On one of our first nights in Athens we visited Mikra Asia, located a short walk from our apartment on pedestrianized Iraklidon.
Here we tried their variant of rakomelo, a hot alcoholic drink often served in the winter in Greece. It consists of raki (a strong clear distilled alcohol) mixed with honey and spices. Every place seems to have their own spin on this drink, but this one was probably our favourite to date.
We were greeted by the world’s most friendly cat, who kept us company on our laps while we waited for our food. The waiter (and cook and possibly the owner?) fed the cat right after us so she would let us eat in peace!
The waiter patiently explained every menu item to us and made some good suggestions. We settled on the soutzoukakia (meatballs in tomato sauce with rice), dakos (a Cretan-style salad served over pieces of toasted brown bread rusk), and some phyllo pastry rolls filled with mild goat cheese topped with honey and sesame seeds.
All was delicious and we will fit in a return visit before we leave Athens.