Built in the recess of a rock under the old city walls, Vergiotiko is one of Greece's most famous meat restaurants.
The 505 kilometres separating Athens and Veria takes about five hours to travel, but when the final destination is Vergiotiko, you would drive twice as long to get there!
Vergiotiko is a restaurant almost hidden in a quiet part of the city but is definitely known by all for the meats and other dishes prepared by its owner, Nikos Malliaras.
Nikos Malliaras is a self-taught cook with a deep knowledge of meat and its cuts.
He gained knowledge from his studies abroad and his frequent visits to the famous restaurant Asador Etxebarri in the Basque Country. There, alongside chef Victor Arguinzoniz, Nikos learned the secrets and techniques of cooking with different types of wood.
He applies these techniques in Vergiotiko to smoke his meats.
The search for the right raw material
Nikos has been working with the same breeders and farms for years. And it is truly impressive that it is possible to serve such high-quality meat with proper research and close cooperation. Most of the meats come from Greece.
As for the cuts… everything a die-hard meat eater could have dreamed of. You see, Nikos's knowledge is such that he knows how to treat the raw material with proper respect. And their cooking is always to perfection.
The dining experience
Grilled meats may have their due, but so does the rest of the menu at Vergiotiko. Nikos has masterfully combined local cuisine and modern techniques.
For example, the traditional Beriotian fasoulontava is served with pork, the juicy improbable burger, or even the brisket, which is matured for five days and served with sour trachana.
Pour wine
Another thing that no one expects to encounter at Vergiotiko is the wide variety of wine labels. Most of them come from Western Macedonia, with Xinomavro monopolising the list.
But you'll be even more surprised by the Riedel decanters and glasses they use to serve the wines on their menu. Many good Athenian restaurants would envy this.
Thomaidou 2, tel.: 23310 7413
Vasilis Dimaras is a columnist for Cantina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.
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