Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Global Traditions
196
Archaion Gefsis
Plate O' Plato
Athens, Greece
On one level it's kitschy—deeply kitschy,
with plaster columns, flickering torches,
and waiters in scarlet togas—the whole
theme-park-like routine. On another level,
though, it's a brilliant idea: Re-create a
bunch of recipes from the days of ancient
Greece, as recorded by the classical poets,
and serve them to modern diners.
It's Greek food, yes, but so different
from modern-day Greek cuisine that even
the locals come here for a novel experi-
ence. Research confirms that the citizens
of ancient Athens lived mostly on meat,
vegetables, fish, coarsely ground barley,
and honey; staples of the modern Greek
diet such as potatoes, tomatoes, rice,
lemon, and sugar, were completely
unknown in ancient times. Within those
parameters, the chefs here have been
very creative, concocting smoked eel with
asparagus; fried perch with mashed chick-
peas and beets; pork roast stuffed with
plums, artichokes, and mashed peas; cut-
tlefish in ink with pine nuts; wild-boar cut-
lets, and goat leg with mashed vegetables.
Give the chef a few days advance notice,
and you can have a special roast suckling
pig stuffed with wild game, cheese, fried
liver, eggs, apples, chestnuts, pine-kernels,
raisins, and spices.
Set in an imposing manor of rough-cast
stone, with a classical pediment over the
door, the dining rooms have wood-
beamed ceilings, tile floors, and classical-
style statuary in brick niches. In warm
weather, you may also eat outside in a
flagstone-paved garden dotted with palm
trees; it's wonderfully pleasant and roman-
tic at night (just don't face in certain direc-
tions and you'll never notice the modern
skyscrapers poking up over the walls).
Food is served on wooden trenchers and
crude pottery platters; honey-wine is
drunk from terra-cotta tumblers. Diners
are given a spoon and a knife but no fork,
since the ancient Greeks didn't use them.
Even the music is historically re-created,
with live musicians playing on replicas of
classical pipes and lyres, and dancing girls
are brought in to make the evenings even
more festive.
If you really want to get into the experi-
ence, book a private party for up to seven
people in the special Symposium parlor,
where you'll recline on individual couches,
wear robes and sandals, even have a
wreath of ivy placed on your heads as you
eruditely discuss art, politics, and philoso-
phy over dinner. Drink enough of that
honey-wine and you'll think you sound
erudite, anyway.
22 Kodratou St. (
&
210/523-9661;
www.thematic-dining.gr/arxaion).
(
Athens International Airport Elefthe-
rios Venizelos (36km/23 miles).
L
$$
Athens Art Hotel,
27 Marni
(
&
30/210/524-0501;
www.arthotel
athens.gr). $$
Hermes Hotel,
19 Appol-
lonos St. (
&
30/210/323-5514;
www.
hermes-athens.com).
