Show Room

Going out with the girls is always fun, especially when the backdrop is Missoni. OK, we didn’t exactly go on a shopping spree for Italian designer sweaters but we did sit on Missoni-upholstered chairs and amidst Missoni striped walls and tile patterns at a fun, new place in Milioni, in Kolonaki. The place is appropriately called Show Room, because indeed that was what it once was: the Missoni boutique in Athens.

Although my aging ears tend to like places a little quieter, what I liked about Show Room is that it is comfortable with itself. The place fits in almost perfectly with its location. It’s a light-hearted, downtown jack-of-all-trades kind of eatery, with a mix of Mediterranean, Greek and (a few) Asian dishes, a smart approach to dining that emphasizes the casual and easygoing. The bar is a growing scene in this place and the cocktails are excellent (although, it did take a little while longer than we hoped for a whisky to arrive at the table). You can eat at the bar, too.

The menu is still being tweaked, from what owner Alexis Klee mentioned. For one, some things are coming off, among them the foie gras and the pasta with crab claws. I think that’s a good move, since Show Room seems to attract a young crowd a lot more interested in hanging out and nibbling on finger food over a drink than on serious gastronomic indulgences.

That said, what we did sample was more than competent. The truffle risotto was tasty, its texture right, the portion large enough for a handful of us young-at-heart hens to share. I liked the concept behind some of the starters: with one title, you get three different small tastes. For example, “Russia on Ice” is a medley of avgotaraho, caviar and smoked salmon served with a shot of frozen vodka. East West is a selection of slim pastry flutes filled with the soft, sour Cretan cheese, xinomyzithra, to be dipped in accompanying honey and sesame, a few skewers of pork satay, and chicken wings in spicy sauce. We tried the von Berg salad, with lentils, couscous, smoked salmon, and lettuce, which was hearty and tasty. We liked the foccacia sandwich with mozzarella, fresh and dried tomatoes and pesto. The black cod was good, even though it wasn’t…blackened. Instead what arrived was a very tender, well-cooked, large piece of cod fillet served with a lovely light sauce of cherry tomatoes and leeks.

After a few bottles of Avantis Syrah, we were ready for the dessert: wedges of Valhrona brownies that were very good, chewy and chocolaty but with constraint.

Show Room is right on in terms of what this place is all about. It’s a hip, downtown bar-restaurant with a bustling all-day coffee and snack business. The recipe seems made for success, even in these crisis-ridden times.

Cuisine: Mediterranean fun food
Athens Area: downtown, Kolonaki, near Syntagma
Decor: Missoni-style--it used to be a Missoni boutique
Atmosphere: hip, fashionable, with a happening bar scene
Service: good but still learning
Wine List: good. an excellent array of cocktails
Prices: 30-50 euro a person for full dinner; snacking is less
Address: Milioni & Irakleitou str., Kolonaki, tel. 2103646460