Ultimate GREEK FOOD Experience 🇬🇷 BACK After 5 Years in Athens Greece… (Emotional Food Tour)

Ultimate GREEK FOOD Experience 🇬🇷 BACK After 5 Years in Athens Greece… (Emotional Food Tour)

[Music] Good morning and welcome to Greece. As you can see behind me, I am back in Athens after 5 years. I am so excited to be back in the city exploring some of my old favorite foods and restaurants and little nook and crannies of this city. It has been such a long time. It feels so nostalgic to be here. and I am going to be showing you some of my old favorites and some new stuff that I have never tried before. So, if you’re ready, let’s go explore this ancient city. I started the day on Aeropagus Hill. It’s not the Acropolis, but it stares right at it, eye to eye, like an old rival with stories of its own. No lines, no tickets, fewer crowds. It’s August in Athens after all, and the sun is already throwing punches by 9:00 a.m. You don’t linger long in this kind of heat unless you’re made of stone like the ruins. So, I cut to the chase. Straight to mocha. My kind of sanctuary. No frappuccinos, no foam art, just coffee. The old school Greek way in a brii made in the hot sand. It’s a ritual. Thick, muddy, and honest. It’s the kind of cup that doesn’t just wake you up, it reminds you where you are. Nobody. Here at Mocha, you can get their traditional coffee which is made in a brii. They put it in the hot sand which allows the unfiltered coffee to cook perfectly so that there’s a nice amount of foam at the top. However, it is so hot here in Athens that I decided to go with a Fredo espresso, which is just ice shaken espresso. No sugar, nothing added, and a nice foam at the top. I needed something that is going to first wake me up, but also cool me off. I could not do a hot coffee today, even if I wanted to. It is so good. Now, I drink a double espresso every single morning without fail. So, having something this strong is not unusual for me. But if you don’t drink espresso and you’re not used to strong coffee, this is going to taste very strong to you. It is perfect. The espresso is not bitter, it’s not acidic, and it’s not burnt either. It is just perfect. Such a perfect start to the day. Now, I would argue that I see more locals drinking the Fredo espresso than I do the hot coffee in the brii. Am I right about that? Would locals prefer having this over anything else? You guys let me know. So, you will have to excuse the static shots. I’m actually here traveling solo, so I’m setting the camera up on the tripod and letting it be. But on every table, you will get a glass of water. really great to have with any espresso and a little cookie. So, I’m going to try. It’s like a little shortbread cookie with a couple of chocolate chips in it. Nice little pairing. Oh, I’m starting to become alive with the jet leg and not sleeping properly. This is starting the day off on the right foot. So far, everyone has been super super friendly. I love how nice everyone has been. Everyone’s been smiling. Everyone’s been saying hi. Everyone’s been saying thank you. It’s really great. Good experience. As always, lovely experience at Mocha. Super friendly people working there. Uh big smiles on their face, which always is really nice when you’re traveling to a new country, especially when you’re by yourself. And right beside Mocha is the old Athens market, the Varbakio Municipal Market. So, we are going to go head inside. This place is a little insane. If you do not like the smell of seafood, I would advise to not come here, but we’re going to go inside, explore it a little bit, and this is where we’re actually going to be getting lunch. The first thing that hits you is the smell. Sharp and unapologetic, the Varvacio market doesn’t just ease you in. It grabs you by the senses and doesn’t let go. This is Greece without a filter. Wet floors, loud fish mongers, and the unmistakable aroma of sea life on ice. Locals haggle with the kind of expertise that comes from doing it their whole lives. From squid to octopus and fish with names I can’t pronounce, but definitely want to taste. There’s beauty in it. Not the manicured kind, but the kind that reminds you the world still runs on instinct in some places. You don’t see this everywhere. Not in cities where fish come shrink wrapped and sanitized for your convenience. Here it’s messy, loud, and it’s human. Hi. Hi. Yeah, it is a really cool experience in here. Everyone is super friendly. Everyone is displaying all of their catches very proudly. And it looks like this is a place where uh restaurant owners and other people might be coming to get uh a good price on seafood and bringing it to the restaurant or wherever they’re headed. Um tourists