Grekos — Restaurant in Rome

Dine at Your Own Risk

On our final night in Rome, my wife and I decided to have dinner at Grekos. We didn’t have a reservation, so we felt lucky to get a table. However, the host made it clear that because of this, we needed to be finished and out by 8:00 PM, as all their tables were already “sold” for the night. A bit of an odd way to phrase it, but we figured 90 minutes was more than enough time to eat and enjoy a quick meal.

Before we even had a chance to order, I headed to the restroom to wash up. That’s when things took a sharp turn. While washing my hands, I heard a toilet flush in a stall adjacent to me, and moments later, one of the kitchen staff exited the stall, walked directly past the sinks, and went straight back into the kitchen, without even pretending to wash his hands.

Back at the table, I told my wife what I had just seen. A moment later, we watched that same employee pull on a pair of gloves, over those same unwashed hands, and head to the food prep area like it was business as usual.

At that point, we made a quick decision: no dinner is worth the risk of a potential foodborne illness. We quietly got up and left.

I don’t know if this is standard practice at this restaurant, or worse, throughout the city, but witnessing it firsthand was unsettling. If you’re considering dining here, just know what you’re potentially signing up for. Bring your appetite… and maybe some hand sanitizer....

I would just stay away! I started by asking for a table inside, only to be forced to sit in their outdoor covered area. I guess it was okay, except we were given a table for 2, for 3 of us. I asked for a Greek coffee. The waitress, a kind and young Asian girl that spoke Italian as I do, grinned as she said no. She double checked anyway. I then settled for a double espresso. By this time, an Arabic looking woman,who behaved as she was the owner, came and rushed us to order, being as abrasive as can be. We ordered our food. In the menu, it stated that we can add tzaziki and pita bread for an extra 1 euro each. The lady asked me if I wanted it. I said sure. I got my coffee, only to get about 1 ounce of espresso. In America, a doppio or double espresso is about 3 ounces. I asked for lemon rind for my espresso and they looked at me like I was from Mars! Anyway, my wife got the chicken pita, and she said it was bland. I got the pork pita, and it was okay. At the end of it all, they ended up charging me 7.50 euro for the tzaziki and 3 slices of pita, instead of the 2 bucks shown on the menu. I felt most unwelcome here, especially since they obviously aren't even Italian OR Greek, running a wannabe Greek restaurant. They definitely took advantage of us being tourists. My advice? When in Rome... Just stick to Italian food... and save the Greek food...

Well, we were surprised to see a Greek restaurant among other typical pizza and pasta places in Rome. But, its not surprising due to the close history of Greek and Roman civilizations.

As far as the service goes, its top notch. We had two families with us, along with 3 kids. They accommodated us even though we were close to their closing time and they were jam packed.

And the food- all i can say is awesome! We have been to Athens and Santorini and have tried authentic greek foods in a greek restaurant in Greece. We had really enjoyed warm Greek hospitality during our time in Greece and the food was great too. However, food at Grekos is at a whole another level! Its not even an exaggeration! Chicken skewers, pork skewers, beef patties, pita bread, greek yogurt with rose petals, you name it. Everything is good. Even their french fries are on a different level. I was so dumbfounded with the quality of food that I forgot to pay after eating initially- My apologies to the establishment, again! They were kind enough to understand the state of food coma I was in and let me pay back without any issues. Now that I have tried the food at Grekos, this is my frame of reference to compare all the Greek food moving forward. Thank you to the restaurant staff and management for this...