We will be spending 2 nights in Athens in September. We don't want to dine at gourmet restaurants that are similar in the states but we don't want touristy heavy Greek meals. Anyone out there eat at any of the following?: Kouzina, Cadko (Greek/Russian,) Vissinokipos or Ermou and Assomaton? They have interesting Greek menus, some with music. As we have to be up early both mornings, we can't have particularly late evenings. Anyone out there eat at any of these restaurants?
Thanks in advance

I've eaten at Vissinokipos in Psirri and liked it, as I do most of the restaurants in Psirri. I remember good meatballs and also eggplant rolls. The heavy touristy meals are mostly in Plaka -- Psirri is filled with more Greeks than tourists and sounds like what you are looking for. The night we were there, they had good live music. Honestly, I've never had a bad meal in Psirri, although I realize it is possible. The restaurants that come to mind are Sifnos and the restaurant that is right on the Plateia Iroon (an excellent spot to eat if you want to eat early). I still can taste the food at Oneirodromo (Road of Dreams) in Psirri, but am not sure it is still open. If it is, go and you won't be sorry! Oineas in Psirri was a fun restaurant, with decent food. I'm having a blank on the other Psirri restaurants we like -- usually we just wander around and find a place that looks appealing that night. We particularly like places where we can sit outside and watch the parade of people go by.

Zafeiris in Thiseion has good home-style Greek food. They had wonderful goat when we were last there.

O Thanasis, a kebab house near Monastiriki, is incredible and very low priced. Get the kebab plate, some tzatziki, fried peppers, and a Greek salad. Yum.

I haven't been to Ermou & Assomaton, although a friend went and said what they had seemed like a cross between Greek and Italian foods. Cadko sounds interesting, but if you haven't been to Greece before, you may want to stick with more traditional Greek fare. Not sure what you mean by Kouzina, perhaps Kouzina Cine-Psirri? If so, I'm told it has quite good food.

jashworth -- I don't know what "touristy heavy Greek meals" means...In the 4 days/nights I had there, I was surprised to find Greek food in Greece is the only European food that made it over the pond almost intact. When I eat at a decent Greek restaurant in Denver, it is surprisingly like Greek food in Greece.

I honestly think one would have to work to find a bad restaurant in Greece. At least that was my delightful experience.

Jules

Jules, my take on this is that most Greek restaurants in the US are, as you say, very similar to the food one finds in restaurants in Plaka and many other locations oriented towards the visitor industry. Honestly, I'm most happy to eat this food in the US. But, as you say, it IS available there.

There are restaurants that serve another kind of Greek cooking, and focus on regional specialties or recipes that have not made it across the Atlantic (or that are only available at high-end restaurants in New York, San Francisco, Montreal, and maybe 2 other cities). Also, there are restaurants where you can get food, especially seafood, that just is not available in the US.

I think jjashworth was trying to ask about recommendations for restaurants the serve food not generally available in the US. At least, that is what I assumed when I tried to answer jj's question.

Hi Eleni,
Thanks for your advice. You are right--we want good Greek food in a good Greek restaurant not like what we can get in the US. (The Greek food in the US is great.)Do we make reservations for these restaurants or just show up and hope to get in? We would prefer to eat by 8:30 so that may be early for others.
Any other advice is welcome!

If you want to eat at 8:30, which is early for Greeks, you will not need to make reservations.