aren’t usually just picking up fresh seafood and taking it back to their hotel. But yeah, it it’s such a good experience. To me, it’s not actually really that stinky. Uh the floor’s wet, so you’re going to want to wear sneakers. But yeah, I have visited this place many times and I love it here and everyone is super friendly. So yeah, it’s uh really good experience. I would definitely recommend coming here. And lunch is somewhere around here. So we’re going to find lunch. [Music] Okay. Okay, so we have come to Taivera Aris in this little alleyway which is known for having seafood and meat on the grill. The seafood is coming from the market next door and I’m assuming that the meat is as well. So everything is super super fresh. I ordered the grilled squid and the grilled octopus. The grilled squid was recommended um but I really wanted the grilled octopus. I know it’s almost the exact same, but we’re going to compare and see if uh it’s super different. It’s put on real charcoal and then the olive oil is drizzled on top so that it creates a nice smoky cloud which is going to infuse deep into the seafood. I cannot tell you how excited I am for this. Also ordered a Greek salad and an uzo because you have uzo with seafood here. I don’t love uzo, but we’re going to see if I’ve kind of grown into it, if I’ve grown up and my palette has uh adjusted a bit more than when I had it last. So, let’s see. And uh I’ll show you when the food arrives. Okay guys, I’m going to do exactly as I was told with the uzo. So this is the uzo, a very strong anise lure. And then I was told to add just a little bit of water right till about there. And then add ice. And this should completely change the color from the translucent to white. So, let’s add one or two and we’ll see the color change. See that already? You see that at the bottom? It’s beginning to become quite cloudy. Look at that. And that is how uzo is done. Let’s give it a try. Okay, my first uzo on this trip to Greece. Cheers. It’s not too strong. That’s actually pretty good. Really, the only flavors that come out are the anise. So, that is like a black licorice kind of flavor. It’s not overpowering by any means. Um, I can feel the burn as it goes down. So, I do believe it’s a strong alcohol, but it’s not going to overpower you and it’s not going to be necessarily hard to drink. And I don’t really love the taste of black licorice, but this is probably the best uzo I’ve ever had. It’s not not too bad at all. I’ll probably drink the whole thing. And this pairs really well with grilled seafood. So, once that arrives, we’ll pair it. We’ll see how it goes. [Music] Oh my goodness, you guys. Look at these two plates of grilled seafood. We have the grilled octopus, which is charred up, very nice, drizzled in olive oil, oregano, and then the grilled squid over here. Same thing. Nice charred up, chopped up to perfection. I am so excited. I have not had seafood in a really long time. So, I am excited to dig in. Pairing it with my Greek salad. There’s already salad on the sides, so there’s a lot to eat pretty much. So, let’s go in for the grilled squid first. We’re going to go in for the body. Look at that. Oh my goodness. I absolutely love squid. Oh yeah, that is amazing. Squid is such a unique texture. This is a very textural experience. It’s got like a rubbery bite to it, but it’s not hard to chew through. The flavor of that is literally just smoky charred goodness. I absolutely love that. The olive oil is a really nice touch to add that flavor and the oregano on top is just the perfect pairing. That is amazing. Oh, grilled squid. This was the recommendation and it did not disappoint. Here’s what we’re going to do. Squid and uzo. [Music] That’s a good pairing. That squid must be so fresh. That’s cooked to perfection. I’ve had some squid that was really hard to chew through before. This I am not having that problem. Now, before I get too crazy with the squid and fill myself up, let’s try the octopus. Ever since I discovered octopus, it has been one of my favorite types of seafood to eat or fish. Um, I’ve had it grilled like this. I’ve had it chopped up. I’ve had it uh carpacio style. So, we’re gonna dig in. Now, this butter knife might not be the right utensil for what I need it for, but Oh, yeah. No problem. No problem cutting in. Look at that cross section. Look at that. This is going to be a nice chunky bite. Oh my god. Wow, that was a thick bite. Completely different from the squid. The octopus is like a great insulator of heat because that was seriously so hot, almost too hot to bite into. There is a charred coat on top. So, you can taste that flavor, that smokiness, but the meat inside is completely different