Diporto - A real Gem in the Heart of Modern-Day Athens

Over 20 years ago, I stumbled upon Diporto, a hidden gem amidst the bustling city of Athens. Located just a short distance from the Varvakios Central Market, Diporto, which translates to "two entrances," is an enomagereio—an inn offering homemade food and wine. I still vividly recall descending into this underground tavern for the first time and sitting at a modest wooden table, surrounded by century-old wine barrels that were said to be the proud custodians of a bygone tradition.

Traditional dishes made with pulses!

In those days, when things were not as as hectic as today, every time I entered by myself or with friends or family, Barba Mitsos welcomed me with a broad smile, and took me to my favorite table, when available, by a small window where a ray of sunlight barely crept in to nourish a lone pot of basil opposite the table. Nowadays, when I enter, he is more often laboring over the pots in his small kitchen corner and often telling me what he has ready for me to nourish my soul and tummy!

What makes Diporto so special is the food that hits the table soon after. Don’t expect fancy dishes and acrobatics. No, Barba Mitsos serves the basic fare that has nourished Greeks for decades.

For starters I often order a simple horiatiki salad – tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, onion, olives and feta drizzled or horta steamed greens with olive oil and fresh bread. Other favorites include the chickpea casserole (revythada) and a wonderful dish called patates yiachni (potatoes in tomato sauce) made with celery, potatoes, tomato sauce and zucchini. Barba Mitsos also serves the traditional fasolada (celery-based bean soup) and small fresh small fish fried or grilled and fried potatoes.

Although I'm not a big fan of retsina, in this setting, there's no better way to enhance the experience than with this wine—once celebrated as Greece's hallmark and lauded by literary figures like Durrell and Miller, now unfortunately a rare find. While modern winemakers claim to offer retsina... the true retsina, with its distinctive peppery aftertaste, remains a closely held secret of the few romantics who still craft it in their ancestral cellars today.

Here you see the Retsina counter and one of the entrances of this tavern!

For those who are eager to experience Greece from a bygone era, a visit to Diporto is a good idea. Like everyone I've brought there, I'm confident you won't regret it!

Until soon again!

Karitas