Pharaoh, Athens: a cool vibe, with wood-fired Greek cooking, vinyl and an amazing wine list
Website: https://www.pharaoh.gr/
Pharaoh was an amazing find in Athens: just the sort of place I like eating at. Initial attempts to secure a reservation failed, so we just rocked up at 10 pm to see if they had any space. And they did: kitchen counter, which I really like.
This is an all wood-fired kitchen. No gas or electricity. So kitchen counter is a hot place to sit, but it was worth it, as we had a beautiful experience.
Pharaoh is not for everyone, as some of the reviews on TripAdvisor point out. It’s in a vibrant, graffiti-full part of town (even more graffiti in Athens than Berlin it seems!), so this puts off some guests. And it has a big, vibrant dining room, with vinyl sets playing on big speakers. And the food is brilliant, but not in a refined white-tablecloth style (some guests who see that this has a Michelin Bib Gourmand come here without understanding what the restaurant is about). Those who want their own starter and main course shouldn’t come here, either. But then many of the great restaurants have grown out of this sort of model anyway.
You come here for the brilliant take on Greek classics, executed with care from amazing raw ingredients. You come here for the bustle and the energy. And the wine list, which thrills with every page. Sommelier Donisis Vasiiadis has put together a superb collection of low-intervention gems including a fabulous Greek list, so it’s good to let him guide. [There are of course amazing non-Greek wines here, too.]
Pharaoh is thoroughly recommended. And you can eat and drink well and come away with a bill that’s less than you’d expect.
The wines:
Chatzivaritis Estate Negoska Carbonic 2024 Goumenissa, Greece
Pale red/ orange in colour. More like a lighter red than a rosé with spicy strawberry fruit with some cherry, and a bit of aniseed and pear. Lovely balance and harmony. But this could also be considered a richer rosé. 93/100
Daskalaki Silva Grifos 2023 Crete, Greece
This is fermented and raised in amphora, staying on its lees until bottling. No added sulfites. This is a full yellow colour and it’s slightly cloudy. Amazing depth and richness allied with freshness. Salty, mineral and tangy but with rich pear and apricot fruit. It’s like Viognier taken to another dimension. Viscous. 95 /100
Thymiopoulos Naoussa Alta 2023 Greece
12.5% alcohol. This has lovely concentration with focused black cherry and raspberry fruit with a grippy structure and nice sour cherry and plum notes. So expressive. Sweet and sour with good structure. 94/100
