I love Greece. It’s the warm people, food, and (you might be surprised to hear) award-winning wines that are still so sadly overlooked. Yes, this country has lots to offer.
Most travellers to Greece seem to arrive in Athens with a long journey still ahead. They are looking for small restaurants where the locals eat, perhaps a secluded beach, no other foreign tourists in sight. Yes, that must be a small island, and a boat ride away from the mainland.
Beach with amenities
Well, all those elements are nearer than you think. There is an area just a few miles from Athens airport that ticks all the aforementioned boxes. Near the airport but without aircraft noise. A beach with amenities (for a small charge). It’s a resort for Athenians who only seem to go there in the height of summer. And there is outstanding food which isn’t dumbed down for tourists.
The municipality of Markopoulo Mesogaias is part of the Attica peninsula in eastern Greece. It has the port town Porto Rafti and the town of Markopoulo. The port was a major trading place until the end of the Roman Empire but now caters for pleasure craft. There is the famous municipal beach of Avlaki and the nearby archaeological site of Vravrona. Spring and autumn offer calm and uncrowded streets and restaurants, and the opportunity to enjoy the real Greece – the one we fell in love with all those years ago.
Suggestions:
Fraggos
Christos Fraggos is the owner and chef at the restaurant which bears his name – Fraggos in Markopoulo. He prides himself on presenting local specialities in a restaurant with family memories and indeed memorabilia. You will likely be eating at his grandmother’s dining table, or his cousin’s grandmother’s dining table. Yes, this truly is a family concern. There is an open kitchen and ample seating both inside and out. This contemporary restaurant and café is in the centre of Markopoulo and has long been a casual meeting place, but lately it’s had a renaissance and now presents a more sophisticated persona.
But it’s not antiques which will assure your return. It’s the traditional meals, salads and baked goods which are so tempting. Christos maintains quality and consistency in all his dishes, breads, cookies and sweet bars. He upholds his proud culinary heritage but he presents that in polished fashion which appeals to locals and tourists alike. A visit here is a must. Come for a coffee and a cake or for a full meal, and perhaps buy some gift-wrapped cookies at Fraggos.
Kostarelos
There is a wealth of other Greek foods to buy and try in a local gastronomic emporium. Kostarelos has been celebrated for its cheese for generations and makes 14 different varieties, plus three types of iconic feta, as well as yoghurt, and Greek rice pudding which is a must-try here. They make their goat’s milk products from free-roaming flocks using their own rennet.
Kostarelos has shops in both Markopoulo and Porto Rafti. They have a large selection of cheeses from all over Greece in addition to their own, but they stock other products from small producers around the country. There are shelves lined with jams and spoon sweets, baskets are overflowing with dried beans, trays are laden with dried fruits and nuts, and cans and jars tempt with speciality foods from the mainland and islands. Any self-respecting foodie will want to spend their holidays here.
Papagiannakos winery
A few years ago one might have scoffed at the prospect of a visit to a Greek winery. But those days are gone and now Greek wineries are taken seriously in the international arena and they are winning awards against more familiar wine-producing countries. Vassilis Papagiannakos is a leader in the reinvention of the Greek wine industry and after decades of hard work he is now enjoying recognition and international respect.
This beautifully presented winery is outstanding and can compete with wineries anywhere in the world. They have the best of wine-making facilities, and elegant social space in which to host group gatherings and receptions in striking fashion. The building has open vistas over fruit trees, figs, pistachios, herbs and of course vines. This noteworthy winery has inspired a lot of other winemakers from all over Greece and other countries. Students studying architecture use the building as a project because of the bioclimatic and energy-saving design.
But you might not be here to admire the fittings and fixtures. It’s all about the wine. Ones to try, although they are all worth trying, are Savatiano Old Vines which is a dry white wine, and PGI Markopoulo – bright gold and clear in colour, delicate bouquet, and aroma of citrus. Kalogeri – Cabernet Sauvignon – dry red wine, deep ruby in colour, complex bouquet of ripe red fruit, spice and vanilla hues. If you want to try a traditional Retsina then look at the very mild Retsina Papagiannakos – a dry white wine of traditional appellation Mesogaia. This might surprise you with its balance and quality, fine aroma of pine and a hint of lemon, blond in colour. A must-buy wine to keep or as a gift is Melias Sweet White Wine, PGI Attica – golden colour with an acacia-honey aroma, a smoky wine with a ripe pineapple bouquet. This is outstanding.
Domaine Papagiannakos, Pousi – Kalogeri, 19 003 Markopoulo, Mesogaia, Attica, Greece
Travel review by Chrissie Walker © 2018