Thanasis — Restaurant in Athens

We came here at random walking along the street, seeing a bustling busy restaurant and wanting to escape the midday sun we popped in. We were asked how many people, we said 2, and after a bit of fussing around they finally decided on a table for us.

Getting served took a while due to how busy they were, but service already was a bit haphazard with other arriving later being served first, or cleaning and serving taking preference over taking orders.

Finally got served in a very brusque fashion just as we were on the verge of leaving. Beers arrived shortly after, refreshingly cold, but it tasted a little watered down, (their 500ml being about 40 cents minimum cheaper against the rest of the city). Food arrived not long after that (suspiciously quickly), it was pretty much one of the most blandest kebabs I have ever eaten, not just in Greece, but anywhere, it felt like it was precooked then grilled when ordering to reheat/give a grilled taste, Fries are fries, the bread and tomato was actually the tastiest part.

We wanted to pay and leave, but again it took ages, I was running low on cash so went to use my card, at the tip screen I asked what was 'no tip' as I really was not happy about the food or service, the server mumbled something, hit on of the onscreen buttons and I paid the amount on the bill. After this he tore the receipt off and threw it on the table walking off in disgust. That pretty much summed up the service experience.

In short: Don't go here, don't believe the posters claiming it's the #1 Greek restaurant by travleatlas, literally go anywhere else in a 5 minute radius and you'll get better food and service.

If you do go here, don't let them seat you by the pavement, you'll get harassed a dozen times by beggars and hawkers before you've...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at O Thanasis for lunch, and I must say, the experience exceeded my expectations. The restaurant served up a delightful array of flavors and generous portions that left me thoroughly satisfied.

Here's what I ordered:

Green Salad: A vibrant and fresh salad, featuring a wonderful mix of greens, succulent tomatoes, and cheese. The large portion could easily serve as a meal for two or be shared among four as a side dish. Yogurtlu Kebab: Absolutely divine! The rich and flavorful dish featured tender, perfectly cooked meat, velvety yogurt, and surprisingly aromatic slices of sujuk on top. The generous portion could easily feed two moderately hungry diners.

The atmosphere at O Thanasis was warm and welcoming. Although the restaurant wasn't busy during my visit, the waiter, Mario, was amiable and engaging. As a solo traveler, I appreciated the friendly conversation and even ran and got me coffee when asked (I had not idea they were running somewhere else when I ordered they just did it). The tables were set with salt and red pepper, a charming departure from the typical black pepper found in the States. The food smelled so good I forgot to snap a photo before I dove in! A rare moment for me.

While the Wi-Fi was free, I couldn't quite get it working during my visit. However, I was happily distracted by the delicious food and my plans to explore the city. I'm confident the helpful staff would be able to assist with any technical difficulties.

Disclaimer: For my reviews, I use a 1 to 5 rating scale, with 4 out of 5 indicating a great meal and service. I reserve a 5 out of 5 for those exceptional moments when everything surpasses expectations and can be considered...

I don't have much to add about the food here that thousands of others haven't already added -- personally, it wasn't my choice to come here but I was with company, and I know there are other way better choices, less expensive and less touristy. But the issue here is 1) cleanliness, and 2) the management not taking ownership of a situation when something goes wrong. Upon returning home from the restaurant, I saw that there was a massive stain on the seat of my pants. Those were new and expensive pants, I had not been anywhere else, and the stain was tomato-colored. It was obvious that the chairs were not cleaned at all when previous customers left, and being that the chairs were also a dark color, it was easy to miss any oil or sauce that was there before sitting. I took the pants to a dry cleaners, who got most--but not all--of the stain out, meaning the pants are damaged. The management outright refused to consider any compensation or anything else, and instead spoke quite rudely to me and, more than once, called me a liar. These people clearly feel that they have a secure business because they are in "tourist central" in Athens and will keep having customers no matter what they do, but this is a heads-up for anyone who happens to read this review: be careful where you sit (both literally and...