If this were a scavenger hunt, I’d tell you to look for some exotic wall art on a school building behind one of the city’s most important landmarks, and then try to find an unoccupied metal table across from it on the extra-wide sidewalk. But you’re hungry and you don’t have time for games, so here’s where I am: at O Skoufias, on Empedokleos Street in Pangrati, just behind the Panathenaic Stadium, that beautiful marble structure known to locals as “Kallimarmaro”.

The street I’m on is shaded by towering palm trees, under which are scattered a few dozen tables belonging to a sequence of two eateries and a bar. The palms go well with the street art on the large wall opposite the tables; one side of a public school bears the likenesses of a chimpanzee, a snow leopard, a young Amerindian, a tiger, a hummingbird and a toucan, all set against a lush rainforest backdrop. It’s not particularly Greek, unlike the food on my plate, but it’s nice to look at.

 

 

 

 

 

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I should explain that, although this isn’t a scavenger hunt, or indeed a game of any kind, there are still rules; at least there are for me. If I’m going out to a local Greek eatery, I want unhurried service, minimum fuss over decor, wine by the carafe, domestic beers in 500ml bottles and prices that don’t sting, because these things are what my Greece is all about. Sure, the chairs might not always be comfortable and, if you’re sitting outside, there’s every likelihood that someone will be smoking in your vicinity, but just buck up and call it “authentic atmosphere,” because this, too, is part of the Greek scene.

 

 

 

 

 

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O Skoufias, which breaks none of my rules, is a mezedopoleio, meaning it serves small dishes of food intended to accompany wine, beer or spirits. It’s been in different spots of the city since it opened three decades ago, but for the last twelve years, it’s been here on this wide sidewalk that feels more like a welcoming courtyard. All the menu items are made to be shared, and consist of perhaps a dozen forkfuls of tasty goodness each. The most popular items include the tigania, tender pork pan-fried in a flavorful oil-and-herb blend that demands you sop it up with bread once the thyme-and-honey-infused meat is gone; the anthotiro cheese croquettes served with a tomato marmalade; the thick fava (split yellow pea mash) topped with capers and sliced red onion; the melt-right-off-the-bone kotsi, or pig’s knuckle, which is unfortunately not always available; and the kolokithokeftedes, or zucchini-and-feta patties, richly nourishing and yet light at the same time. All other menu items that I’ve tried have been lovely as well, although perhaps not quite as memorable.

The food is very good, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the people-watching is outstanding – see if you can count more dogs than toddlers or vice-versa on this stroll-friendly stretch of pavement. The prices are unreasonably reasonable, if you know what I mean. Treat yourself to an evening meal here, and give my regards to the jungle across the way.

Don Domonkos has been an Athens resident off and on since 1985. He has also been the Head of Editorial at Greece Is magazine since 2016. Traditional Greek eateries, outdoor movie theaters, watching sports at crowded kafeneia, and getting lost down out-of-the-way side streets are some of his favorite things in life, topped only by spending time with his wonderful family.