George Bernard Shaw once said that “There is no sincerer love than the love of food,” and, indeed, food brings us many things – it brings sustenance, delight, perspective and togetherness. Set in the rather dull and cold month of February, Valentine’s Day is a wonderful occasion for indulging both your affection for good food and your love for your partner. If both these emotions prove to be sincere, you’ll have double the reason to celebrate. Here are five great restaurants in the Athens area, including two in seaside suburbs –because the sea is unquestionably romantic and not that far away – for an appetizingly amorous night out.

 

 

 

 

 

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Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Vezené Greek Inspired Bistro (@vezene)

Vezene

Creating a distinctive combination of high-quality yet unpretentious dishes, chef-owner Aris Vezenes takes great care in sourcing the freshest, mainly local ingredients to produce creations that are exuberant and full of deep flavors and tempting aromas. The lively feel-good atmosphere is positively romantic at this restaurant, where you can try a broad selection of top-quality meat dishes, a variety of marinated and tartare dishes, and several great seafood options, as well as authentic-style pizzas and pastas. The desserts, such as the chocolate dessert with fig and tahini, are delicious, as is the weekly Sunday roast. The wine list here is impressive, with some excellent, lesser-known Greek labels.

 

 

 

 

 

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Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Aleria Restaurant (@aleriarestaurant)

Aleria

Lovely during summer because of its pretty garden, the classically elegant and yet still playfully quirky Aleria has a cozy feeling that makes it an ideal date spot. You’ll find this award-winning restaurant in a stylishly renovated neoclassical mansion in Metaxourgeio, where it blazed a new dining trail when it opened in 2006. The flavorsome dishes, conceptualized by Chef Gikas Xenakis, are a sophisticated combination of classic Greek flavors and modern cooking techniques; the “Yiouvarlaki,” for example, is a mini steak tartare with an avgolemono (egg-lemon) sauce, topped with crispy sweet-potato angel hair. You can choose between two tasting menus: “Earth & Sea” and “Garden & Nature,” each including five courses that can also be paired with wine selections from an excellent list of Greek and international labels. Each menu is composed of creative and intelligent combinations of nouvelle, fusion and molecular cuisine, and all dishes are created using fresh, seasonal and mainly local ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

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Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Napul’è by Maggie Tampakaki e Francesco Ciccio (@napuleitalianfood)

Napul’e

This restaurant, created by Maggie Tabakaki and her husband Francesco Ciccio, boasts an open kitchen that’s always a hive of activity . Since it opened, the restaurant has gained a following because of its warm atmosphere, its exciting variety of mouthwatering pizzas and its authentic Neapolitan creations. All the pizzas are made with mozzarella di buffala or fior di latte, lighter than the buffala, and dough that’s been fermented for 48 hours; they come straight from the oven with a soft, crispy, attractively scorched crust. Maggie’s meatballs with raisins and pine nuts, the black arancini (risotto croquettes) with the scent and flavor of truffles and the wonderful pastas and fluffy tiramisu are all products of an open-hearted kitchen that will help make your date a success. – Angela Stamatiadou 

 

 

 

 

 

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Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη BlueFish Restaurant (@bluefish.restaurant)

Blue Fish

Take your romance to the seaside with a visit to this picturesque restaurant, owned by Giorgos Oikonomidis, which has a charming and carefree Greek island vibe. This taverna is especially splendid during summer, when you can literally dine over green-blue water illuminated by undersea lighting, but it’s pleasant in the winter, too, with nice sea views. The kitchen serves fresh fish grilled on a Japanese robota grill, as well as a “Head-to-Tail” menu, a series of dishes prepared using different cooking methods and utilizing every part of the fish. Playing with techniques (some dishes are cooked in up to seven stages), textures and tastes of different types of fish and their different parts results in an imaginative and original culinary experience. The à la carte menu also includes various tasty carpaccio, pasta and meat dishes.

 

 

 

 

 

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Η δημοσίευση κοινοποιήθηκε από το χρήστη Hervé Restaurant (@herverestaurant)

Herve

Whether you and your date make yourselves at home on bar stools at the curved chef’s table while keeping an eye on all the culinary action in the kitchen or tuck yourselves away at a dimly lit table in the corner, you’re in for a gastronomic adventure. Thanks to a set tasting menu of 17 courses designed by French chef Herve Pronzato, who combines culinary influences from his experiences in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, your taste buds are sure to be entertained. This is an especially romantic experience for foodie couples who relish spending over three hours exploring textures, aromas and tastes, dreamily smiling over a menu that combines innovative creative concepts with classic French and Mediterranean gastronomy and exotic street food. The rooster with porcini, miso, red chili, galangal, Florina peppers and mustard leaf, for example, is something that can’t be found on any other menu in the city. You can add a six-glass wine pairing selection, or you can opt for a bottle or glass of wine of your own choice.