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Athens Tavern
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
14 reviews for Athens Tavern
14 reviews in English
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Review from Bz W.
Richmond, VA
5/22/2012
The food here is great, on par with the best Greek food in town. I love their country spaghetti (a ton of tasty food, and one of the less expensive items on the menu). Their specials are also always great. Service is also very friendly.
This place has always seems to have open tables, which is great as a patron, but I don't understand why. My guess is the ambiance/decor - it's nothing fancy or special at all, and why I am only giving 4 stars.
Whenever I have new friends or family in town and want to show them the Fan, and a great local dinner spot, I almost always take them here. -
Review from M. B.
Richmond, VA
3/6/2012
It's almost like we ate at completely different restaurant from the other reviewers. The service was pleasant and attentive but could not compensate for the terrible food.
We ordered a bottle of wine, which was drinkable but certainly not $24 worth of drinkable. Bread was standard shelf-stable, grocery store, squishy white bread with butter in little packets.
The mussels were dry, overcooked, and salty. There was practically no broth and what broth there was was not even worth sopping up with bread.
The one highlight was the roasted red peppers with mozzarella dish. The balsamic vinegar was good-quality balsamic vinegar. The salads were also good, although nothing any better than what you would find at Olive Garden. The half dolmades we got with the salads may have been the exact kind that I buy in tins in the international section of Kroger.
We ordered the specials in hopes that our changes of hitting on an edible dish would improve. Nope. The entrees were the worst. I had "thinly sliced lamb served with layers of spinach and feta." The lamb was tough and gray with tendons and tasted like it had been reheated. The spinach was the kind you buy in frozen bricks at Martin's. "Greek green beans" were from a can with tomato sauce. Everything was too salty to even eat. He had lobster ravioli which tasted like it had been bought, frozen, and reheated.
To add to everythinge else, this is not a cheap place. Entrees were $20. We were disappointed and will not be back. -
Review from Alana M.
Richmond, VA
1/5/2012
A winner of a Greek restaurant. My friend introduced this place to me a while back for a birthday celebration. Quaint, cute, really at home local vibe.
Get an appetizer. The hummus is probably some of the best I have had. Not bland at all. If its not your thing, there are many more to choose from. My friends who don't even really eat hummus gobble it up with whatever vessel they can find. Pita, spoon, you name it.
Wait to make your dinner selection after the specials have been read. They cost a little more, but are well worth the price. Mind you there are way more specials than items on the actual menu. Best of luck trying to pick only 1 and remembering it when its time to order. Mad props for the waitress.
Great place to go if friends are in town and you want to fill up on fresh wholesome food before a night out in the Fan.
Only real downside is if there is a crowd, expect longer waiter service. -
Review from Doug L.
Richmond, VA
11/26/2011
My favorite 'round-the-corner Greek restaurant anywhere. Authentic Greek food, not dumbed-down for the local paletes.
The fried kalamari comes with a luxuriously-rich garlic sauce you have to try... in fact, everyone you'll be anywhere near for the rest of the night will have to try. It's rare to find and critical for the dish.
The marinated lamb dish, arnaki, is just as rich in its own way... just flakes off the fork, oozing dense orange oil and flavor. Excellent.
The flaming saginaki cheese is an exciting way to start and the cheese, kesari I think, is especially sharp and tasty here.
They have dozens and dozens of specials each week, but you can't go wrong with just the "normal" fare at this local Grecian gem. -
Review from Kristina P.
Sandston, VA
11/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is my husband's favorite restaurant and I have enjoyed it every time we've gone over the years.
Good food, good wine, low-key neighborhood atmosphere.
I never would have tried the Marides if my husband didn't order it, but now I get it every time (don't be put off that it's fried smelts- yummy! unless you hate garlic or fish in general). The salads are good- definitely "greek it up" with feta, olives, anchovies, and dolmades.
It's never overly-packed, though service can get slow when it's close to full. -
Review from John E.
Richmond, VA
1/20/2012
In a perfect world Athens would be packed every night. Everything is good, but the extensive specials menu is the place from which to order. All the Greek staples are great too - the sauce is the best I've had to go with calamari.
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Review from alana g.
Richmond, VA
2/19/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I live around the corner from Athens Tavern, so I'm disappointed it took me over a year to discover this cozy, yummy spot!
