Tomorrow is Tsikonopempti, literally, “Charred/Smoky Thursday”, Greece’s answer to Fat Thursday! Taking place in the second week of the carnival season, Tsiknopempti is a day when residents chow down on grilled and barbequed meats in preparation for the long fast of Lent. There’s an air of charred meat drifting through the nation’s neighborhoods, and tavernas serve up their finest grilled meat creations. If you’re in Athens looking for a place to head for an epic tsikna dinner, check out one of the three restaurants below:
Telemachos Athens
(Panepistimiou 10, Syntagma; 2103613300-1)
This award-winning steakhouse dishes up the stuff of meat dreams, from roasted lamb to black pig sausage to an array of steaks, including American Black Angus and Italian Fassona Piedmontese.
Kritikos
(Aiolou 49, Kantza/Pallini; 2106659061)
This family-run meat institution dishes up a range of authentically Greek meat dishes, from Greek-style beef carpaccio to liver wrapped in caul to tender, mouthwatering paidakia (lamb chops).
Ventiri Roast House
(Ventiri 2, Athina; 2107295491)
This classy roast house serves up a wide array of finely prepared meats, including water buffalo burgers, beef liver with truffle butter, and slow-cooked duck seasoned with espresso and prunes.
The Athenian Site 