Sale e Pepe: Kolonaki's very own Italian Tratoria

The life motto of Ivan Otaviani, owner of the restaurant Sale e Pepe in Kolonaki, is simple: “life is too short to drink bad wine.” And indeed his wine cellar includes a rich variety of rare and fair “jewels”. From more than 1000 wine labels, he is sure to find the one that suit you best.

Ivan Otaviani started out, about twenty years ago, with a small restaurant on the island of Mykonos. Over the course of the last decade, he has been spending his winters in the city, serving the delicious creations of the award-winning Chef Luka Merendi. Otaviani's cuisine is grounded in casseroles, thick sauces, red meat and game as well as pasta and seafood risottos.

Sale e Pepe is a restaurant characterized by its warmth. It is elegant, but it is without frills. It has the feel of a traditional Italian tratoria, not that of a fancy restaurant.  

Everything we tasted was well-prepared and truly delicious. We started with the rich and slightly sour salad of fresh mushrooms, brezaola, parmesan and celery and the foie-grass escalope in grape glaze that was accompanied by a crisp, fresh salad. The broad pasta with white goat ragout and black truffles was simply exceptional. From the main dishes, Tagliata alla Toscana with rosemary, perfectly cooked, outvoted the otherwise excellent rooster stuffed with Tuscan sausage meat that my friend ordered. As we left, we both exclaimed, "A truly Italian Restaurant!”