Best pizza in Athens? Check!! / Η καλύτερη πίτσα στην Αθήνα!!

Για Ελληνικά κυλήστε απαλά και όμορφα το ποντίκι κάτω (κάτω απ'το χάρτη!)


                              Last night I finally got around to visiting Colibri, a pizza/burger/salad/general feel-good-(and then bad the next day)-food joint in Mets, the area behind Pagrati. Pretty central one could say. Anyway, I had heard from more than one source that this was the place to get a mean (and lean-priced) pizza. I am ecstatic to say: the rumours were indeed true.

                              When we arrived at around 21.30, Colibri was jam-packed, there were loads of people waiting and.... we hadn't reserved a table (BEEEEP! Error!!). It wasn't like there were very many tables to begin with, but especially at that day and hour it was hideously difficult to find somewhere to sit. At that point I was so hungry and disappointed that it was all I could do to simply collapse on a stool at the bar and stare longingly at the menu, the other diners and, mainly, their food, in that order. After dithering a while, we decided to order a pizza and play it by ear.
In the meantime (eh-hem, that is to say the next hour), two other groups of customers were seated and then thankfully we were too. Since we managed to find a table, we decided to make the order a little more rounded and hence got a salad, beer and soft-drink too. I made myself a shandy lager (lemonade and beer) to while away the hungry minutes.

 

Pizza Pesto alla Genovese

                               Finally the pizza arrived. We had ordered the Pesto alla Genovese, and let me say quite frankly that, if possible, it turned out to be more than worth the wait. We are talking amazing. The best pizza I've had in Athens, Crete, England, you name it. Beautiful, hard, slightly (and therefore tastily) charred thin crust that simply did not go limp in the hand when picked up, topped with melted mozzarella, authentic pesto sauce (that you could smell for miles, trust me, I knew it was coming before I saw it) and mini cherry tomatoes. After I wolfed down a couple of pieces, my brain actually started working and I could process the taste. The pesto gushed in every bite and the sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes nicely balanced out that slightly bitter edge of basil. It was simply gorgeous. So much so in fact, we had nearly finished it before remembering the salad! It was, unfortunately, equally good (ie we had to eat it all of that too). Penne with garlic-oil, olives, tomato, green peppers and onion. The garlic-oil really made it in my opinion. Loved it, although I had to brush my teeth and rince my mouth out three times before the taste even began to recede!

Insalate di Pasta (sorry if I've misspelt it!)

                                        As we ate, we noticed that the tables around us had ordered hamburgers, other salads and pasta-dishes. All of them looked amazing and smelt even more mouth-watering, which, as we all know, is the better indicator. The atmosphere was light and jolly, but what I liked the most was the subtle lighting and the funky music that wasn't deafening. There was a canopy of leaves above us from the surrounding trees, making up a cool spot on a sweltering summer's eve (the first in a row of many for this year, as usual). All in all very pleasant.

                                       To make the meal even better, we were happily surprised when the bill came. All of the above came down to less than 10euros per person. Now, how can you not love that?

In a nutshell: 

• Do you get your money's worth?: Absolutely! The pizzas come in two sizes: Individual (which is more than enough for a light meal for two people) ranging from 5-7euros, and Large (two people are stuffed) ranging from 9-12euros. Salads around 4-6euros. Burgers beginning at 5 or 6euros if I remember correctly. Expect a total of 10-15euros per person.
• Is it worth it?: Hello?! Didn't you read the article? Definitely worth it. If you live nearby and can order so as to avoid the crowd, even better. If you go, bear in mind: 20.00-23.00=rush hour at weekends. So book in advance.
• Will I go again?: I can hardly wait. :) (see below)

See Colibri on larger size map 

Since I really could hardly wait,  here are some sneak pics from my next visit to Colibri (see Update on Colibri!!) 

                           

Χθες βράδυ κατάφερα επιτέλους να επισκεφτώ το Κολιμπρί (Colibri), ένα μέρος για πίτσα/burgers/σαλάτα/φαγητά-γενικότερα-που-σε-κάνουν-να-νιώθεις-φοβερά-εκείνη-τη-στιγμή-και-τύψεις-το-πρωί, στο Μετς, την περιοχή πίσω από το Παγκράτι. Κεντρικά δηλαδή. Είχα ακούσει ότι το συγκεκριμένο μαγαζί έκανε τις απίστευτες πίτσες σε απίστευτες τιμές. Μπορώ να πω, με μεγάλη μου χαρά, ότι αυτή τη φορά έστω οι φήμες απεδείχθησαν αληθείς.

Φτάσαμε κατά τις 21.30 και το μέρος ήταν τίγκα... Και εννοώ ΤΙΓΚΑ! Και η μπάρα μια απ’τα ίδια, γεμάτη από άλλες παρέες που επίσης περίμεναν. Εξ αρχής βέβαια δεν υπήρχαν και τα φοβερά πολλά τραπέζια, αλλά ειδικά τέτοια μέρα και ώρα.. σκούρα τα πράματα. Μ’έπιασε απογοήτευση, βάλε και την πείνα που μου έγδερνε το στομάχι, σωριάστηκα απλώς σ'ένα σκαμπό στην μπάρα, ένα απ'αυτά τα "ωραία" τα "τώρα θα πέσω, τώρα δε θα πέσω", και άρχισα να κοιτώ σαλιαρίζοντας μία το μενού, μία τους υπόλοιπους πελάτες, δηλαδή τις παραγγελίες τους. Μετά από πολλή συζήτηση αποφάσισαμε να παραγγείλουμε μια πίτσα και να το παίξουμε φλου.