from the squid. It’s almost like eating a big chunk of pork. It’s savory. It’s succulent. And look at those. What are those tentacles? No. What are they called? What are these little sticky things called? Like it’s stuck. Anyway, I like that texture. Uh it just adds to the meat. This has less of a rubbery bite than the squid does. And honestly feels like I’m chewing through a thick cut of pork. It tastes, if I was to compare the taste to any meat, it would be pork. That would have been a big octopus. Look at that. Now, my husband is like super creeped out by stuff like this, and I know that he would never eat this. So, here you go, Harshy. Can you believe I’m eating this? Absolutely delicious. Really good. Let’s go in for one more bite. Let’s pair it with the uzo. This requires a little bit of strength. That’s going to be a big bite. And with the uzo. Cheers. Oh my god, the octopus is so delicious. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be here in the market eating fresh seafood fresh off the grill. So tasty. I’m telling you, these little sticky pads, they are almost like crispy. Like they crisp. They crunch right off. If I take a bite into one, listen to the crunch. So good. Such a nice meal. So, the last thing that I need to try is the Greek salad. Whether it’s super traditional or not to order a Greek salad, I had to have one back in Greece for the first time after 5 years. Come on. So, let’s just jump right in. If you live in Canada, particularly where I live, you’ll notice a huge difference when you bite into Greek produce. The tomatoes, the cucumbers, everything tastes much better, I would say. And I don’t know if it’s because everything’s much more fresh or it’s the Mediterranean climate or what it is, but their produce has a lot more flavor to it. Whereas I find the Canadian tomatoes and cucumbers, they’re watery. They’re bland. Here, it’s a big difference. And the feta, the feta is so different. It’s saltier. It’s really soft. The feta that I have been eating, the one from Costco, just crumbles and it’s hard. But this feta is almost like a soft cheese. It cuts no problem and it doesn’t crumble apart. Look at that. It’s amazing. Order the Greek salad. Have it. And tell me that you can taste the difference. Tell me that the produce is more flavorful. And that the feta is soft and rich. Oh, I’m absolutely loving this meal. I was just getting ready to leave and pay my bill. And I was brought this. Everyone is so friendly here at Tavern Aris. And they brought me this yogurt with honey. And it looks like cinnamon as well. Look at that. I was just about to leave and they brought this to me. Oh my god. Wow. That yogurt is so thick but airy at the same time. It’s like it’s almost been whipped. Oh, this is the perfect dessert. Wow, that was such Hello. That was such a good time at Tavern Aris. Hello. How are you? Yeah, that’s why everyone’s so friendly here. Um, that is a familyowned restaurant 25 years ago. Um, it was opened up and it was named after the owner’s son, Aris, who I just met. Um, super friendly people, such good food, and right in the middle of the market. Like, it couldn’t be any more central than that. I absolutely had a great time. Highly recommend it. So, now I’m going to take a walk. There is a rooftop patio that I’ve been meaning to go to and they have these localmade wines that uh I’m really excited to try. I’m going to get a recommendation from the staff on what to try. But yeah, I’ll take you there to the rooftop now. [Music] I’m on my way now. And I don’t know, this side of town is really cool. There’s like lots of graffiti. To me, it kind of adds character. I don’t know if locals find it appealing. Maybe they don’t. Um, but I think it’s pretty cool. And yeah, so we’re going to head here now, have some wine off the wine makers menu at the Foundry Suites. They have a really nice rooftop patio. So, let’s go check it out. [Music] Okay, I’ve made it to the Foundry Suites rooftop bar. I didn’t know I was going to get the best seat in the house. I’m literally sitting at sunset looking at the Acropolis. This is insane. Now, I chose this one because it’s not super wellnown and there’s not a lot of information about it online. In fact, I didn’t even know when it opened up. It opens up at 7:00. You need a reservation. Um, and right now, no one’s here on this patio. It’s amazing. So, they have a wine makers menu. All of the wines are locally made from different parts of Greece, but locally made Greek wine. On the menu, there’s like an extensive amount of information on the flavors and the the different technicalities of wine that actually I don’t know. And here comes my first one. I ordered a rosé, so I’m