Athens: Balthazar Restaurant and Bar

The venue

Balthazar is one of my top picks for dinner and drinks in Athens, serving modern Mediterranean cuisine with a Japanese twist inside a beautiful mansion house open since 1973. The house is open during the winter, with a stunning garden that opens in the summer. The decor reminds me of The Arts Club on Dover Street in London. Walls decorated with art sculptures and unique pieces, while statement lamps hang from the ceiling.

The Menu

The menu is created by internationally renowned chef Christoforos Peskias. Peskias is famous for his Tomato Sushi, combining the concept of classic Greek stuffed tomatoes with rice and Japanese sushi, transforming it into a new deconstructed dish. His Tomato Sushi also sums up his signature style, serving up modern Mediterranean food with an Asian twist.

The Food

The food is superb. The ‘tirokafteri’ cheese dip with marmalade was a delicious couvert. We sampled a range of their starters, croaker tiradito, seabass carpaccio, and were brought a butternut squash risotto on the house. After cleaning out our starters, we tucked into our mains. We ordered the beef tagliata, prawns, and salmon, each delicious and not too heavy after all the starters. To finish, we shared a caramel dessert, which was among the top three desserts I’ve ever had.