Behind 2,340-year-old Kallimarmaro Stadium, located in the picturesque area of Athens between Mets and Pagrati, lies a scene that would not be out of place in a provincial city: small neighborhoods, old houses, hilly roads, stray cats, a couple of abandoned houses and old taverns. Among the last, we love Vyrinis, which is especially old and now in the hands of the third generation of the same family. The restaurant has been renovated and updated but still retains some elements of the old tavern, such as the huge wine casks that serve as decoration and the small backyard. Here, young and old contentedly intermingle, and the friendly, always smiling waiters add to the cozy, welcoming atmosphere.
At Vyrinis, we eat as if every day is Sunday and we’re at Mom’s house. Flavors are traditional and uncomplicated. The menu is tightly edited and focuses on appetizers, but there are also four salads, four casseroles and three grilled dishes. On a recent visit, we started with a dish that our friends repeatedly recommend: “grandma’s meatballs,” a particularly light-as-air version with a tomato-basil sauce for dipping. Slowly, the table filled with small plates. Chubby lachanodolmades, cabbage rolls stuffed with ground meat and rice with avgolemono (egg and lemon) sauce. Ρerfectly round and crunchy revithokeftedes (chickpea balls), a traditional legume appetizer from Sifnos, accompanied by yogurt sauce. Α piece of spanakopita – our friends had also wisely advised us to ask for the pie of the day. (If it’s tyropita, cheese pie, it’s not to be missed!) A plate of homemade tyrokafteri, a spicy dip made of feta and other cheeses, great with meat- or chickpea balls but perfect with the wonderful homemade fries. A fluffy eggplant salad, imbued with smokiness and pungent with garlic. And last but not least, a slice of feta dipped in batter, fried and then served with sesame and honey, a traditional Cretan delicacy that marries salty and sweet. It’s a very happy marriage, we might add.
To balance out the fried appetizers, we opted for a couple of simple and refreshing salads. The green one combines arugula, spinach and gruyere with just a touch of light balsamic vinaigrette, while the twist on the “politiki,” which refers to its origins in Constantinople, is made from cabbage, carrot, pickled celery and crushed walnuts.
Vyrinis is especially known for its baked entrees. Just the fragrance of the olive oil- and oregano-rubbed lamb made us immediately salivate, and the meat itself was incredibly tender. It was clearly the best dish of all. Zacynthian rabbit had an intense cinnamon aroma and a very light, almost imperceptible sauce. We ended with the classic dish of pork cooked with rosemary and wine. All three of the entrees were accompanied by French fries – we wished we had an endless supply to use as vehicles for all the juices and sauces at our table.
The drinks list is short and sweet: five reds and as many whites, with a handful of beers, ouzo, raki and the usual soft drinks. We chose the Katogi Averof, a casual dry red of good quality made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Aghiorghitiko. It went perfectly with all those traditional Greek flavors. The house draft red is also quite decent.
A glass of sweet Muscat wine accompanied the check – which definitely softened the (albeit quite gentle) blow. Vyrinis welcomes all comers: older folks come to recapture old memories, and the young come for excellent eating at just €12 to €15 a head. The flavors are neither dazzling nor sophisticated, but they taste just like home.
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