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The stories behind most Middle East restaurants in Athens are immigration stories. Stories of people leaving their homelands and starting afresh in Athens, or of Greeks of the diaspora preserving their traditions. In this feature we use “Middle East” knowing well that the term can’t encompass centuries of history and food culture of two continents, and that we can’t possibly pack the rich culinary traditions of Anatolian, Levantine, and Arabic food in a short read. But, the fascinating paradox that helps our case is that variations of the same dish pop up in different countries with different names: Is it doner or gyro? Is it kofta or kebab? Tabbouleh or kisir? Knefeh or künefe?Is it kibeh, isli kefte or koupes? Luckily, in Athens it can be all of these things and more. After all, what’s in a name? Here’s where you can taste the Middle East in Athens.
Syndesmos Aigyptioton Ellinon (The Association of Greeks from Egypt)
The “Grand Dame” of Athens’ Middle Eastern restaurants lies well-hidden in the home ground of the Association for the Descendants of the Greek Diaspora in Egypt. The association was founded in 1933, as a reference point for the Greek diaspora which at the time numbered almost a quarter of a million Greeks. The institution's role changed drastically, along with the times, as by the late 1950s, with the rise of Egyptian nationalism, most Greeks of Egypt had to abandon their homes and return to their homeland. It was then when the role of the association shifted, becoming a very important community hub for the uprooted refugees. The restaurant began operating in the 90s, serving Egyptian and Greek specialities to the community as well as the public. Located on Tritis Septemvriou (3rd September), a street whose faded grandeur has lately been attracting foreign investors, this sizable restaurant accommodates large parties, charitable evenings and welcomes all who want to sample traditional Egyptian cuisine. It is run by Sheda Reda, an Egyptian cook who serves his country’s traditional fare; beautiful falafel, kibbeh, and rice dishes. Then there is the kofta, the Egyptian version of a kebab. The difference in kofta is in the meat, a combination of ground beef and lamb with spices. We loved the rice dishes, glorious pilafs with bits of vermicelli noodles, pine nuts, and raisins. The only Greek dish here is dolmadakia, stuffed vine leaves made in the tradition of Kasos island in the island complex of the Dodecanese. These heavenly bite-sized delicacies are stuffed with ground beef, rice, and tomato sauce and are stacked in a pan where they are doused with water, butter and tomato juice for about half an hour.
Behind the scenes at Syndesmos Aigyptioton Ellinon.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
Resting lachmachuns at Feyrouz.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
Feyrouz
Feyrouz opened shop in 2014 at the old commercial district of Athens known as Commercial Triangle, a stone’s throw away from both Monastiraki and Omonia. Since then, Athenians have been patiently queuing outside its doors for all the wonderful Levantine treats that Feyrouz serves. The shop is named after its cook, Feyrouz-Eleni Kilkitsi, who was born and raised in Antioch but married a Greek and started a family here. Her name is a tribute to the legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz, whose songs have come to define the Arab world. Here you’ll find comfort food made from the heart; fresh and spicy, fragrant and delicate. It is impossible to walk past this place and not step inside. Their lahmacun—essentially a flatbread with toppings—comes in three versions. Their traditional one, minced beef with spices and seasonal herbs, with baba ganoush (an aubergine dip salad) yoghurt, greens, and pomegranate molasses arguably sits at the pantheon of Athens’ rich street food scene. The vegan one with its za’atar paste (a mixture of thyme, oregano, sumac, salt, and sesame seeds,) greens, and tahini sauce is also a worthy rival. Their peynirli, a Levantine version of the Turkish pide, are works of art; boat-shaped open pies made with fresh dough, with fillings of sujuk (a spicy beef sausage), or pastirma (a thinly sliced air dried cured beef delicacy) and generous amounts of cheese and butter. There are also some more creative takes on the peynirli, like the one stuffed with rooster meat.
In 2021 Feyrouz also expanded across the street with a pastry and dessert shop which pays tribute to the region’s dessert tradition. A lot of thought has gone into their menu. They serve their own versions of a number of regional syrupy desserts such as a pistachio baklava with citrus fruits, as well as a rather wholesome vegan baklava with buckwheat flour, coconut milk and olive oil. My personal favourites though are their truffle mouthfuls—essentially vegan energy bites such as the tzetzerye : tender bites of cooked carrots and nuts, sweetened with molasses and rolled on coconut sprinkles.
