During a lovely dinner in February 2023, Steve, Philippe and I decided to visit Athens during the – Catholic – Easter Holiday. As I was lucky to have the full Easter weekend – Saturday, Sunday and Monday – off, I booked flights and a room. Steve and Philippe arrived in the capital of Greece two days earlier. It wasn’t Orthodox Easter, so for the Athenians, it was a normal, low-season, weekend.

Restaurant Hytra is a renowned restaurant in Athens. It is known for its innovative culinary approach, exquisite cuisine, and stunning views of the city. Hytra has gained international recognition as a fine dining destination, offering a unique and contemporary dining experience.

Hytra is located in the heart of Athens and occupies the top floor of the Onassis Cultural Centre. The restaurant’s sleek and modern design provides a sophisticated ambiance, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of the city, including the Acropolis and the surrounding landmarks.

The cuisine at Hytra is inspired by Greek culinary traditions, but with a modern twist. The restaurant’s menu showcases a creative and refined interpretation of Greek flavours, using high-quality local ingredients and innovative techniques. Dishes at Hytra are meticulously crafted, combining traditional Greek ingredients with modern culinary concepts, resulting in unique and visually stunning culinary creations.

Hytra offers a variety of dining options, including tasting menus that highlight the restaurant’s signature dishes and culinary creativity. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list, featuring a selection of Greek and international wines, carefully curated to complement the flavours of the cuisine.

Menu

In such restaurants, the smart move is to choose the set menu. The ‘Degustation‘ at Hytra is 90 euros. With wine pairing 135 euros. While Steve and Philippe chose wine, I chose the cocktail pairing (126 euros). 

Danny and I dined at Hytra in 2017. I don’t remember how we got the address. Was it recommended to us? But we did have dinner on the rooftop terrace and we had the cocktail pairing. But it was good enough to wanting to return.

Dishes

• Apple. Green apple fermentation.
• Tart. Botargo, herb moss, green apple. 
• Tomate  & trout. Pellas Pepper, pickled strawberry. 
• Housemade cheese, pear, pea. 
• Cod. Seasonal greens, collagen, fermented ramson.
• Bread.
• Shrimp. Almond, leak, grape.
• Langoustine. Florina peppers, basil. 
• Short rib. Chickpeas, carrot, carob honey.
• Blackthorn. Greek yoghurt.
• Cherry. Yoghurt, lemon verbena kombucha.
• Carob. Carob and cacao ganache. 

Steve and Philippe had beetroot millefeuille with umami beurre blanc instead of the cheese. It’s an item of the vegetarian menu. 

Accompanying wines

• Malagouzia natura. Zafeirakis Estate.
• Chardonnay. Muses Estate.
• L’Esprit du Lac. Kyr-Yianni.
• Shiraz. Kitos Estate.
• Muscat de Lemnos. Chatzitgeorgiou Estate.

Cocktails

• Mary White: Stolichnaya washed fish oil, tomato water.
• Lemon Leaf Spritz: Don Julio blanco, lemon leaf soda, parsley salt.
• Holistic Vermouth: sweet vermouth, Metaxa 7, tonic water.
• Modern Fashion: Buffalo bourbon infused pear, rye bread, vanilla syrup, air burnt vegetables.
• Almond Blossom: Gin Blue beethle, almond rose, pergamonto juice.

So?

Standouts for me were the bread, the shrimp the short rib and the carob. As you’d expect from a Michelin-star restaurant – Hytra has one star – the dishes are very well executed. The menu is well balanced and the portions are good. You’re nit stuffed at the end. 

More of an occasion than Kuzina and further afield, but certainly worth making a booking. 

Food, gastronomy and restaurants

• MONTREAL | Dining solo at Monarque felt like being part of a tv show.
• REVIEW | Restaurant Fred in Rotterdam.
• REVIEW | Restaurant Kuzina in Athens.
• REVIEW | Restaurant Neon in Lier.
• REVIEW | Restaurant Le Train Blue at Paris-Gare-de-Lyon.
• MANCHESTER | Afternoon Tea at Richmond Tea Rooms near Canal Street.
• RIDE & DINE | Brussels Tram Experience.
• STUTTGART | Restaurant Plenum, in Baden-Württemberg’s State Parliament.
• REVIEW | Restaurant Ritzi in Stuttgart.
• VIENNA | Restaurant Steirereck.
• REVIEW | Restaurant Ventrus avec vue, La Villette, Paris.
• REVIEW | Restaurant De Godevaart in Antwerp.
• REVIEW | Restaurant SELSation in Hemiksem.
• REVIEW | Breakfast at the 5-star superior Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp.
• REVIEW | Dinner at DINS Santi Taura in Palma de Mallorca.
• REVIEW | Restaurant 273 in Utrecht.
• REVIEW | Restauracja Ritz in Gdańsk.
• REVIEW | Carlton President Hotel Utrecht Maarssen ft. Restaurant One24.
• REVIEW | Restaurant La Grange aux Canards in Paris.
• RIDE & DINE | Orient Dining Express by Stoomtrein Maldegem-Eeklo.
• Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason in London.
• The German Gymnasium, Kings Cross / St Pancras, London.
• Hoftrammm, the tram dining experience.
• More than, but also sausages: rich cuisine of Germany’s heartland Saxony, Franconia and Bavaria.
• Bars and drinks package on Majestic Princess.
• Restaurants and food on Majestic Princess.
• Food and drinks on board Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas.
• Culinary, food and drinks markets in Antwerp.
• 5 (surprising) hotspots in Stockholm, Sweden.
• 8 food hotspots in Madrid for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• POLAND | 3 hotspots of gastronomy in Kraków.
• ​In search of Belgian or Flemish cuisine in Antwerp.

Athens 2023

1. REVIEW | Antwerp city centre to Brussels Airport (Zaventem) Airport Express shuttle bus service.
2. REVIEW | Brussels to Athens with Brussels Airlines Airbus A319, in business class, early morning.
3. ATHENS | Monastiraki – Plaka – Syntagma – National Garden – Zappeion – Hadrian’s Gate – Temple of Olympian Zeus – Panathenaic Stadium.
4. Ancient Agora of Athens.
5. REVIEW | Restaurant Kuzina in Athens.
6. REVIEW | Single room at Fresh Hotel Athens.
7. The Acropolis of Athens.
8. ATHENS | Acropolis Museum.