The Athenian will soon be launching a new site in Canary Wharf, offering Londoners a chance to become better acquainted with authentic Greek street food as well as Greek craft beers, wines and speciality soft drinks.
The Athenian is an independent brand that has grown organically. Greek founders, Efthymios and Neofytos began The Athenian as a small street food venture offering freshly made, healthy souvlaki to hungry Londoners. Since launching in 2014, they have opened venues across the country in up and coming foodie destinations as well as some of London’s hottest pop up social dining spaces. The neighbourhood venues call to mind the urban stalls of metropolitan Athens, serving street food staples in a fresh, contemporary and authentic way. Their vision, which remains at the concept’s core is to offer a real taste of modern Greece, here in the UK.
The Athenian was born out of a desire to transform perceptions of Greek cuisine which for many years has been defined by outdated tourist tropes. Founders Efthymios and Neofytos found that dishes from neighboring cuisines were being confused with Greek ones and their search for lovingly-made, mouth-watering souvlaki was nearly impossible.
The Athenian is part of a new breed of restaurants which in the last few years have helped to reshape the image of Greek cuisine and popularise characteristically Hellenic dishes such as gyros and souvlaki, making them commonplace in London’s culinary scene. Using fresh, authentic, healthy ingredients and age-old recipes, The Athenian aims to make souvlaki part of our everyday diet, as it is in Greece, and a simple food that everyone can recognize and enjoy regularly.
The Athenian continues to challenge misconceptions surrounding Greek culinary culture by drawing on Greece’s healthy eating traditions and an abundant fresh produce from its stunning natural landscape to create authentic street food specialities. The Athenian’s menu is inspired by the traditional flavours of Greece but executed with contemporary tastes in mind, adding subtle nuances to revive old time traditional recipes and offering plentiful vegan and vegetarian options. Carefully sourced ingredients are delicately dressed in aromatic herbs, hand skewered, grilled then wrapped in warm and fluffy pitas, served with oregano-flecked fries, croquettes as well an array of zingy sauces and crisp, refreshing salads. Desserts enjoyed in street side cafes everywhere, such as ‘loukoumades’ and chocolate and soft drinks imported directly from Greece also feature on the menu.
Examples from the menu include:
- Souvlaki & Gyros – made with either chicken, pork, lamb, wild boar sausage or halloumi
- Vegan gyros – shavings of seitan marinated in herbs, lemon juice and olive served with vegan mayonnaise
- Halloumi Fries– handmade halloumi fries served with either cooling tzatziki or spicy feta dip
- Dakos – Cretan barley rusk, topped with finely sliced tomatoes, feta cheese, red onions and Kalamata olives dressed in oregano and Cretan extra virgin olive oil
- Tomato Croquettes – made using Santorini tomatoes and fresh herb and served with the signature Athenian sauce
- Loukoumades – light, fluffy, Greek doughnuts which are drenched in honey or luscious chocolate sauce
The Athenian foregrounds regional produce and showcases the latest Greece has to offer, serving a selection of Greek wines and craft beers from microbreweries around mainland Greece and the surrounding islands. Sourcing produce, beers and wines from small, independent producers ensures an authentic Mediterranean food experience and points to the refinement staple Greek ingredients are continuing to undergo.
The Athenian has steadily become a local favourite in neighbourhoods across London, it is the perfect place for a pita stop, to grab a quick dinner or to enjoy a light snack with a cold refreshing beer. The Athenian’s various venues offer a boisterous and welcoming Greek dining experience in which guests are encouraged to chat and eat plenty.