Pharaoh

Luke Olsen★★★★★★★★★★3.04 months ago

Came in with high expectations given the hype and the Michelin Bib Gourmand nod, but left pretty underwhelmed. Some dishes were genuinely good. The onion & chestnut stew was comforting and well balanced, the bonito crudo was fresh and nicely handled, and the slow-cooked lamb was enjoyable, although it really needed more seasoning to lift it. The octopus, however, was very lacklustre, served with what was essentially tartare sauce, which felt like a strange and uninspired pairing that did nothing for the dish. Where it really fell apart was the steak, which is hard to overlook given the pricing and positioning. The restaurant heavily promotes charcoal cooking, yet steaks and some other items are cooked on an electric grill, which honestly makes no sense when there’s a full wood-fired pizza oven sitting right there in the kitchen. Any competent chef could easily turn out an excellent steak using cast iron over a wood-fired oven. As a result, our €41 steak was poorly rendered, quite chewy, and clearly from a young yearling cut that lacked depth and texture. For that price point, it was a major miss. On the positives, the wine list is excellent and the atmosphere is lively and buzzing. Overall, the food didn’t live up to the claims or the Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation, which was surprising. I’d go back for the wine and atmosphere, but not for the food.

Amelia Todd★★★★★★★★★★5.03 months ago

amazing food, great service, and fun atmosphere. highly recommend sitting at the kitchen bar if you can get a spot, we really enjoyed watching the chefs work with the wood fire oven and getting to interact with them a bit. we appreciated most the cabbage rolls, grilled wild greens and octopus, and the chestnut onion stew. the surprise bottarga mayo with fresh bread was also delicious. thanks to the whole team for the lovely dinner!

Nico M★★★★★★★★★★5.06 months ago

Sensational food, every dish was a bomb of flavours. What I liked is that it’s still local Greek dishes but with a twist of modern and elegant. The dolmades melted in my mouth. The chickpeas were so good that we ended up ordering a second portion. And the slowcooked beef on top of Greek pasta was a standout classic. We paid around 90€ for two which is expensive for Athens but a bargain compared to some other European capitals. Staff were ok, nothing special, perhaps because we spoke English. Service was ok, not too quick; it felt like they have a concept of service a dish at a time. We would have preferred having all the dishes at once. Atmosphere is very young and vibrant as there is a DJ in the restaurant and the music is pretty loud. You don’t come here for a full on conversation. Overall the food was stunning and I think this restaurant could get a Michelin star soon.

Юлия Шибаева★★★★★★★★★★5.02 months ago

It was unbelievable dinner! The atmosphere was amazing and cool ✨🥂 We're very picky eaters, so choosing a dish is always difficult. But even we didn't have to struggle. The staff was polite and very attentive. The music selection was especially noteworthy (it really created an atmosphere). Overall, it was a great place for dinner. We'll definitely visit this restaurant again when we're in Athens. And we recommend you don't miss it. You'll be delighted 🤩

Stephanie M T★★★★★★★★★★5.0a month ago

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I booked this place after seeing it in the Michelin Guide. I had already looked it up on Google Maps, and honestly the surrounding streets seemed a bit abandoned, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But once you arrive, the atmosphere completely changes. The restaurant is set inside an old, slightly worn-down building, but the moment you walk through the door, you step into a totally different world: beautiful decor, great music, and an amazing vibe. Their wine list is extensive, especially for natural wines (we live in France and love wine, so that was a huge plus for us). We ordered the octopus, served with tartar sauce and romeritos, an herb we also use in Mexico, an unexpected but delicious combination, with very generous portions. The smallest beef steak was 750g; they didn’t mention it came with the bone, but in the end the person who ordered it absolutely loved it and said it was one of the best steaks he’s ever had. The stuffed zucchini with rice and meat were exquisite. Definitely a place full of character and an experience worth having in Athens