You must have noticed the neoclassical building at the end of the Makrygianni pedestrian street and the beginning of Veikou Street in the heart of the Greek capital.
On the first floor, is the Balcony restaurant. It has a small hall with simple decoration and soft green walls, complemented by a small bar as well. But what will win you over is the lovely terrace overlooking the bustling city.
In the kitchen, we meet chef Stavros Zeakis, who creates dishes based on modern Greek cuisine with obvious influences from the cuisine of his native land, Crete. The ingredients keep their special taste identity in all their creations, and the result is tasty, light and playful.
We tried the ethereal fennel pies in cones – like those for ice cream – made from a Sfakia pie crust filled with fennel, xinomyzithra and anthotyro and garnished with a little honey jelly.
The fried greens were also delicious, with kimchi instead of vinegar, egg yolk in the middle and a glass potato, i.e. potato in thin, large, crispy, white transparent slices that resemble glass. The dish was accompanied by cream cheese, which suited it well.
In the same taste pattern, the kakavia soup is made with Valley shrimp tartar, diced potato, lime zest, and agur oil. In this dish, each ingredient's particular taste and texture were evident, all of which were united in the iodised intensity of the sea broth.
Then we chose the lamb ribs with Chania meat pie garnished with roasted okra, sour cream and sauce from the meat juices. The juicy ribs are beautifully dressed with a velvety thick sauce and the meat pie, expresses another complex dimension of the meat's flavour.
Finally, the grilled okra complemented the dish wonderfully.
For dessert, we recommend the yoghurt cream sprinkled with walnuts, honey gel, and walnut ice cream, which successfully refers to the classic yoghurt with walnuts.
But there is also the chocolate tart, which is filled with milk chocolate mousse and caramel, sprinkled with espresso crocin, and accompanied by anthogala ice cream. Both deserve their presence at your table.
Info: 1 Veikou & Dimitrakopoulou, Koukaki, tel. 2114118437
Artemis Tzitzi is a columnist for Cantina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.
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