A nice wine bar but leaving with a feeling of being cheated: Restaurant By the Glass (20. June 2022)
It wasn’t super easy to find a wine bar in Athens – but eventually, there was a place which ‘specializes’ on wine and actually has a decent offering when it comes to food too. The idea really is to share a few dishes with the group – and it started that evening with a special which wasn’t on the menu, i.e., a “ceviche” (EUR 18.00) which was nice, refreshing, and a pretty perfect start into dinner.
What surprised me quite a bit was the quality of the “house-made hand-made whole wheat & carob bread with candied fruits, served with brined black olives” (EUR 3.00) as it looked relatively dense, but was actually quite light in terms of texture and definitely great in terms of flavour.
The “roasted beetroot salad, kale, baby rocket, beetroot leaves, goat and sheep ‘skotyri’, from Ios island with summer savoury, and roasted hazelnut vinaigrette” (EUR 14.00) was perfect for the hot weather – refreshing, healthy, light. And a great combination of different textures and flavours, making it a very enjoyable dish.
The “‘Talagani’ cheese croquettes, refreshing sour cream, ginger and tomato marmalade” (EUR 10.00) was interesting. The cheese balls were nothing that special, but the ginger and tomato marmalade was exquisite.
The “cheese board with Greek and international cheeses, season marmalade and crispy bread chips” (EUR 22.00) was, let’s say, interesting. Some cheeses were truly enjoyable, while others were rather standard and nothing out of the ordinary.
What was absolutely mouth-watering, was the “flap steak (300gr) served with grilled carrots, burnt onion, season greens and hand-made BBQ sauce” (EUR 39.00). The meat was cooked to perfection – tender, full of flavour, great texture. Just how you want an aromatic and intense piece of meat to be – and with the hand-made BBQ sauce, you would really have everything making your dish an enjoyable one.
The area is quite nice with a “balloon sculpture” …
… but not only that. The restaurant tables are located on the patio in front of a church which is somewhat appealing optically, once it becomes darker and the lights are lit.
The only thing which wasn’t that amazing was the service. I mean, they are friendly, and know quite a bit about wine – however, it always took them quite a while to bring the next beverage or the next glass of wine. Which is something I don’t appreciate that much. Secondly, the bill seemed too high. There was no bill brought to the table, but it was rather an information that it cost EUR 258.00 which in my head didn’t really add up, i.e., there were like 20-30 EUR too much. I tried to check if I missed something but really couldn’t find anything. Therefore, I just left with kind of a bad feeling.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant By the Glass
Souri 3
105 57 Athens (GR)
Tel.: +30 21 03 23 25 60
E-Mail: bytheglassgr@gmail.com
Homepage: http://www.bytheglass.gr
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
