all about us | search reviews | links | message board | articles | submit review | ipod reviews | rage | top ten requested reviews | archive | double agents | best burger in London | buy | join spy | advertise on spy | local pages | oldsite | contact us
Home

Athene's, 3618 W Broadway Kitsilano, Vancouver B.C. Canada V6R 2B7


3618 W Broadway Kitsilano, Vancouver B.C. Canada V6R 2B7

604 731 4135

Kitsilano is the Greek area of Vancouver, so although Broadway offers dozens of other cuisines, we decided to try the Greek first. We are familiar with Greek food, because we're from Crouch End, but of course what we know is Greek Cypriot; Greeks in Vancouver have their roots in the mainland. Dolmades here are usually made with beef, and taromasalata, tsaziki etc. do not come in plastic tubs. Hummus does not come at all, of course. The waiter wore a loud waistcoat and began in full on Attentive Waiter mode. You know all the tricks, don't you? They endorse your selection, which is supposed to make you feel intelligent and discerning, by saying "Good Choice!" or "That's my favourite too". Anyway, the melitzano I had to start certainly was a good choice, nothing like the bland grey paste which passes for it in North London. It was freshly made, much coarser, and green from oregano and mint. L had Spanakopita, an individual portion of spinach and feta in filo. We asked the waistcoat (sorry, waiter) what was in the melitzano and he said he'd find out for us. Our mains were good: L had Arni Kokkinisto - big chunks of lamb; I had prawn souvlaki - lots of big fat prawns. We each had a big pile of rice, a roast potato, and quite a few vegetables - too much food really. Why rice AND roast potato? By this time a group of the waistcoat's friends had come in, and we didn't see much of him after that. Eventually he came over with the dessert menu. We chose something, but it was nearly half an hour before he came back and we'd lost interest by then. We were offered someone else's coffee, and never found out what the ingredients of the melitzano were. Despite appalling service (a few wrong orders, other diners waiting a long time) the food at Athene's is good, it's VFM and they have an excellent local reputation. But in a street of a thousand restaurants they won't keep it for long at this rate. OK 17th July 2000 DM
By m at 08/02/2006 - 09:53 | Americas | Canada | Mediterranean | OK | Review | ££/$$ | add new comment | 123 reads