I recently traveled to Athens from Ireland and booked a reservation in Hytra, ( Navarhou Apostoli 7, Psirri GR - 105 54 Athens)
Hytra is located about a 10 minute stroll from Monastiraki square in the centre of Athens, and if you are not looking for it, you will not see it.
The building has an unassuming front, painted grey with very little obvious sinage. You have to use a buzzer to be let in. It's almost as if they are hiding from you, teasing. The room was very, almost over, dark.
While we were waiting looking at the menu, our server brought us some pumpernickel bread. The bread set the tone for the meal, it was full of flavour and the butter served with it had a beautiful crunch of sea salt crystal.
We went for the tasting menu for 2 with wine.
The smoked ham foam with carpaccio of cod was beautiful. There was an excellent body and mouth feel to the dish and it was full of flavour.
The greek salad was outstanding! a beautiful interpretation of a classic greek dish. Little globules of onion puree, a spherical olive that burst in your mouth, liquid and flavour, cucumber caviar that tasted like cucumbers should taste, not like the supermarket varietys available in ireland.. presentation was fantastic in all dishes. Again the salt on this dish was excellent, I believe it tasted of thyme?
The pandora bream, the red mullet with scales, pork with a delicate celeriac puree which had a hint of white truffle, and fantastic chocolate dessert with pistachio brulee.
This was a beautifully designed and assembled tasting menu that burst with flavour.
The dishes stayed true to the quality of the produce being used.
The tasting menu with 2 glasses of wine, 2 gin & tonic and a bottle of sparkling water €161!! Probably the best value meal i have eaten.
Food worth going out of your way to experience!
Recent Comments