going to enjoy that with the sunset. I’m so excited. So, like I said, I’m really no wine expert. Um, I don’t know if I can identify the individual parts that make up wine, but the one that I just ordered, this one, this rosé, this one here is from Maru Vineyards. So, it says that the color of soft pink, the aroma is very pleasant with an abundance of red fruits, cherry, stone fruits, notes of rose and cinnamon. It has a fresh taste which is relatively light, noticeable sweetness, fruity finish. Um, and then at the very end it says, “Fruits of all colors, flowers, and sweet spices in combination with the remaining sugars promise a relaxed and endless taste games on the palette.” So, it’s got a lot going on. Anyway, I’m just going to try it. Normally, I like dry, not sweet wines. And uh very rarely do I get to try a rosé, but locally made in Greece. Literally best seat in the house. Definitely call them to get a reservation. This is incredible. I love it up here. And there’s no one else up here. Like I think this is definitely one of the hidden gems. Oh yeah. Oh, it is nice. It is not too sweet. It’s citrusy. I won’t get into the technicalities because I am not a wine expert. I don’t want to sound snobby, but this is lovely. So, at your table, you can get food, but I just got uh this. This came along with the wine. These olives. I am going to try one more before the end of the night. One more wine. Um, but let’s try these. These have been stuffed. Stuffed olives. The olives here are amazing. Doesn’t matter where you go, they’re all good. Oh my god, guys. I am loving this. This was worth waiting. I showed up at 6:00. I didn’t get a reservation till 6:15. Well worth it. Very worth it. Cheers, guys. I cannot tell you how happy I am to be back here in Greece after so long. And really, my experience wasn’t that good the last time I was here. It was the beginning of the pandemic. It was really hardcore. I remember at the the airport in Athens, it was the first time that I had a PCR test. But enough about CO. We’re back. Things are great and um life is really good. I’m super happy. So, the one that I ordered, I’m going to put the information on the screen as well so that there’s no misprononunciation. The color is light lemon. Check. The aroma is intense with sweet white fruits such as peach and melon, but also citrus with a background of white flowers. See th those are the type of things I would not be able to identify. I can’t tell you what white flowers taste like, but I will be tasting it. And on the palette, it is lively with noticeable acidity, medium body, citrus flavors coming to the four. and in the background, ripe stone fruits. Would I love to have a palette that can identify what’s in the background and what’s in the foreground? Absolutely. But, uh, it’s not that refined and I just don’t have that much experience with wine that I’m able to do that. However, I have the palette that can drink wine and beer and all of the good things because I’m here in Greece. You know what I mean? So, cheers to such an amazing day here in Athens. I am just so happy right now. And maybe it’s the wine speaking and that’s why I’m talking so much. It doesn’t matter. Cheers. Oh, yes. I do taste that in the background and in the foreground. Uh, no, I don’t. But it is very citrusy. It’s not very sweet. It’s actually quite nice. It’s really crisp. I would say this is a kind of wine that you probably could have on such a hot day as today and feel like you’re cooling down just a little bit. Um, yeah, it’s lovely sitting here looking at the Acropolis and enjoying the sunset and like the cool breeze up here and not a single soul being here. These are like the moments in life that you cannot believe are real. And you want to take like a snapshot of not just what you see, but how you feel and like hold on to that forever because these moments become more rare as time goes on and life gets harder. But oh my god, it’s so hard to capture the essence of a feeling. You know what I mean? But my god, this place is just beautiful. I’m feeling very blessed this evening. It’s always great to share these amazing moments with people and I’m glad I get to do it on video with you guys. But having someone here to share this with would be very cool. But when you solo travel like this, it really allows you to be in your thoughts, thinking about everything, how exactly you feel in every moment, whether it’s good or bad. And yeah, it allows you to reflect a lot on life. And I love it. It’s an amazing part of traveling solo. Okay, I do apologize for the lighting in here. It’s pretty dim, but we have made it to Ker Manika. Um, that’s a mouthful, but this place is so cool. They’re really