The Athens Riviera, especially Glyfada, has gained more popularity this year. Many new restaurants and bars have created a buzz around their names, and all have a reason to be known to the broader public.
Manko, located within the One & Only Aesthesis hotel complex, is the only place for delicious, modern Peruvian food in the Greek capital.
Everything in this restaurant is thoughtful and luxurious, from its very impressive entrance with the dozens of colourful ropes and the large wooden door to the decoration of the outside deck and the many tables.
Manko is located where the sun dips into the waters of the Argosaronic Sea, and if you are there during sunset, you will enjoy stunning views. Carefully selected music, low lighting, and impeccable, fast, and polite service add to this atmosphere.
Let’s go to the kitchen, another strong card of Manko. It bears the signature of Peruvian chef Juan David Ocampo, but the concept is signed by his compatriot, chef Gastón Acurio.
He doesn’t just serve classics like ceviche and tiradito but also gives another image of his country’s cuisine.
That is another strong card of Manko.
There are, for example, Peruvian snacks. In this category are the chicharron calamari, which I suggest you try. With great crispiness, the excellent breading and small doses of black garlic give the calamari an extra interesting touch.
The small quinoa burgers, with their fluffy, buttery bread, delicious pear chutney, and slightly hot aioli with rocoto peppers, follow the same philosophy: one bite.
Also delicious was the anticuchero octopus with its smoky character and nice parmesan mashed potatoes. However, I must say that the octopus’s texture was unexpectedly soft.
Speaking of ceviches, there are now four. In addition to the classic one, I also tried the one with ajo blanco, made with fish and crayfish, giving it a buttery sensation. It had a lot of acidity, plenty of starch that gave freshness, and leche de tigre, which was based on the Spanish cold soup ajo blacno made with almonds.
The classic also had the acidity that one looks for in such a dish, the slices of fish were relatively large (as they tend to be in the original ceviche recipe) but lacked the hot element.
Finally, the tiradito taramosalata, as they call it, was a dish I will definitely ask for on my next visit. It had smoked bonito and chunks of avocado, which combined pleasantly with the light taramosalata for a refreshingly acidic effect.
Manko is an all-day venue with impressive decoration, nice music, and an idyllic environment. Its dishes are based on Peruvian cuisine, which may lack intensity but has character and taste. The restaurant is definitely a good reason to visit the south of Athens.
Info: One & Only Aesthesis, Poseidon Avenue, Glyfada, tel. 216 686 1900
Vasilis Dimaras is a columnist for Cantina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.
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