Vassilenas — Restaurant in Athens

This was our third visit at the restaurant. We were keen to taste the "head to tail" concept, as this is an option we have enjoyed in other fish restaurants in Greece. We have to note that after our second visit in August 2023 our expectations were really high.

The head to tail concept was in fact a tasting menu and we had not the option of choosing the fish for which the menu would be applied. The tempura made with the grouper's belly and a very interesting and full of flavour preparation of the tail/fins of the fish were the two of the three highlights of our dinner. On the other hand, the soup was a bit "tired" and the fillet and pasta dish were good. Strangely enough, the pasta dish was served as last from the main courses. The third highlight was an excellent PDO Santorini Assyrtiko, recommended from the really competent sommelière who was also the highlight in terms of service.

On a Saturday evening the restaurant was busy but also really loud. Some of the service personnel appeared to be stressed and it even happened to hear some curse words (luckily enough not from the ladies who served us) describing the situation in the restaurant.

I think it was not the best idea to go for dinner on a busy day, as the sittings appeared to be too many and a sort of stressful atmosphere was perceived. We will also be more specific on where to sit the next time. Our table was in the upper floor where the windows were closed (typically open on the ground floor) and the noise was even more disturbing.

All in all, in order to repeat our excellent impression of last August, we will book our table on a more quiet workday, order our fish of choice in advance and "stick to the classics" that made the...

Amazing Food, Wine and Service! We had dinner last night at Vassilenas and were very impressed by our experience. We ordered the prix fixe menu at 55€ with the wine pairing for an additional 20€. All of the courses were excellent with highlights being the taramasalata, the crispy cod and the tender lamb. In every dish, it was clear that the chef gave a lot of consideration to using multiple flavors to complement each other and create contrast, making things unique and interesting. A huge highlight were the wine pairings (four in total, including a dessert wine). Every selection was delicious and complemented the food wonderfully. The sommelier travels both within and outside Greece and also provides input and guidance to local producers. You can tell that he is passionate about his work and loves his job. The dessert wine selection was to our tastes a Greek-style port and was simply incredible.

Service at the restaurant was friendly and we were well taken care of by the team. They checked in on our desired pacing and were happy to let us space courses out to better enjoy the evening. You will not be disappointed with a dinner...

Honestly we were pretty excited for our last meal in Athens. My husband and I are huge foodies and we were super excited for their tasting menu. When we arrived, we couldn’t find the restaurant as there was no sign or number.. finally found the correct restaurant when a waitress from a different restaurant took pity on us and showed us where to go. Were led to a table when we came in and discovered their tasting menu was nowhere to be found. Not sure if this was a choice for them not to offer us this or if they weren’t offering it tonight, but that was a huge let down. Food was decent, sommelier tried his best, but the rest of the service felt completely cold and uncaring. Waited forever for our check with no explanation as to why it took so long after asking. Very disappointing final night in Athens. I would definitely consider looking elsewhere for your food while you’re here. I feel mislead by the other reviews. Hopefully if you decide to go here, you experience one of their...