Athens, Greece: Polpo

In the unassuming Kallithea neighbourhood, a small restaurant by a large, empty intersection is Polpo. With a little octopus on its signage, large window walls, and roadside tables, the tone of a casual, no-frills restaurant is set.

Though, when you see servers carrying plates of gleaming rounds of sliced tomato to almost every table, along with seafood of all sorts – carpaccio, pickled, drenched in olive oil, steamed, fried, pan-fried or grilled – you get an inkling that this simple place might just be… the best. And hands down, it really was.

The restaurant

What turns out to be in the middle of nowhere when I got dropped off by my taxi, was actually right in front of the Athens Central Vegetables Market - a large wholesale market. It was 2:30pm and hence justifiably deserted. The dusty roads were wide, and the market looked like a empty warehouse. Polpo however, was full. On a Saturday afternoon it was quietly filled with tables of family diners. All locals. My mother and I stood awkwardly at the door, thankfully they had a spare table for us as we waited for my Athenian friend to arrive. When she did, she promised, this was the best place. “You’re getting the OG Greek experience”, she says, and I trust her.

We ordered some plates and a bottle of white - the tomatoes and fried squid were non-negotiable I was told, and I had no intention to negotiate.

The food

Remember those rounds of tomatoes I mentioned. Yep, that arrived and Jesus I will fly back to Athens for them. Peeled and sliced rounds of heirloom tomatoes, perfectly ripe and sweet, served with a generous drizzle of olive oil, pinches of salt and dried herbs, it melts into your mouth and EXPLODES in juices and flavour. This is one incredibly simple, but terrifyingly delicious dish. I started clapping on my third bite. (It took two bites to process the beauty, my bad.) There is a reason why every table has an order of this. If you visit Polpo, you cannot miss this dish, it is simply exquisite and now my favourite representation of summer. That, with a sip of Assyrtiko (a local white grape), is my definition of Greek perfection.

But let’s not be so final, because more is coming. We ordered a fish carpaccio of the day, fried squid and seafood linguine. The carpaccio was fresh: slices of white fish topped with fish roe, lemon, dried thyme and, of course, Greek olive oil. It was so fresh, it didn’t even have a hint of fishiness. Another sip of Assyrtiko and the sweetness of the fish and fish roe pops out.

Then the fried squid. What I love about this dish is how thin the batter is. The squid is plump, firm and not chewy, the batter just a brief reminder that it was fried between the squid leaving its waters and landing on your table. Squeeze of lemon, bit of squid, sip of Assyrtiko – mhmmm. (Please tell me you’re searching for flights to Athens because it is worth it.)

Finally, a favourite of mine – seafood linguine. Like the previous dishes at Polpo, it looks pretty normal, like you would find in any other restaurant. Pale-orange coated linguine, a smattering of seafood at the top, hints of cooked cherry tomatoes, and an afterthought sprinkle of roughly chopped parsley.  

First bite and I regret taking it lightly from its ordinary appearance. Like the tomatoes, this dish took me to another peak.

The Polpo team must have used some sort of langoustine or lobster bisque for this linguine, because that pale-orange linguine was packed full of crustacean flavours and umami. I think a full glass of Assyrtiko is necessary to savour this one. This is probably the best seafood linguine I’ve ever had.

ευχαριστώ (pron.: efcharisto)

That's Greek for thank you, because Polpo delivered a stellar weekend lunch. This family-run restaurant knew exactly what they were doing. Afterall, the head of the family came from a fishmongering background. Simple and fresh ingredients truly make the experience.

It's the exact unhurried pace you'd want mid-afternoon on a Saturday. The hum of conversations and light laughter around you, and absolutely stunning food presented in the most simple way. All of that with a cool glass of white. What more can one ask for.

Take a couple friends with you, plan your next trip to Athens and visit Polpo.