Amazing from start to end, a superb view, an enchanting setup, perfect service with great attention to detail... the food is outstanding! Ithaki Athens left me speechless, a restaurant which deserves a Michelin star.
Located in Athens on a hill overlooking an enclosed bay, Ithaki is an upscale restaurant where a €100 price tag should be expected. You are welcomed by a hostess followed by the head waiter, who shows you to your table. A white table cloth, a complete set of cutlery, two knives and two forks, a spoon, a bread plate and two glasses. It's lunch with a view under the pine trees.
Classy and upscale, the waiters are discreet and well trained. The menu is handed to you from the side, orders are brought to the person who placed them, wine glasses are filled adequately and the plates are decorated with taste.
I loved the food... I enjoyed every single plate from the starters to the desserts.
We started with two salads, of amazing mixes, fresh greens and grapes followed by a sea bass carpaccio mixed with lemon zest and decorated with chunks of bottarga. A first impression that's guaranteed to draw a smile on your face. Sushi came afterwards... I've had plenty of sushi, but rarely ever maki rolls that don't contain mayonnaise, with rice cooked al dente and hosting a selection of fine fish and seafood. Japanese restaurants rarely offer such fine quality.
As a main course, I had the beetroot risotto win pork belly! OMG! This is what food should be like... not sickly sweet, the beetroot gave that risotto a sparkle while the tender meat adds fun and life to the plate. The black cod is the sexiest and most enjoyable I've had after Zuma Dubai. Their lobster linguini will make you cry for joy...
Such a perfect lunch has to be crowned by a mouth watering dessert; the yuzu lemon tart and the Black Forest are way more than simple desserts, the presentation, the flavors, the colors, the textures... two thumbs up chef!
Ithaki is a restaurant one should not miss out on when visiting Athens. I'll certainly be recommending it to all my friends.
