Klimataria
Psyrri
Upper-Plaka taverna since 1927, courtyard, charcoal grill, the working-Athenian institution above the tourist belt.
Plaka souvlaki stall since 1946, six stools, a charcoal grill, the canonical pita.
Kostas has been grilling pork souvlaki on Pentelis in Plaka since 1946, six stools at a counter, a charcoal grill at the back, a homemade pita that the family has been making in the same wood oven for three generations. The format is one item, two ways: souvlaki in pita, or souvlaki on the plate with the same pita on the side. The line at lunch wraps the corner; the line is the right line. For the Istanbul cosmopolitan, Kostas is the cousin to the late-night Beyoğlu kebab counter, the cheap, perfect, unrepeatable street-food gesture the chapter notes for what it actually is rather than for any pretension to be more.
Open until the daily pita runs out, usually 16:00–17:00 in summer, earlier on weekends. Cash only, no reservations, the line moves fast. One souvlaki in pita with everything is the canonical order.
At a Glance
View Type
Street Scene
View Quality
Limited
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