...2022 the most historical restaurant of the most important city..! ---- |
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..1920+102restaurant |
-2014+8 e-cava |
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 1934+88 cellar |
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Our little story counts five years less than a century, in the center of Athens, next to the Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro. Nevertheless, we have contributed with 150 years of authentic entertainmentin this city... Today, 95% of shops that are dealing with coffee, food and wine in Greece are based on what started here 4 generations ago... Our neighborhood is located 200 meters away from the Kallimarmaro, but it is not called "Kallimarmaro", and 50 meters away from the Holy Temple of Saint Spyridon, but is not called "Saint Spyridon". Our neighborhood has its own name and story and is called "Vatrahonisi" or "Cafe Tsourapi"...  "Vatrahonisi" means Frog Island in greek, as the "lost" river of Ilisos (today running under Leoforos Agiou Konstantinou Avenue) was forming a small island in this place, where frogs used to stay. "Cafe Tsourapi" because of the existence of a coffee shop. In this Cafe, the anti-monarchists (who were against the King) used to gather, while the wife of the Cafe owner was watching out for the police, knitting a "Tsourapi" (an old word for sock, not used in modern greek). This was our place, almost a century ago, in the first form of use... Underneath the Cafe shop, there was an underground cellar, that was making and selling wine. This wine was the best, because of the undercurrents of the "lost" river Ilisos, that were passing by the walls of the cellar, in contact with the barrels. One barrel was making the best wine of all. It was named "Marika".People started to gather in this underground cellar and forced the owner to accommodate the wine with some food. This was the exact moment that the Greek “Taverna” was born!  Our grand-grandfather wanted to build a house over the Cafe for our grandmother to stay. The Cafe owner refused the addition of a column which would support the upper floor, fearing disruption of the functioning of the Cafe, so our grand-grandfather proceeded without it. He called the best builders from Tinos Island to make the construction, paying 5 golden pounds a day. Some years latter, the Cafe ownerwas very ill and called our grand-grandfather for forgiveness, which happened and he closed his eyes and rested in peace... Later, the shop in the ground floor became the first Italian Restaurant in Athens. It was was working well, so well that the owner asked our Family to leave the place and make the first private dinning restaurant in the upper floor. The Underground Taverna was working in parallel, having its best moments in history.The earthquake of 1981 south of Athens, stopped the operation of the above business.... or almost. The Italian Restaurant closed immediately, while the Underground Taverna refused. For 2 years people continued to gather in increasing numbers, risking their lives, while the building was ready to fall, to drink the last wine of the barrel "Marika" .Then, a new building replaced the old one and the first Bar-Restaurant in Athens was born, with great success. The elite of Athens, including famous artists, singers, poets, actors, politicians and athletes used to pay a visit to this place, as also common people. Some of them admitted having made great inventions and life projects, inspired of the dynamic of the place... Today the 4th generation continues the place in its authentic form, with a restaurant on the ground floor with traditional Greek food and reviving the underground cellar, where there is a wine collection of all existing Greek grape varieties.    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- We would like to thank you for what you have created... |
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Efforionos
17 & Agiou Spyridonos & Arktinou 8 Kallimarmaro
phone: 2107019291 mob: +30 6944146868 WhatsApp/Viber email: nasisx@gmail.com |
