It first opened in 1969 by Theofilos Kriekoúkis, who even raised his own livestock in the area. Later, it was taken over by his son Christos, and today it has passed to the third generation, his grandson Theofilos.

When you visit Kriekoúkis, you will start with cheese pies, fried zucchini, and of course tzólia, the traditional Arvanitic pasta (also called gkógges), fragrant with butter.

The juicy liver is a great introduction to the meat feast that follows. Lamb chops — as well as mutton — kokoretsi, kontosouvli (roasted daily on the spit), beef steak, enormous pork chops, and dry-aged meats are all on offer. Everything is cut to order next to their butcher shop and expertly grilled over charcoal.

Naturally, before you leave, you can buy meat to take home from the shop next door. You should also make a stop to see the nearby Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, designed by Ziller — a miniature version of the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral — located directly opposite.

Info:
76 Stratigou N. Rokka Street, Mandra
Tel.: +30 210 5558328

The Kriekoúkis recipe

One of the dishes you absolutely must try at this tavern is tzólia, traditional Arvanitic pasta. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 500 g wheat flour
• A little extra-virgin olive oil
• Water, as needed
• 100 g dry mizithra cheese
• 50 g fresh butter
• A little salt

Method

In a bowl, add the flour, salt, and olive oil and knead. Gradually add water until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Once you have a smooth, elastic dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl, stop and let it rest for 1 hour on a floured surface.

Then cut the dough into equal pieces and roll each into a long rope about the thickness of a finger. Cut each rope into pieces about 2 cm long and dust them with flour so they don’t dry out or stick.

Next, pass each piece over the fine side of a grater, rolling it with your finger to give it its characteristic shape.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the tzólia and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring frequently because the water tends to foam up.

Remove with a slotted spoon, layer the pasta on a platter, and sprinkle with dry mizithra. Repeat until all the pasta is used.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan and add a little mizithra until it browns.

Pour this over the pasta and serve.

Tip: For a lighter version, you can use olive oil instead of butter.