Spit Jack: A modern rotisserie that offers juicy meats roasted on the spit. Elegant Parisian chandeliers decorate the ceiling, while the walls are adorned with a large mirror featuring a carved frame, as well as dozens of vintage frames with Hollywood stars such as Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn photo shopped to have many tattoos. The lighting is low and atmospheric, while candlesticks with actual candles add to the ambience on the handmade butcher block tables, inspired by traditional butcher tables. In the foreground is the rotisserie, thus you can closely watch the duck, chickens, and porchetta sizzling on its spits. The backbone of this place is the fact that the meats are of excellent quality and beautifully cooked, respecting the meat without any flavor enhancements needed.
Tip from a Local: Spit Jack is a small venue with only 8 tables and a few places to eat at the bar, plus a couple of tables outside to accommodate smokers (nothing cozy). Thus, we recommend that you book in advance, especially for dinner. We love the simple menu. Spit Jack slowly cooks only 4 types of meat, tasty chicken, crispy ducks, crackling porchettas and beef steaks, which all can be combined with salads (the coleslaw is amazing), side dishes (i.e., potato truffle Purée, corn on the cob), and exceptional sauces made specifically to accompany the meat. The crispy duck is the dish that made Spit Jack famous, however some of us will argue that the crackling porchetta is “out of this world”.
Contact details: Skoufou 10, +30 21 0331 6003, https://spitjack.gr/en/ (5min walk from Syntagma square, 11min walk from Monastiraki square, 18min walk from Omonia square).
Gastone: A team of five renowned Greek chefs behind some of the city’s top restaurants decided to share some post-quarantine coziness by setting up an easy-going, all-day haunt. Gastone is a fancy version of an American diner mixed with Greek elements; smart and casual, but without compromise on the service and quality. Meat is of course the star of the three-part menu: mains, such as choice cuts from the grill, rotisserie items, burgers and sandwiches; delicious sides such as wild mushrooms, seasonal legumes and salads; and a selection of freshly cut cheeses and cold meats. Serious work has been done to curate the wine list with a large number of Greek & foreign labels at reasonable prices.
Tip from a Local: Casual dining for either lunch or dinner, with a choice of outside seating in the small square under the trees. The cocktails are delicious, and we dare you to order crackling pork on the spit, paired with a dry martini! We return again and again for beef short ribs slow roasted for 6h, crackling beef with piccadilly sauce, the beef burger, beef tartare and yes, Gastone’s amazing creme brûlée!
Contact details: Praxitelous 43 & Agiou Markou, +30 2112345512, https://gastoneathens.gr/ (9min walk from Syntagma square, 8min walk from Monastiraki square, 9min walk from Omonia square).
Telemachos Athens: Third generation restaurateurs, the 2 brothers/owners know the secrets of good meat and create meat-oriented dining concepts. Telemachos is an award-winning grill restaurant that is equally innovative and traditional, retaining high standards, attention to detail and a deep commitment to flavor. A beautiful setting with classic elements where a magnificent crystal chandelier, impressive mirrors, comfortable leather furniture and vintage decorations surround the guests with a warm, hospitable ambience. To accompany the meat experience there are more than 200 wine labels from Greek & International vineyards. At Telemachos, meat is ART.
Tip from a Local: We are not going to suggest what type or cut of meat to choose, as we will leave this to you. We will share, though, our musts from the rest of the menu: beef tartare, beef carpaccio, black pig Telemachos sausages, char grilled filleted milk fed Lamb and milk fed Lamp chops.
For a true Greek experience, do give the Black Pig Kondosouvli (boneless slow spit roasted, marinated chunk of Pork blade shoulder) a try and Kokoretsi for the brave (slow spit roasted Lamb intestines wrapped around seasoned offal). We prefer the dinner ambience more, as Telemachos tends to be preferred for business lunches.
Contact details: Panepistimiou (Eleftheriou Venizelou) 10, +30 210 361 3300, https://www.telemachosathens.gr/en/ (4min walk from Syntagma square, 15min walk from Monastiraki square, 15min walk from Omonia square).