There aren't that many vegetarian entree choices (though pescatarians would do well). I usually get the Spanikopita platter which is really yummy and comes with their refreshing tzatziki over olives, feta, and veg. They'll replace the meatball with additional dolmades. I'm not a Greek food connoisseur (most of my experience has been at Greek Orthodox festivals), but I think these dishes are great! The Greek green beans are really yummy.
They have Greek wine, beer, and coffee -- all of which are novel and tasty.
The service is good -- it's usually not crowded -- and a couple of waitresses in particular love to give very detailed and helpful descriptions of the huge number of daily specials. My only issue with the specials are that the prices are quite high compared to the regular menu. I've had two of the seafood specials and was always taken aback by the final bill. I should learn to ask the price before ordering! They always get me at "lobster cream sauce." -
Review from Erin C.
Richmond, VA
9/23/2010
My boyfriend is a crazy person and likes retsina so we go here fairly often. There are rarely any other people there when we go. I always remark, "Are they closed? Where is everyone?" and he always tells me that we're just early and everyone will be along shortly. I trust him because apparently he used to eat at Athens so often that he had a seat reserved but...there's never anyone there at 8 pm on a weeknight!
I don't understand why nobody is there, the food is really good and the servers are very nice and very helpful. I'm not a big fan of their calamari, but the boyfriend loves it. They have plenty of very capable, very tasty Greek dishes. If you like Greek wine Athens is the place for you! They have a great selection and the servers have all been very knowledgeable about it every time I've come in. Their desserts are great and the specials are at least worth listening to.Listed in: Vegetarian in Richmond, Oenophiles
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Review from Tony H.
Richmond, VA
11/22/2011
My favorite Greek restaurant, one of my favorite restaurants in the area. Very fine staff. More specials than the entire printed menu and the menu is 100 percent wonderful. So, maybe this is my favorite restaurant. Wish I could do 5 stars, oh I just did......this may be the most under rated restaurant in town....I mean this is great food!
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Review from Eric M.
Richmond, VA
3/1/2011
I was introduced to this place by a friend, about a year ago. I've been back about five times since. This place is amazing and the food is consistently good. I like the flaming cheese for the appetizer best.
But, if you go during the winter (or cold months) avoid the first few seats near the front door. People are coming in and out constantly and bringing in the cold air with them. i guess this is just common sense for all neighborhood-ish restaurants.
Service could use a bit of tweaking though. It was decent, but they could be a bit quicker. We waited about ten minutes for our (non-alcoholic) drinks. But, the food made it worth it.
I can't wait to go back. -
Review from Rachel P.
1/1/2008
This place is amazing. The specials are always on point. I usually come here for my authentic Greek food in Richmond. No where else even compares when I can't get my fix @ the Greek Festival! The service is always friendly and accommodating, and the ambiance is comfy and quiet. This place would be perfect for a date.
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Review from Tabetha J.
Atlanta, GA
8/18/2009 1 photo
Super yum yum. Haven't been there in like 5 years. The atmosphere is so quaint and fan-like. For those of you who have been to the Fan area in Richmond. It's perfect. I had their famous Athens chicken for dinner and also, had the rest of it at 7:30am in a hotel after waking up after some vodka oriented partying. Leaves you hungry later you know? Anyway, this dish....lightly floured pan fried chicken breast layered with spinach, prosciutto, roasted red peppers, topped with fresh mozzarella and surrounded by a lovely lemony rous (roo?). You chefs know what i mean. Anyway, it wasn't listed on the menu and I freaked out, but it turns out it's just their house special and they always have it. Ask for it. Love it. Oh. btw, their greek potatoes are AMAZING!
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Review from Alison M.
Updated - 1/16/2009
Moussaka is one of my favorite foods, and I'm part Greek so I tend to judge Greek restaurants by it. I hate to say it, but Athens Tavern's moussaka was terrible, and totally unauthentic. They used a breaded and fried eggplant, and then put a ton of cheese all over it. It was so heavy to eat, more like eggplant parmigiana than moussaka. On top of that, my greek salad was doused in dressing. It was so oily I couldn't even eat it.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/14/2007 First to Review
Mmmmm, mmmm, mmmmm. This little cozy place was yummy. It's a real Greek food right down to the Greek… Read more »
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Review from Richard A.
Richmond, VA
1/31/2011
Finding this gem in the Fan has been a wonderful addition to our going out guide. The portions are generous and the service very good. There is always a large selection of specials to choose from. My wife and I have never been disappointed when we have visited for dining in or take out.
