We first got to know Andreas Kiltziktsis from Feyrouz, where he serves the most authentic lahmajun in Athens — but that’s not all. That hybrid of a bakery, restaurant, and pastry shop explores the culinary coexistence of Eastern and Western street food, blending Mediterranean cuisine with Levantine traditions. Within this framework, it’s no surprise that Andreas decided to open a small canteen in his neighborhood to satisfy his urge for new gastronomic adventures.
On this journey, he was joined by two excellent chefs: Vasilis Chamam, who impressed him with his work at Thessaloniki’s Poster, and Andrea Nikolopoulos, who has worked at Simul — so he comes with impressive credentials. Together, the original canteen concept transformed into a charming little eatery reminiscent of old neighborhood taverns, especially if you sit at one of the few tables under the trees on the square. For those less traditional, there’s also a bar with four high stools.
Now, onto the main event: here you’ll find an authentic Middle Eastern eggplant salad (baba ghanoush), made with whole aubergines roasted over fire and cut in half, garnished with a sauce of fava, tahini, and red pepper. For your next course, we recommend the fattoush salad with tomato, cucumber, peppers, croutons, herbs, and za’atar, perfectly paired with the juicy yogurt kebab made from 100% lamb meat, served on thin handmade pita bread with cool yogurt — and the reason why you should definitely visit.
If you’re not a fan of lamb, in the kebab section you’ll discover perfectly grilled chicken thigh with spicy North African chermoula sauce, or pork neck souvlaki with ezme and an unexpectedly delicious hot peach-based sauce. Next to them, we tried the ‘burnt’ onion with Antiochian sumac and pomegranate molasses — a great pairing.
We finished our dinner with an experimental dessert created especially for Mirlo by Konstantinos Karakatsanis from Django — apricot sorbet with Assam tea, sea salt flower, and chili flakes. To accompany your meal, there is a small list of low-intervention wines, which in our opinion needs more variety to better complement the dishes. Craft beers are also available — perfect for summer dining.
And just in case you were wondering, the name Mirlo comes from Ziryab, a musician, poet, and gastronome who lived in 9th-century Islamic Spain and was nicknamed Mirlo — meaning ‘blackbird’ in Spanish.
Want to know why we’ll be coming back? The triple-cooked potatoes and liver with burnt lemon are worth the return trip alone.
Info: Elasidou 5, Gazi – Athens, Tel. 2161004220 | Cost: €20-25 per person