well known for their cheeses and their cured meats. So, what you get with every meal, no matter what you order, is pasta with cheese. Let’s give the appetizer a try. Oh my god. What? The cheese is smoky and it’s squeaky in the teeth when you bite into it. Oh, it squeaks. That is amazing. And then their own cured beets. Look at how extremely thin that is. Wow. Let’s give that a try. It’s a nice little starter. M. Oh yeah. I love that. That really gets like the appetite brewing. Like you think you’re not hungry and then you have a little thin bite of this meat and you start to feel it. I am hungry now. All right, guys. So, my food has arrived. My starter is the oberine and zucchini mixed with feta in a spicy capidocian sauce. So, I have had this before and I looked when I was looking at the reviews of this place, um my own review popped up and uh I was talking about how good it is, so I wanted to order it again. And of course, you know, zucchini, oberine, eggplant. I mean, you can never ever go wrong with a starter like this mixed with like a tomato based sauce. That feta, which is amazing here in Greece. Cheers, guys. I’m so happy. I’m not going to film a lot of this just because I do want to eat, but yeah, I wanted to show you guys what I did order tonight for dinner. I am starving. Come on. Oh my god. This is like I don’t know why, but it feels like home cooking at its finest. On like a cold winter night, something like this would just like warm your soul and it’s so easy to eat. Anything that has like a tomato base to me just goes down like butter and it’s a vegetable so it doesn’t like really fill up your stomach as fast. You can eat a lot of one thing when it’s vegetarian. Oh my god. Absolutely delicious. Let’s go for the cafe. It’s been served with pita bread, a yogurt on the side, and a mustard as well. So, I’m going to go ahead take the sausage. Little Duncan mustard, a little Duncan yogurt as well by accident. Didn’t mean to do that. Smoky, flavorful, savory. That mustard pairs perfectly with that sausage. Oh my god, I love them. Okay, let’s try with a little bit of pita bread and a little bit of yogurt as well. [Music] Oh my god. Wow. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight sausages. These portions are insane here in Greece. I guess that’s the only downside to traveling solo is that you don’t have no one to share it with. So, the portions are massive. That kept is insane. Look at these little sausages. They are mini. Sorry, guys. They are small sausage wise. Um, but they pack a punch. Okay, so instead of dunking it in the mustard, dunk it in the sausage there. Oh man, it is so flavorful. Wow, that is amazing. So, they’re all about the complimentary dishes here. So, this is the dessert that comes with every meal. It is yogurt mixed with some candied carrots. Let’s give it a try. [Music] I love how they do the different yogurts here. Everybody knows this place for having the complimentary desserts and the complimentary meats and cheese and the food just being absolutely spectacular. That is it guys from the first video here in Greece here in Athens. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Overall, the takeaway is that everyone is so friendly, so welcoming. Despite it being such a tourist hub, all of the locals have been fantastic today. I am blown away by the hospitality here in Greece. Food was amazing. Visiting some old favorites really brought back a feeling of nostalgia for me. It has been a long time since I’ve been here, but when I walked through the streets, there are places that like popped up in my memory that I I forgot that I knew. The sense of familiarity here has been a little overwhelming. Um, but it’s a good feeling. And the food’s been amazing. The drinks have been amazing. The people I’ve met along the way have been incredible. So, stay tuned for the rest of this series. I am heading to Knosos tomorrow. for the first time being on an actual Greek island, which is definitely exciting for me. So stay tuned for those videos. Thank you again so much for watching or liking or commenting or just anything uh that takes time out of your day to engage with these videos. It’s really appreciated and I hope you’ve been enjoying them. Have a great night. Bye.

My First Bite in Greece After 5 YEARS 🇬🇷 This is Greek Food in Athens!!
#greece #greekfood #athens

Here’s everything I did in Athens:

1. Areopagus Hill
2. Mokka
3. Varvakios Market
4. Taverna Aris
5. The Foundry Suites Patio
6. Karamanlidika

Thanks so much for watching and I hope you enjoyed this episode. This Greece series is all about travelling solo as a woman and discovering Greek foods and hospitality. Next episode is from Naxos! 🇬🇷🙏💙