L'Abreuvoir Restaurant

By Lena Harizopoulos

L’Abreuvoir Athens French Traditional

The adventures of French Cuisine in Athens’…….

this is how I would like to begin my articles when I refer to finding French dining in Greece …

It came as a surprise realizing that a nation that is Francophile -and at a large percentage of it- francophone has such a bad representation when it comes to basic French food.

How difficult can it be, in a European metropolis like Athens to have a decent old school bistro like LIPP or Benoit?

OK, OK, these two carry a big tradition, but c’mon people, in a city of 4.000.000 citizens that ‘welcomes’ tourists every day, you would have thought that 5 traditional French food restaurants would exist .

Well, they don’t!
And not only they don’t…..the ones that do exist are not value for money at all.

Now the good news is that lately there has been some progress and a few great French chefs have settled in the city plus there has been some openings, for which I will talk some other time.

This week’s review is about L’Abreuvoir restaurant in the heat of Kolonaki, Athens.

It is probably the oldest French Restaurant that has survived, serving classic French cuisine in Athens.

It goes back in 1965 and is by now an institution.

Abreuvoir_French_Restaurant_Athens_LenasBlackBook (1)

L Abreuvoir restuarant-Lenasblackbook

Why Go:
-Warm ambience, dim lighting, crystal chandeliers, posh silver-wear and a posher hostess-owner.
-Good quality raw materials

– A very extensive menu selection with all the French classics, from millefeuilles des crevettes, Salade Nicoise, Onion Soup,snails, moules marinieres, great meats from chateaubriand to cafe de Paris, bio fish fillets, a decent sole meuniere and a satisfactory dessert list with my favourite crepes souzettes prepared in front of you

Good news:
They have launched a 30€ 4 course set meal that looks very promising.

The downfall:
The crowd.
It is too old and that’s just about it.
No I do not mind old people, I actually like socializing with older people and I fully comprehend that in Athens, this crowd is the only that can afford a premium French restaurant but I would prefer a mixed crowd when I have my steak tartare.

The verdict
L’Abreuvoir has maintained its ID and quality throughout the years which is something very positive for the Athenian resto-scene that still suffers from the in-existence of all-time classic restaurants that can be proven point of reference to local people and the traveler.
L’Abreuvoir though needs a bit of the ‘Va va voom’ factor.
A bit of salt to spice things up!