This is the third post in our series about Greece. Other posts include The Zillers Rooftop Restaurant and HYTRA Restaurant and Bar.
CTC Urban Gastronomy is certain an urban oasis in the middle of Athens. Unlike The Zillers Roof Garden Restaurant, which is right in the Plaka and thus easy to access, CTC is about a 30 minute walk from the Plaka, and, frankly speaking, not in the prettiest neighborhood.
This is why it’s even more of a break taking surprise when you walk into the gates of CTC, because the big outdoor patio is absolutely beautiful.
The Space – A Beautiful Garden Oasis
Despite CTC Urban Gastronomy’s location slightly away from the center of where most tourists might live, I would highly recommend take the time to come out to CTC. The food is incredible. Not only was everything done with precision and excellent, we were extremely impressed by the creativity behind the dishes and the funky Greek wine focused pairing.
It’s called an 11-course blind tasting. You know nothing about what is to come. The server will ask if you have allergies or dietary restrictions. Otherwise, your only choice is whether to upgrade the lobster dish for 25 EUROS (they highly, highly recommended it), and what drink you want.
We opted for the 60EURO “funkier”, more unusual Greek wine pairing. Not the 90EURO “safe” and traditional pairing using mostly international wines.
Initial Creative Bites: Whimsical Artistry
The bread course immediately gave us a sense of the innovative dishes that would follow.
A notebook and crayons is our “bread course”. The crispy flatbread “pages” are fastened together with metal coil, and colored “crayons” turn out to be flavored whipped butters.
It’s delightfully cute, bringing back thoughts of primary school, a universally shared experience, and a time when life was simpler and carefree.
Next, two more amuses bouches (though we were already quite amused by the first course!).
A churro topped with a sweet lemon sauce, this dish was both savory and sweet, which was refreshing. A beetroot tart, made with two types of beets. Excellent execution and delicious.
Finally, a crab-filled roll, crispy on the outside and generously filled with crab on the inside. It was fantastic.
Bread + Butter
Imprinted butter seems to be the trend in Athens, and here the butter was stamped with the restaurant’s logo “CTC Urban Gastronomy 2023”. A stunning brioche “monkeybread” with pull apart pieces was set at the table before us.
“This bread is meant to be eaten with the entire meal.”
The places works like clockwork. They have the timing of the dishes planned out to a T, and things came smoothly one after another.
Starters
A granita of cucumbers, kiwi, and tartare was refreshing and truly a delight. The remaining sauce was so good, (and they know it), that the second part of the course involves a seaweed flavored sponge bread that you can use to pick up the sauces. It’s shaped like a sea sponge, and they lay it on top of seaweed, further accenting the experience.
The signature dish was indeed special. A flavorful corn soup is served with a corn shaped cornmeal mash, real pieces of charred corn, whipped corn, and charred lobster. It was delicious, and we agreed that adding the lobster does take the dish “up another level.”
Calarmari “fettuccine” served with a deconstructed pesto was next. The pesto ingredients (basil oil, tiny baby tomatoes, and pine nuts) were served separately. The dish was held together by a lovely tomato broth. The wine pairing was the most unusual and fun and crazy! They paired it with a Greek wine that literally has strong, strong PINE aromas. I kept smelling forest when whiffing the wine. It was such a trip to eat pine nuts in my pasta while drinking pinecone wine. Crazy crazy crazy, yet so much fun.
Next, a sugar snap pea that was actually a spinach ravioli filled with fava beans. The sauce was a lovely tomato sauce, and overall it was delicious.
“Main Course”
rillette
“What do you think this next course is?” asked the server as we looked at a square piece on our plate with many layers.
“`Bacon!” I yelled out.
Yes, it is bacon, yet it is not bacon. Like all surprises, this piece of “bacon” was actually layers of pig’s head meat (like a rillet) served with cheese and a crispy potato chip (the “skin” of the pork). On the side was another piece of fried potato cake, topped with some fresh salad greens and herbs.
Dessert + Mignardises
Finally, a cold carrot shaped sherbet coated with a thin, carrot flavored “magic-shell”. Underneath, carrot cake financier and cream cheese flavored foam. All the flavors of carrot cake, but presented in a very, very creative way.
The petit fours consisted of calva- caramel pate fuielle, a rose macaron, and almond custard cake with a charred top.
General Thoughts – CTC Urban Gastronomy
All in all, an absolutely delightful meal in a beautiful outdoor space. Despite the slightly gritty neighborhood in which the restaurant is located, once you walk in through the door you feel as if you’ve been transported into another world.
The food is very good, and I really appreciated the playful creativity and attention to detail. The dining space is really, really pleasant and relaxing. Frankly speaking, this 1-Michelin star meal is a steal at 95 EUROS.
Highly recommended. This was my favorite meal of this whole Athens trip.
CTC Urban Gastronomy – Athens Greece15 Plataion Str., Athens 104 35, Greece