A Warm Evening @ Therapeftirio (The Sanatorium)

Therapeftirio is one of the first restaurants in Petralona; an old Athenian neighborhood, now a vibrant area with many restaurants of varying styles that attracts a cultured crowd of any age. Despite the minimal decoration, you are met with a personal restaurant that has exquisite fresh fish and classic Greek dishes from beans to stews and traditional salads. A place that views meal-time as a rite, a moment to be shared with those you love, and has established unwavering quality. Fresh fish is hard to find nowadays, but at Therapeftirio it is a pre-requiste. They will only serve fish that they personally select depending on freshness and availability. The way you eat your fish depends on your personal preference, whether fried, grilled or steamed.  The rest of the dishes on the menu are recipes that have been tried and tested. The fries are home-made and fresh. The salads stick to the traditional recipes and the dessert is almost always in-house Halva, except for a few days in the summer when Sofia, the owner and cook, decides she wants to make something more refreshing and chocolatey.The building is owned by Sofia's family. The space originally used as a carpentry by her Grandfather, was converted into a traditional coffee shop, with Greek coffee and card playing, in 1992. After two years of working on the space it opens in 1994 and slowly begins its journey. Sofia decides to make a different dish everyday for her customers to nibble on. Few years gone by people start to ask for more than just one dish, and responding to her customers' enthusiasm Sofia decides to turn the coffee shop to a taverna. This is the Therapeftirio you will find today. In the meantime, Sofia has married her neighbor Panos, whose love for fishing brings fresh fish to the table; it is to this day that Panos is responsible for buying the daily fish from the fishermen in Varkiza (a coastal area close to Athens). The atmosphere in the restaurant is directly related to the people they are, simple, loving and passionate about the life they have built around the restaurant.

Address: Kallisthenous & Kidantidon 41
Petralona, Athens Center

Telephone: +30 210 3412 538

Price per person: €15-€20

Opening Hours: Every Day: 1pm 'till the last customer leaves.