Μέσα στην επόμενη ώρα κάθισαν δύο άλλες ξεβρασμένες στην μπάρα παρέες και εντέλει, ευτυχώς, κι εμείς. Μιας και καταφέραμε να βρούμε τραπέζι λοιπόν, αποφασίσαμε να κάνουμε στρογγυλέψουμε λίγο παραπάνω την παραγγελία μας και πήραμε μια σαλάτα έξτρα, μία μπύρα και ένα αναψυκτικό. Σαν απάντηση στους παραπονεμένους βρυχηθμούς της κοιλιάς μου έφτιαξα ένα shandy lager (sprite ή λεμονάδα με μπύρα) μέχρι να’ρθει το φαϊ.

Αρκετά αργότερα ήρθε η πίτσα. Μία Pesto alla Genovese και, όσο σοκαριστικό κι αν ακουστεί, ανταμοιφθήκαμε πλήρως για την όποια ταλαιπωρία και αναμονή. Μία pizza απερίγραπτη. Μία pizza απίστευτη. Σαφώς η καλύτερη που είχα φάει ποτέ σε Αθήνα, Κρήτη, Αγγλία. Πανέμορφη κρούστα, σκληρή και τραγανή, απαλά και νόστιμα καμένη. Σήκωνες ένα κομμάτι και δεν "λιγοθυμούσε" στα χέρια σου όπως οι άλλες γνωστές πίτσες. Από πάνω; Λιωμένη μοτσαρέλα, αυθεντικό πέστο*, που έσπαγε μύτες εξ αποστάσεως, και ντοματίνια. Αφού καταβρόχθισα δύο κομμάτια, πήρε μπρος επιτέλους το μυαλό μου και μπόρεσα να επεξεργαστώ λίγο παραπάνω τις γεύσεις που με κατακλύζανε. Το πέστο ξεχείλιζε με κάθε δαγκωνιά, το ελαφρώς πικρό του βασιλικού εξισορροπημένο πλήρως από τη γλύκα και οξύτητα των ντοματίνιων. Πανέμορφο. Τόσο πολύ μας συνεπήρε δε, που κοντέψαμε να ξεχάσουμε τη σαλάτα! Δυστυχώς... Ήταν εξ ίσου καλή. Επέβαλε να τη φάμε όλη. Πένες με σκορδόλαδο, ελιές, ντομάτα, πράσινες πιπεριές και κρεμμύδι. Το μεγάλο μπαμ της υπόθεσης το΄κανε μου φαίνεται το λάδι, το πλούσια αρωματισμένο με σκόρδο. Το λάτρεψα, έστω κι αν σκότωνα μετά κόσμο και κοσμάκη με την αναπνοή μου.!

Πάνω στη μάσα παρατηρήσαμε ότι τα γύρω τραπέζια είχαν παραγγείλει χάμπουργκερ, άλλες σαλάτες και μακαρονάδες. Όλα φαίνονταν υπέροχα και μύριζαν ακόμα καλύτερα, σού’τρεχαν διαρκώς τα σάλια. Η ατμόσφαιρα ανάλαφρη και ευχάριστη, αλλά αυτό που μου άρεσε κυρίως ήταν ο διακριτικός φωτισμός και η funky μουσική που δεν έσπαγε τύμπανα. Ήταν μια ευχάριστη αλλαγή. Από πάνω μας αγκαλιάζονταν δεντρόκλαδα με πυκνές φυλλωσιές, δημιουργώντας ένα δροσερό μέρος ιδανικό για τις αφόρητες νύχτες του αθηναϊκού καλοκαιριού.

Η βραδιά ολοκληρώθηκε με μία ακόμη ευχάριστη έκπληξη, όταν μας ήρθε ο λογαριασμός. Όλα τα παραπάνω ανέρχονταν σε λιγότερο από δέκα ευρώ το άτομο! Και ποιος λέει ότι δε βρίσκονται ευκαιρίες για φαγητό τη σήμερον ημέρα…

Συνοπτικά:

·         Τα Αξίζει τα Λεφτά του; Βεβαίως. Οι πίτσες διατίθενται σε δύο μεγέθη: Ατομική (η οποία υπεραρκεί ως ελαφρύ γεύμα για δύο άτομα) στα 5-7 ευρώ και Μεγάλη (δύο άτομα σκάνε) στα 9-12 ευρώ. Σαλάτες γύρω στα 4-6 ευρώ, ενώ τα μπέργκερ ξεκινάνε στα 5 ή 6 ευρώ αν θυμάμαι καλά. Σύνολο, εντέλει, γύρω στα 10-15 ευρώ το άτομο.

