, I selected a Donnafugata, which happened to be delightful.

We decided we’d start with a bunch of different appetizers and we’d share all of them. We selected the Langoustine served with a Petrosian Daurenki caviar, watermelon radish and calamondin. The dish was very creative however the langoustine was served very under cooked. We also shared the Scallops served with cauliflower, chive and Arenkha, (Arenkha is like caviar but is made from black herring roe.) Again, another pretty dish but not what you’d expect at a 2-star restaurant. The next presentation turned out to be the run-away star of the night it was the Truffle, on top of a wild mushroom, potato chestnut base served with an egg yoke on top. If we only had this for our dinner it would have been memorable, but we didn’t.

The last presentation was now being consumed and I was secretly hoping that it was going to be better than the truffle it was my favorite choice, the Foie Gras with spices, chocolate and orange. Candidly it was a disaster it looked lovely but once you took in a bit of each on your fork you were overwhelmed by the bitter chocolate that had to be eaten with every mouthful. However, we still had hope, that the entrees would be something special to write about.

The entrees were the Wild Turbot served with corn, Shimeji, (mushrooms,) and lemongrass. Again, another one of those pretty dishes but lacking. The second entrée was the Sea Bass served with Date Mussels, zucchini, calamari and lemon thyme. Like the prior dish it looked good but was adequate at best. The 3rd entrée was outstanding almost as good as the Truffle; this entrée was worth the price of admission it was the Veal Sweetbread served with carrots with hint of ginger and Yuzu along with wild leaves. The final main course was the milk fed lamb with eggplant, harissa, and a soya sesame sauce. Forgetting the lamb was over cooked there isn’t much else I can add.

The smartest decision we made all night so far was to get a 2nd bottle of the Donnafugata and to have a 3rd course which was cheese. The cheese cart was wheeled over, and the cheese selection looked wonderful, the only faux pas was they finally brought us warm bread when we were basically done with the cheese, it’s all about timing. We then shared a couple of deserts which in all candor were non-de script.

Candidly speaking we were disappointed, when you considered the truffle and Sweetbreads you could see the talent in the kitchen was there, but then to have some of the other offerings made no sense. A 2-star Michelin restaurant can have an off night it can happen but this was not a good one at all, I’m...

Landscapes of Taste: A Critique of Spondi

Nestled in the charming Pagrati area of Athens, Spondi invites diners into a world where culinary artistry meets exceptional flavor. My visit yesterday evening proved to be a fine exploration of how taste can be both a visual and gastronomical delight.

From the moment the first dish arrived, it was evident that Spondi is dedicated to creating a feast that transcends mere sustenance. Each plate was a canvas, artfully designed to please the eye and tantalize the palate. The Crayfish with celery root served as an exquisite introduction—delicate and fresh, the flavors danced harmoniously, showcasing the kitchen's commitment to both originality and finesse.

The lamb with eggplant was another standout, with its rich, robust flavors precisely balanced by the dish's delicate smokiness. Each bite evoked a sense of comfort, proving that Spondi can elevate classic ingredients into something truly remarkable. The pairing of tender lamb with the earthy eggplant created a synthesis of flavors that lingered long after the final morsel had vanished.

The evening reached a zenith with the Caviar Ossetra, expertly presented and accompanied by thoughtful garnishes that enhanced its briny essence. This dish not only celebrated the luxurious ingredient but also exemplified the chef's meticulous attention to detail.

Lastly, the Parfait Foie Gras was a triumph—its velvety texture and harmonious seasoning showcased the skill of the kitchen. The dish sang with complexity while remaining remarkably accessible; it was a fitting conclusion to a meal marked by depth and variety.

In light of these remarkable dishes, it becomes clear that Spondi deserves its place in the fine dining scene with its two-star merit. Each creation reflects a journey through landscapes of taste, where innovation and tradition meld seamlessly. The experience was not merely about eating; it was about indulging in a narrative that unfolded with every course.

Spondi, with its artful presentation and balanced flavor compositions, promises a dining experience that will linger in memory, beckoning you to return time and again. Here’s to the landscapes of taste that await you in this culinary...