Wine Bar 33 — Restaurant in Athens

A great little find near our hotel in Plaka. Hard to find via Google - the entrance is on the side street next to the location the map shows - this little wine bar does everything I wanted in Athens. The owner runs the place, and as expected has an enormous wealth of wine knowledge of the region to go with his immense enthusiasm and obvious joy. Focused on smaller producers, he guided us to a range of Xinomavro wines - funkier, drier, and more interesting than we could imagine - as we sampled white, rose and red wines made from the same grapes.

The food plates were delightful as well. The tomato fritters were incredible, and easily the best of the several we tried in Greece. Various other treats were brought tableside to complement our many wines. If we had questions, he engaged us with commentary or ran downstairs to bring a bottle that illustrated his point for our edification. On top of all this, the whole list of carefully-chosen wines is so inexpensive! If you are at all interested in the world of Greek wines, this is...

Did you ever have an experience that you know you will be talking about for years to come? Well, this is THAT kind of experience! Dimitri is the best kind of sommelier - knowledgeable, but understanding of the fact that as Americans, we have not been exposed to many Greek wines. He patiently explained each wine to us, showing us on the map where they originated, told of their history, and all of the different characteristics of each. I took pages and pages of notes, because everything he said was SO interesting and he made it fun to learn about all of the different varietals. In terms of the wine, WOW, are you in for a treat! Dimitri partners with small production wineries and each of them are better than the last. He poured us a variety of whites and reds, and while I liked some more than others, all of them had qualities that were great. In addition, Dimitri's wife cooked(!) the most delicious snacks to go with the wines. Overally, this is a FANTASTIC...

We walked in off the street because we wanted to try some Greek wine. We expected to show up, get a couple of glasses served and then be on our way. We were so wrong! We were welcomed by Dimitri who first gave us an introduction to the Greek wine production in the different areas of Greece and then he talked us through a series of absolutely amazing wines from small local wineries with some wines we'd never have thought even existed! He even told us about the local grapes and wineries in the parts of Greece we're planning to go to. The Wine Bar 33 is a relatively new place, but let me say, it's absolutely worth a visit. Whether or not you know anything about wine, Dimitri's hospitality and extensive knowledge makes this a place anybody should visit for a nice glass of wine. If we ever have the chance, we're definitely...