Second Meal at OVIO

The first meal at Ovio was so good, we had to go back! Run by celebrity chef Panos Ioannidis, this restaurant is, without doubt, an excellent choice for those exploring the busy streets of central Athens. In this spacious setting, divided into three dining areas (one on the ground floor, a few tables upstairs, plus a pleasant terrace) the chef offers a menu based around Italian cuisine. This includes homemade pastas, such as the delicious Gnocchi with a velvety sauce, diced pear, grated walnuts and finished with gorgonzola in two textures. These are complemented by meat dishes and pizzas cooked in the wood-fired oven, plus an extensive selection of Italian wines and a balcony where guests can savour an array of impressive cocktails.

The langostine seafood soup was pristine at 7/10. Here their soups are all beans based.

The pizzas at Ovio are stupendous - the margherita especially was supreme at 7.5/10

The grilled chicken was superb at 7/10.
The marmite like bed of sauce for the grilled chicken was addictive! I found chicken to be more versatile in Athens vs pork. There are good grilled pork offerings including the locally acclaimed souvlaki - but the chicken we had have been consistently more superior.

Hats off to Ovio at Syntagma. Truly comfort Italian by a Greek maestro (he’s one of the master chef judges).