Glyfada continues to gather strong openings and this summer welcomed Dopios at 31 Laodikis, the brand’s second “home” after Agioi Theodoroi Square in the center. The new location comes to strengthen the wave of departure to the southern suburbs, with Christoforos Peskias signing a modern tavern that remains faithful to his tried-and-tested recipe: Greek soul, technical precision, pure raw materials and a discreet, playful fusion look.
The space spreads out on bright levels, with a strong outdoor character, tables for sharing and company and an impressive mural-mosaic of azulejo tiles that gives a colorful touch to an otherwise relaxed, urban setting. It is one of those modern taverns that has rhythm and movement throughout the day.
In the kitchen, Peskias remains hands-on and visibly in shape. The Glyfada menu mirrors that of the center and immediately wins over the audience. The smoked eggplant salad with Florina pepper dressing comes out velvety and smoky, the tzatziki with avocado is a refreshing, modern version of the Greek classic sauce, the taramo salad with rice crackers plays nicely with textures, the stamnagathi with yuzu and white sour cream brings an unexpected acidity that “wakes up” the dish, while the tsirosalat worked like taramas is a clean, iodized appetizer for a first glass. From the fried foods, the cheese croquettes (gruyere-kasseri) with tomato chutney are crispy on the outside, full of melted cheese inside and have a sweet and spicy finish.
In the seafood section you will find the “married” sardine – delicious, juicy, with a nice combination of flavors –, delicious “bourdeto” squid and popcorn shrimp with black garlic, a seafood comfort dish. In the meat section, the pork neck gyro with yogurt-tomato-grilled onion is tender and well-cooked, the lamb burgers with mint chutney are aromatic and delicate, while the baby goat in a casserole with mustard sauce (800 gr.) is one of those dishes “for the center of the table” that justifies sharing.
The finale is sweet and a little nostalgic: milk pie with a nice, clean aftertaste of milk, semifreddo of Macedonian halva with tahini and coconut caramel for those who love oriental notes, kantaifi rolls with Aegina pistachio cream – crispy-creamy in a very good balance – and the playful “pseutobougatsa”.
Faithful to the philosophy of highlighting Greek products, the chef gives a stage to small producers: Meriareno of Kasos from cheesemaker Yannis Bonapartis, gruyere of Kozani with black truffle from the Lefkara Farm, but also Jam?n (Ib?rico) from the Kermes farm in Lapitha, a choice that declares his “global” outlook without canceling the Greek backbone.
In the cellar, around 50 Greek labels and 24 spirits (with single-varietal/aged tsipouros) ideally support the logic of the meze, while the house wine from Katogi Averof ties the identity of the restaurant with an exclusive bottling. The quality-price ratio is impressive, especially considering the level of the cuisine.
Dopios Glyfada: Laodikis 31, Glyfada, tel.: 210 898 1747
Daily 12:30–00:30, www.dopiosrestaurant.gr