·         Αξίζει να πάει κανείς; Μα καλά, δεν το διαβάσατε το άρθρο;; Δε νομίζω ότι τίθεται ερώτηση. Αν σ’αρέσει η πίτσα πας. Αν μένει κανείς και κοντά, δηλαδή Παγκράτι και Μετς, μπορεί και να παραγγείλει για να αποφύγει τα πλήθη. Αλλά αν πάτε, να έχετε κατά νου: 20.00-23.00=φοβερή κίνηση τα Σαββατοκύριακα.

·         Θα ξαναπήγαινα; Φυσικά, και ανυπομονώ! (δείτε και πιο πάνω τις φώτο απ'την επόμενη επίσκεψή μου και διαβάστε περισσότερα εδώ).

Για την ακριβή τοποθεσία, δείτε παραπάνω και τον χάρτη!

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Posted in: Colibri,Pagrati,Pasta,Pizza,Restaurant,Salads,Street Food

High Class Meat in a not so High Class Area

                   

        

                                This last Sunday, a group of us fancied some meat, and since we were in the area for a friend's dance performance, decided to visit a specific souvlaki-place (or "souvlatzidiko" as they're called in Greek) nearby, in Aegaleo.

 


                                               

       MAM-MAM is a grill, first opened in 1970. After a slightly downhill period in the 90's and about a year and a half of restoration, the "pride and joy of Aegaleo", as they called it, is now up and running again and I was keen to test if it would live up to all the hype.

                                        

   As we arrived, what struck us was the actual look of the place. It seemed very different to your average souvlatzidiko. Right smack-on Iera Odos, a modern little spot, but with nice warm colours and lighting and a cosy atmosphere. The waiters were ever so sweet and friendly too (weird for Greeks, lol). After managing to sit down (there were 15 of us after all and it wasn't exactly empty on a Sunday night), we noticed each place mat (taken from a cute little pull-out drawer on each table, along with the cutlery) had it's own particular photo, from artistically taken snapshots of beer mugs, to selections of meat and cheese.

    

                                       

Rocket Salad

To start off our Symposium (for that is what it eventually turned into!), we ordered a bunch of salads and appetizers (or "orektika"). To say I was thouroughly impressed would be an understatement of grave proportions I think. The Cretan Salad, to begin with, along with the Greek ("Choriatiki") Salad were both very tasty, with good quality crumbled feta cheese (always a key point with me), olives and vegetables. The best one though, and this in a souvlatzidiko (!), was the Rocket Salad, with parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes and a tangy, honey-laced dressing. Gorgeous!

 

Bourekakia pastourma

After the salads came the appetizers. In a word: phenomenal. We had mini fried cheese balls, along with the green chilli-packed variety (SPICY BABY!), "flogeres" (="flutes") of crispy pastry with a carbonara-like filling of cheese & smoked pork, and last, but not least, bourekakia with pastrami. The spicy pastrami was nestled in soft layerings of pastry and covered in a crispy fyllo. Suffice it to say I hogged as many as I could from the hord around me (and then felt sick).

Mini fried cheese balls (Beautiful, melt-in-the-mouth center, with a hard, crispy outer shell)

                                        

Flogeres or Flutes

Classic Pork Souvlaki

Chicken wrapped in bacon

Alright, enough already with the side-dishes! Where's the meat you promised? Yes, well we tried a bit of everything really. Lamb kebab, pork and chicken souvlaki, juicy chicken wrapped in crispy bacon and grilled on skewers ("koto-bacon"), schnitzel, bifteki (hamburger) and my personal favourite: kleftiko (pork or chicken fillet pounded flat and then rolled up with layers of bacon, cheese, peppers and tomatoes, in that order, and held together by lamb intestine fat (don't squeam please! It's considered a delicacy) to keep it moist. The result? Divine!) All were particularly tasty and tender, as they should be. What's more, we found out all the souvlakia, biftekia, kebab and especially the gyros were hand-made on the premises, something I haven't found before in Athens. That would explain all the lean meat. You see, your average gyros is pretty poor quality pork or chicken, bashed about in a huge barrel for ages, while being shaken up with water, resulting in a plump, but fatty, mixture, which most people mistake for quality taste. No, this stuff was top-notch.

 

Pork Kleftiko

                                          So, what's the verdict? (Oh, come on, I think you know). I'd say with an almost gourmet selection of appetizers and salads, yet also good quality meats, which (let's face it) is really what you want from a grill-place, MAM-MAM goes much further than expected of any souvlatzidiko and ceratinly does not fail to impress. Bravo!

In a nutshell:

• Do you get your money's worth?: Yep. Average souvlaki-place prices. (ie around about 2euros for                                                          a gyros-,souvlaki-,kebab-,etc,-wrap, 7euros for a portion, blah                                                          blah blah.)
• Is it worth it?: Well, I'd say so. What's more, it's right next to the Aegaleo (Αιγάλεω) metro station                          which makes access super easy. 
• Will I go again?: Definitely! Duh! I still have half a menu to try! :) 

The menu (for your drooling pleasure)

Προβολή μεγαλύτερου χάρτη

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Posted in: Aigaleo,MAM MAM,Restaurant,Souvlaki,Street Food