Sofi’s — Restaurant in Municipality of Vari - Voula - Vouliagmeni

Fm a local resident on visitor basis of that (dlx)Tourism Area.

For all its rich natural charm, somehow repeatedly displaying poor taste, absence of certain well due city services, as well as business manners.

Despite, the heavy seasonal traffic of high numbers of visitors does not appear to severe the town areas fm appearing being well-kept. While a recent upgrade, offering some pseudo-modern upliftings of the Town Square, along with L size impressionistic sculptures, was limited in Character, ie without enough consideration for such basics as properly designed and maintained sidewalks for all, (like, pedestrians w/baby strollers), which r not to be found even centrally. —To mention only one lack thereof. . . .

But to get to Sofi’s.

Last Sunday/first time entering, found the open-plan corner Eatery halfull, but neat, quiet and welcoming. Atmosphere⭐️⭐️⭐️

Approaching the ‘may-we take-yr-order’ point-of-contact, we were not greeted. We, as guests, saying ‘Γειά σας‘, guests/customers Greeting the hosts/employees whom didn’t offer a warm smile. (Instead, a worker—ik not nor why—stared directly at me, intensely, intensively, without any regard to social etiquette.) Service(-)⭐️

Proceeded to order a fresh bagel w/turkey, when were nicely informed it was prepared w the same kind of dough as the koulouri/κουλούρι that we asked for but they didn’t carry. Service⭐️⭐️ Food⭐️⭐️⭐️

Paid (too) for two cups of coffee/Nescafé, got our receipt (8€), and were served-to-go two hot drinks. Upon my complaining to have expected a colDrink, the cashier replied that, ‘If you ask for Nescafé, you get a hot cup; that’s how it is’.

Said there and repeat below: ‘Sorry for I hold no Degree on How to order coffee here, [nor m a VIP of any sort to be readily excused]. It is a hot day and cold drink be a norm. After all, Nescafé IS a brand, NOT one fixed mix recipe only’. The employee corrected me saying that, ‘You should have asked for a frappé’.

By then quite tired of trying to communicate with ‘service’, that I were not a regular coffee customer, I sharply asked to be excused and be served a cold one in exchange; and went to the side as not to obstruct service-flow. As soon were told fm across the counter that, ‘With your attitude, we are not serving you Here’. Not inclusive of the alternate: You may be refunded and leave those coffees.

The exact dialogue not quoted ‘word for word’ but the feeling was such that, shortly, asking if a cold one was prepared, and upon receiving blank the ‘No’, we took our cups and left—leaving mine on a bench nearby. Service⭐️

(Must one mention here, being escorted by family, a gentleman aged ~80yrs old, whom felt quite distressed by that idiotic misunderstanding, wanting us to get a cold coffee somewhere—but one chose drink cool water.)

Still a non connoisseur of ordering coffee ‘anywhere’ without being told the particular choices. Inarguably one become nervous despite being of quite an opposite attitude under normal circumstance/s. Yet when visiting a bistro, a café, or plain going shopping, that break also encompassing the universal human need for social exchange; thus someone working in customer service expected to observe the protocol of politeness.

If offended anyone or disturbed a nonchalant Sunday morning breakfast, may one humbly be kindly excused.

To those gentlemen: Consider treating customers as Ladies and Gentlemen, even when someone may not appear or sound so, or know not better. For they have somehow come into yr life perhaps once only and thus least yr professional manners...

Sofi's has been my go to place for over a year now. I have recommended it to friends and family which have also become regulars. Sadly this has changed today after the way the staff handled a minor issue involving 4 Euros (and I stress, this was only to make an additional 4 Euros on a 37 Euro total!). We have a term in Greece for this, but I would rather spare you with the common folk saying.

Here is my story and make your own conclusions: Had an on-site breakfast then asked the waiter for an order of 2 coffees and a cereal bar to go to the waiter as well as the bill. Once the take out order came, the waiter kept the take out receipt and proceeded to ask for the total due. After paying the total, I asked for the take out invoice only to realize that the take out order was charged as dine in (dine in is approx. twice the cost). When I asked the waiter why, he was quick to mention that this is because I ordered it through him and not at the counter (did I mention that he brought me the order in take out packaging?). I advised him that this was not right as what matters is not where the order is placed but how you receive the service and proceeded to ask for the owner or manager in charge. He pointed me to a woman at the cash register which, with an ironic tone, went on to add that this was "the restaurant's policy" and wished me a nice day.

My intent for writing this is not to prevent you from trying Sofi's as they have done a great job with the concept and menu, but rather to share this unacceptable business practice happening in Vouliagmeni; one of the most beautiful spots in...

We popped in for lunch since we had a couple of hours to spare and we thought it looked a lovely place for a spot of lunch. We were wrong!! The service and friendliness of the staff was abysmal, We felt like we were a hindrence to them. It took quite a while for us to be seated and it took even longer for us to be served, even though there seemed to be loads of staff wandering around looking like they didn't want to be there. Once our order was taken, a waitress literally threw some straws on the table without a word and left. Once the food arrived it was just mediocre. I had a chicken salad which wasn't great, the chicken was really dry and the salad lacked any real flavour. My better half had a toasted cheese sandwich, which was quite nice. All in all I wouldn't go back and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else there are much better places in Athens to...