Vlassis — Restaurant in Athens

Vlassis is like stepping into your Greek grandma's dining room—if your grandma cooked up killer traditional dishes and charged you for them. The decor is simple, cozy, and exactly what you want when you're about to dive into some serious comfort food.

The food? It's spot-on. We're talking about classic Greek dishes made with top-notch ingredients. The portions are generous, the flavors are authentic, and the prices are fair. You really can't go wrong with any dish here, from Dolmathes to Lamb Fricassee. Even the desserts, which got mixed reviews from my group, hit the mark for me.

However, there's a but—and it's a big one. The service. It's lagging behind the high standards set by Athens' newer spots, where sharp, attentive staff are becoming the norm. Here at Vlassis, the team is friendly, sure, but they're missing the mark on professionalism.

It's a shame, really. Vlassis has all the makings of a five-star experience but gets knocked down to 4.5 because of its service. This place is fantastic and deserves better. So, go for the amazing food, but be prepared for service that might not match up. It's still highly recommended, especially if you're after...

Def will return: light and breezy with good food.

The resturant is located directly across street from Crowne Plaza, which is the most convenient. They’ve an indoor, and two outdoor sections. We choose inside. Both walls are filled with art. There is a small 'second floor'.

We’ve

zucchini top foursome dipping fresh mushrooms carlamari house white (Sauvignon blanc) and red All are very good.

This is our first restaurant meal in Greece. My last time in Athens was in 1983. Many decades have passed by, and I can'tremember what the food was like back then. But the four small plates we've are similar to the Greek cuisine in the US: light and flavorful.

The olive green aprons look good. Oddly, they have cloth table tops but use rather shabby paper napkins.

We get our bill at 5:54 pm, and have to pay at the counter. And again, they don't take Amex. I couldn’t survive in Europe when they eat at seven or beyond.

Throughout our meal, the floor is being continuously swept, and garbage bag(s) is/are...

I rang ahead and asked if the restaurant was open, and they said yes. I lugged my luggage across to the place, and they said they weren't serving food. I said, well, then why did you say you were open? And they said, we are open, we just aren't serving food. The waiter then went to check, and the chef, lounging at the back smoking a cigarette, indicated with a wave that sitting around was all he was prepared to do at that stage. So even if the waiter was polite and friendly, for wasting my time and for the chef's very low attention to client needs, I have to give this the lowest rank possible. That said, I didn't get to try the food, so I can't...