Tzitzikas & Mermigas
"The Ant and the Cricket" (l,d; €€)
Meaning the Ant and the Cricket, Tzitzikas & Mermigas has four restaurants in Athens, operating for over 25 years and is popular with both Athenians and tourists alike.
Their name is taken from Aesop’s fable of the cicada and the ant, whereby the cicada ‘wastes’ his summer singing and the ant spends it labouring to store food for the winter.
Their Syntagma restaurant is located very near Syntagma Square, meaning it’s a great place to pop in for lunch or dinner, but during high season, do book ahead.
Expect Greek cuisine with a twist, for example their Chicken Mastic is exceedingly popular: cubes of chicken with mastic cream atop a kantaifi pastry nest (similar to the pastry used for baklava).
Salads are plentiful, especially their own signature one with four cheeses, ten vegetables and a mustard vinaigrette dressing.
A place to treat yourself.