Giacomo: The timeless Italian restaurant of Athens

We have said it again and again about Italian cuisine. We, the Greeks, have a special liking for it, and it suits us perfectly. It gives us a familiar warmth. After all, it is not too far from our own cuisine.

The atmospheric Giacomo in northern Athens is an all-day restaurant with an imposing hall and a fantastic backyard.

In recent years, it has become so popular that it spread to the back areas where there used to be other restaurants, signaling just how delightful the food is.

Giacomo’s menu was put together by chef Thanos Koultoukis, who bases it on traditional Italian recipes but with his own touch.

So, you will find a nicely executed Cacio e Pepe with bucatini (pasta from the Lazio region and especially Rome) that does not need more pepper to be able to justify its name. The pasta is cooked properly, the sauce is nicely set, and there is enough pecorino on top.

There is also the cool sea bass carpaccio with chilli pepper and sea urchin, which is an excellent suggestion.

But I’m going back to the pasta to focus on the paccheri (they look like rigatoni but are shorter and a little bigger) with the hot amatriciana sauce—a typical recipe from Lazio as well.

This simple pasta balances spicy and smoky due to the guanciale, the sourness of the tomato, and the creaminess. It’s simple, delicious, and very addictive.

The Caprese salad with velvety mozzarella, tasty tomatoes, and marinated strawberries followed the same philosophy of delicious simplicity as the Vitello tonnato, where the tuna sauce didn’t overshadow the nice chunks of veal and was complemented by celery and capers.

The pizza, on the other hand, is not their strongest point. My objection lies in the dough, which was more bready than I would have liked.

Finally, the buttery mashed potatoes and the beef filetini with the elegant lemon sauce went well.

Such an Italian dinner naturally also ends with a tiramisú: properly soaked savoiardi, the mascarpone cream is simple, and the presence of coffee and cocoa is subtle. The chocolate semifreddo with pistachio ice cream is also lovely.

The well-known pastry chef Thanasis Stamoudis signed this and the rest of the sweets on the menu.

Info: 11 Levidou Street, Kifissia, tel. 210 8014 007
Prices: 40-50 euros

Vasilis Dimaras is a columnist for Cantina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.

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