On a main road of Koukaki, a vibrant neighborhood close to the Acropolis, you will find Guarantee; a small sandwich shop dressed in blue standing on a corner waiting to be discovered. Unlike what you may imagine it has been around for 24 years under the same owners who have built their life around their little shop and never cease to search for ways to make it better. The decoration is minimal with a few pieces of symbolic objects that have been chosen purposefully and not aesthetically ; a place where you may go for a dose of goodness both in mood and food. With more than 25 cheeses to pick from and about the same amount of charcuterie to choose from, the total amount of ingredients amount to more than 120. The work space may look small but they actually make everything right there, in the early morning hours before clients start coming, or in the evening when the flow of people has calmed down. The eggs are boiled, the veggies grilled with fresh olive oil from their village, the mayonnaise is home made, the sauces are thought up and produced by Haroula, and the potatoes are peeled and fried just as they should be anywhere… Giannis was a sailor on commercial ships and Haroula was in her early twenties when they decided to open the sandwich shop. The location went from car repair shop, to sandwich store with 13 options to choose from, to sandwich store with 100 plus ingredients to choose from. It took a
while to settle on a name, and the final decision was inspired randomly. Haroula was wearing a t-shirt with a logo on the back with the word Guarantee, Giannis being a lover of the seas wanted to give the store a nautical name. The word Guarantee at once inspires confidence and also is the name of heavy steady waves known as swell. Both take immense pride in their work and always strive for perfection, but as Giannis points one must strive without obsession and greed. The hand painted sign that adorns the bottom part of the front window is of a goat husk overflowing with fruits and vegetables. It alludes to Amalthea, Zeus’ foster mother, who suckled the infant and protected him from Cronus his child-easting father, it functions as a symbol of abundance.
Address: Veikou 41, Koukaki Map
Telephone: 210 9226924
Price per person: sandwich €3- €6, home-made burger + fries €4, fresh juices small(350ml) €2,20 large
Opening Hours:
Mon- Sat 10am - 5pm
Sunday closed
(450ml) €4,00