On our big European trip this summer, our family of four from Toronto left Scotland, headed for Greece. But our EasyJet flight diverted to Thessaloniki, 500km north of our intended destination of Athens. The airline put us up at the Capsis Hotel Thessaloniki, where the breakfast buffet was shockingly ample and delicious. Deciding to forgo the late afternoon flight that was offered, we opted to take a train instead to salvage the day in Athens.
Once settled in our hotel, we made our way towards the Acropolis, enjoying a leisurely snack in the 2nd floor restaurant at the Acropolis Museum. The panoramic view of the Parthenon is stunning, but the food is expensive and mediocre. Wait staff were very attentive though.
I tried the savory pie of the day, which was (surprise!) spinach and cheese. Not crisp, and lacklustre. The Greek cheese platter was much better, at least six kinds of cheese, and various breadsticks and rusks. One of the cheeses was intensely smoky, another was soft and milk like a farmer’s cheese, and were quite enjoyable. I also enjoyed a glass of “Fresh peach juice pulp”.
After a hike to see the Parthenon, and re-visiting the Museum before it closed, we headed to Seawolf for dinner. We opted to sit outside, in a semi-covered sidewalk table.
We started with the ceviche (pickled onion, coriander, tiger’s milk), which was delicious, but there was way too much of the marinade. I liked the big chunks of fish and crispy shallots.
Next, we had this tataki (bonito, sesame, spices, zucchini, soy sauce). Perfectly fine, nothing special:
Our mains were the risoto (fresh scallops, corn cream, herbs) and a casserole called giouvetsi (fresh local shrimps, grilled tomatoes, herbs).
Wow, these two dishes were excellent. So much flavour in the risotto with corn, and the scallops were perfectly seared. The highlight was definitely this shrimp casserole: head-on shrimp on a bed of orzo cooked in a deeply savoury tomato broth.
Here’s the whole menu:
Our accomodation at the Philia Boutique Hotel was so charming. Exposed brick and stone, a patio for guests and an incredibly calm vibe. We stayed in the 2nd floor room which had its own balcony. We picked our breakfast items the night before, and they served it to us the next morning.
The four of us weren’t able to finish everything we chose, because the portions were quite generous. But it was lovely to be able to have room service on our balcony (we could have also chosen to eat in their lobby, or on the shared patio). I’m sad our arrival was delayed one day, as I would have wanted to enjoy that balcony again.
Later that afternoon, we boarded our cruise ship at Piraeus and sailed overnight to Santorini. I booked a catamaran cruise excursion with Vista Yachting that included a lunch prepared on board. To start, they made two meze: feta-tomato bruschetta and one with an eggplant spread. While we swam off the beach, they roasted the vegetables for a briam (like a ratatouille with potatoes), and also BBQed marinated chicken. To round out the meal, there was a Greek salad and pasta in tomato sauce, with Greek yogurt and sour cherry preserves for dessert. We weren’t expecting much, but everything was tasty and there was plenty of food for everyone. I suppose with the dozens of similar catamarans plying the waters around the island, competition is fierce.
We had some additional time in Fira, sampling gelatos from various places. None were really that exciting. The mango one from Solo Gelato was alright. I tried this baklava from Manos but it wasn’t great: not enough nuts, not enough crisp! Their prices for gelato were a little cheaper than other places though.