Mikra Asia
Up until a few years ago, Mesolonghiou Square in Pangrati was a typical Athenian residential plaza. Surrounded by polykatoikies (multi-storey Athenian residential buildings) and mom-and-pop shops, the square echoed to the sound of children playing at any time of the day. It was 2017 when Mikra Asia opened its second restaurant here (first one is at Plateia Amerikis near Patission Avenue but has been shut for a while) along with the area’s first wine bars and brunch spots. This Kurdish second-generation family restaurant with its modest red chairs and tables and unpretentious service is famous for two Eastern best-sellers: kebab and kunefe. Their perfectly juicy and spicy kebab, made exclusively from lamb’s meat, is one of the best in Athens. We recommend the beiti kebab, rolled in pita bread with handmade tomato sauce and Greek yoghurt. They also serve a fantastic beef doner; shavings of succulent beef that has been roasted vertically on a spit. This is an Eastern take on the Greek gyro, which is mostly pork or chicken. The place is also deservedly famous for its kunefe, a Middle Eastern popular dessert that comes in different variations (and names; for example, it’s knafeh in the Arabic world.) Kunefe lends itself to restaurants as it is cooked in a pan, so it needs to be prepared on the spot. A light unpasteurised cheese (think of a chewy version of ricotta) is placed between two layers of kadaifi (shredded phyllo dough,) then cooked in a pan and doused in syrup. Mikra Asia’s version is crunchy and syrupy with pistachios on top for a perfect end to a spicy evening.
"This Kurdish second-generation family restaurant with its modest red chairs and tables and unpretentious service is famous for two Eastern best-sellers: kebab and kunefe."
Leylim Ley
Named after a poem by Sabahattin Ali (which was also made into a hit song by Turkish composer Zülfü Livaneli in the 70s), this unpretentious eastern meze café opened in the Gyzi neighbourhood in 2011, and cooks homely Kurdish basics. In 2023, they moved to the upper Exarchia area of Neapolis. Albeit somewhat less charming a location than that of the original, Leylim Ley’s current proximity to Exarchia’s vibrant nightlife scene certainly counts as a plus. And of course the food is just as delicious as it was before the move. Their kebab is distinctive—a mixture of minced lamb, veal and pork with a strong-flavoured tomato and pepper paste. Go for the iskender version served on pita bread and generously lathered in garlicky tomato sauce and rich Greek yoghurt. Τheir chicken tigania (a meze dish of meat bites cooked in a pan with herbs and douse in alcohol) packs the kick of Cretan tsikoudia and the sweetness of Florina red peppers. The highlight, however, is the ezme salad, the Middle Eastern version of salsa—tomatoes, chilli, pepper paste, parsley and onion, with a strong walnut flavour. Other must-try dishes include the hünkar beğendi, a traditional Ottoman dish of beef stew on a bed of aubergine puree, and the tantalising cilbir, poached eggs in yoghurt and butter sauce.
Table is almost set at Leylim Ley.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
Turkish pide in the baking, at Mangal.
Photo: Thomas Gravanis
Μangal
Tucked in Solomou Street at the edgy hip neighbourhood of Exarchia, this Kurdish restaurant takes the no-frills approach when it comes to decor and service. There are chairs, tables, and someone comes to take your order. And that’s it. Mangal is the newest entry to Athens’ list of Kurdish restaurants. Their welcome dish involves samples of ezme salad, cooked beetroot, baba ganoush, and an aubergine and tomato dish with homemade pita bread—a fine indication of what the food is like here. Simple, delicious fare. The baba ganoush is particularly rich on the tahini, one can't help but sense it. The pide here (a lighter version of the peynirli) has a thin crispy dough and comes in seven versions, including one with minced pork and beef, and a spicy sujuk version which works perfectly with the buttery flavour of the pide. We chose a simple vegetarian version with tomatoes and peppers and the kisir salad, the Kurdish take on the famous tabbouleh salad. This comes with an extra strong vinegar taste as kisir usually has tomato and pepper paste as opposed to the fresher, lemon-y tabbouleh. This place is certainly value for money, as we ended up paying a little more than €10 per person.