by Katerina Vnatsiou
When I sit down at a restaurant and get my hands on the menu, the first thing I do is flip to the last page. That’s where the most important information lies for me, right under my favorite little word: “Desserts.” And you know what? Desserts in restaurants are better than in most pastry shops. Below, you’ll find some of my favorites. But before you go on, keep this note in mind: every normal person out there will tell you that “desserts in a restaurant should be light and airy, not too heavy, just the epilogue to a meal.” I am not that person.
The pear tarte tatin at Cookoovaya
Chef Pericles Koskinas’ restaurant is best known for its bougatsa. A three-tiered tower of pastry, powdered sugar, and cinnamon that collapses the moment the waiter touches it with a spoon. For me, though impressive, that dessert is not the best one at Cookoovaya. I would trade it a thousand times for that incomparable pear tarte tatin. Warm, buttery puff pastry with caramelized pears and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Tears! Hatzigianni Mexi 2A, Behind Hilton, 210 7235005
The galaktoboureko at Pharaoh
Recently someone asked me what’s the best galaktoboureko in Athens. Well, the best galaktoboureko doesn’t come from a pastry shop, nor from a bakery — it comes from Pharaoh. Thick custard, flawless syrup, crispy phyllo. It’s baked in a wood-fired oven and arrives steaming under your nose. If you can resist, I admire you (but I’m also suspicious). Solomou 54, Exarchia, 210 3808412
The pistachio ice cream at Iodio
The signature pistachio ice cream at this restaurant is said (on the menu) to be for two people. I eat it ALL by myself. And I never regret it. It’s not just ice cream — it’s filled with little caramelized bits, and its texture is divine. I’m looking at its photo right now, remembering it, sighing deeply — I miss it terribly. Loukianou 36, Kolonaki, 213 0263656
The revani at Liystor
Chef Nikos Apostolakis researched many old recipes for the new menu at Liystor, in his effort to revive traditional Greek cuisine through his own contemporary lens. That’s why his revani is titled “Revani with ice cream”: perfectly syrup-soaked semolina cake, mastiha cream, cocoa sponge, caramel cream, red fruits. One of the best I’ve ever eaten in my life (many). Ermou 92–94, 210 2241113
The Beignets at Po’ Boys
I’m eating with a friend at Po’ Boys. Chef and owner Vasilis Sporos is outside the restaurant, but in a spot where he can see me. I put a beignet in my mouth and chew that bite with utter pleasure. I don’t know how much my eyes rolled back, but Vasilis darted inside, ran to our table, and asked: “EVERYTHING OKAY?” The man thought I was choking. My friend, used to my reactions and unfazed, simply replied: “Oh, yeah, don’t worry, that’s just how she reacts when she eats dessert.” I’m not overreacting (well, maybe a little), it’s just that these New Orleans-style doughnuts with hazelnut praline, arriving hot and oozing, are the best thing on planet Earth. Agatharchou 12 & Lepeniotou, Psyrri, 210 3234672
Ari’s Deal Closer at Vezene
Come on, we can’t skip this one. Actually, the word “dessert” doesn’t do it justice. Picture, instead, a mountain of ice cream (Madagascar vanilla), chocolate tart, gianduja, flowing butterscotch, and hazelnuts — all in one. It’s supposedly for four people (according to the menu), but don’t order it with me. Vrasida 11, Ilisia, 210 7232002
The tiramisu at Gio
It arrives in a small, deep baking pan — the kind you’d love to grab and walk away with (hold yourself). Dig your spoon all the way to the bottom and come back up triumphant with the best tiramisu bite of your life. Fluffy, yet rich, we still can’t figure out how this tiramisu manages to be so delicious, so full-bodied, and at the same time so light. The portion is big enough for two (in theory, because there’s no way you’ll leave a bite behind). The Margi Hotel, Litous 11, Vouliagmeni, 210 8929165
