With an evening to try something new, I figured it'd be interesting to see what the fine dining scene in Greece would be like. After doing some research and seeing where I could get in, I decided on Hytra in the Onassis Center.
It had an interesting almost quasi-Asian vibe.
I was promptly seated and had a view of the final prep station.
And first up was time to check out the cocktail and beverage menus.
There are options ranging from 8 to 14 course tasting menus.
I kicked things off with the Made in Chios cocktail that had mastic liquor, pink grapefruit and soda. It was refreshing and a perfect way to kick off the meal.
I went with the 14-course tasting menu and Greek wine pairing. To kick things off was a great presentation of a cracker with blue crab and fermented carrot purée that almost had a tinge of mango, but with more acidity and depth of flavor. A great first bite!
Next up was a seaweed waffle, it wasn’t fishy, but umami packed with a great depth of flavor. The cream was like a green sour cream and went great as the dipping sauce for the waffle.
The first wine was the 2017 Malagouzia Arvanitidis Estate. The nose had a hint of passion fruit, papaya and some floral components. The body was medium with tropical fruits and some acid to round it out to be refreshing.
The next course were clams cooked perfectly, tender and probably the best I've ever had. There was a lemon confit on top that added richness and acidity. The pear juice and flowers provided a floral component that paired perfectly with the wine.
The next wine was the 2017 Idisma Drios. It had a mineral driven nose with light tropical and citrus fruits. The body was light with lemon, slight tropical fruits, good acid, sea salt feel on the end, very much like a Sancerre. Right up my style of crisp whites.
The next course were shrimp that were so sweet and creamy with perfectly sweet uni, pine cream and pine oil that went well together and paired great with the wine.
The next course were scallops that had a sweet and perfect. Then a Bernaise style sauce was poured around it.
The sweet and perfectly cooked scallops went great with the Bernaise style cream.
Then the 2018 Aspros Lagos. The nose had lemon zest and floral notes. The body was light with lemon and some slate with crisp acid on the finish.
Then a bread course, but where the bread was like a very nice savory muffin. The texture was amazing with a crispy crust and soft inside. The butter was excellent and the combination of the thyme buds and salt paired great with the wine. They asked if I wanted another and while the answer was yes, I had to try and not get full yet.
The next course was Jerusalem artichoke, pear, pickled porcini mushrooms and a truffle jus. Everything combined really nicely and the wine paired perfectly to pull it together. The light dollops of acid really helped to brighten it up and made for a fun vegetable dish.
Now time for the reds, starting with the 2017 Tetramythos Black of Kalavryta. It had a strong and meaty nose. The body had blackberries, raspberries, spices, smooth tannins and a medium finish with a little acid, but not too much keeping it fresh.
Then for me the star of the night, the milk fed lamb. It came presented under a bed of vine leaves and pistachio nuts.
Then a yogurt sauce that had a sort of Bernaise style was poured on top.
I was in heaven! The lamb was stunning and sous vide perfectly, being tender and so flavorful. The combination of fresh herbs, crunchy pistachios and the cream went together better than any lamb I've had to date and I know I'll never be able to reproduce it, but I'd love to make this at home. Again, stunning!
To go along with the lamb, I also asked for a glass of the 2011 Kitos Estate Cab. It had a deep nose of menthol and dark fruits. The body was heavy with black fruits, creme de cassis, anise, gritty tannins and some acid. It was awesome and reminded me a bit of some of the Hungarian reds I had and haven't been able to find back in the US.
Then a palate cleanser and cheese course that was a carob "branch" with cheese and herbs. A separate pot of herb juice and cream that was lighter provided a great dipping sauce and was a fun way to have the cheese course, let alone visually fantastic.
Then a cone with mastic ice cream was also refreshing.
Then a fun first dessert course with pea ice cream and granite. Dollops of white chocolate mousse added some sweetness and overall this was a fun and tasty dessert, but it could've used just a touch of acidity to lighten it.
The final wine was the 2006 Ifaistou Gnosi Estate Chatzigeorgiou. It had a nose of macerated raisins. The body was medium density with a nutty, caramel and crisp acidity giving it some levity. A good dessert wine.
For the final dessert, a chocolate mousse on the bottom that had a deep chocolate flavor and on top crisp apples and cashew cookies. A really nice dessert and way to end the courses.
A better view of the layers.
But of course that's not all and a fun end to the meal with a trio of sweet snacks.
First was a caramel on pine that was home made and perfectly executed.
Then an olive oil, kiwi and lime/basil biscuit that was also tasty and multi-dimensional.
Then they made me guess what this final chocolate was. Given it was served on top of dried cranberries, one of the components seemed easy. It was tasty with a nice crunch like there was puffed rice and a slight cayenne pepper kick at the end. As it turned out, the crunch was from crispy chicken skin, tasty and fun!
A look at some of the lineup, MrsFlamingo would definitely approve of this place!
Hytra greatly exceeded my expectations and definitely deserves its Michelin star. The service and experience was great with food that was innovative, yet incorporating local heritage. It reminds me a lot of Hungary with that ethos and you can tell everyone there takes pride in what they do and they want their guests to enjoy great food and have a good experience. I'm very excited to return to Athens and Hytra, I can't recommend it enough and frankly having eaten at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Paris the night before, this handily beats it. Bravo Hytra team!
- Topic