Metohi

Metohi

Cuisine: Delicious homey Greek fare with an emphasis on the foods of Limnos
Athens Area: Halandri, accessible by metro & bus; 15 min. by taxi from syntagma
Decor: wall murals reminiscent with a Byzantine flair, painted by the owner, make this place seem like a total escape
Service: Warm and friendly
Prices: 25-30 euro a person
Address: 13 Byronos str., Kato Halandri / Tel. 210 6752775

Quick Bite: If you're the type to search out authentic food, even if it means a short cab ride into the outer boroughs of Athens, then Metohi, which means monk's enclave, is a place to try.



Metohi. Anyone who has followed this column over a period of time has probably realized that I like simple food. Sometimes, the simpler the better, especially if it’s cooked with care by someone who is obviously excited about what they do.

Such a cook is Aristea Karamali, the co-proprietess of Metohi, a small taverna in Kato Halandri where some very good food, much of it culled from the repertoire of dishes from her native Limnos, can be found. Metohi stands apart from many of the restaurants and tavernas in the same category for two reasons: one, for sure, is the quality of the food, which is very much home-cooked.

The other is the space itself, which is arguably one of the most “personal” of rooms anywhere in the city. The taverna is located on the street level of a small apartment house, butMetihi once you walk through the gate you can almost be certain you’ve never seen anything quite like it. Floor to ceiling are covered with the hand-painted murals of Aristea’s partner, an artist, Nikos Papadakis. There is something almost church-like about the space, with its icon-like paintings, despite the live music a few times a week and despite the convivial atmosphere brought about by the couple’s hospitality. Even the garden, walled in, is filled with furniture that looks almost sculptural.

But it’s the food, even more than the uniqueness of the space, which will bring you back here time and again. The chef’s Limnos roots show through in a slew of raw ingredients, including a supply of the island’s sea-washed cheese, melipasto, which she often has on hand. Then there is the parade of delicious dishes, from some of the best homemade pitas anywhere in this city (especially the coiled Limnos greens and cheese pies), as well as excellent one-pot (mageirefta) pork and vegetable dishes, vegetable and/or bean stews, and some delicious chicken dishes. The eggplant rolled with meat in a lovely, simple tomato sauce is also excellent. But my overall favorite are the hand-rolled dolmades with a hint of tomatoes. I wish there more places like this in Athens, where home cooking shines, where pretense is nonexistent and where the owners are actually in the kitchen and on the floor running the place.