Falafels have been having a rise in popularity in Athens the last couple of years. There have been stores popping up and closing but there are some mainstays that have managed to find their niche and loyal fans. Together with fellow blogger Airinie, we take on the task to get to the bottom of the case. We chose 3 popular stores in which Falafels are their specialty and one additional cafe which has been gaining ground for good measure. Our taste test proceeds in this order: Falafel House @Athinas 23.(Price: 2.50eur) Not Just Falafel @Romvis 16 and Perikleous (Price: 3eur) Falafellas @Aiolou 51 (Price: 2.80eur) Off White @Aiolou 10a (Price: 3.70eur) Review and findings: Falafel House (above)- First Impression was pretty good. Mild tasting falafels with a strong punch from the sauces (hummus and yogurt) and pickle. Did not leave a lasting impression although the quality was not bad. Decent option for value, as price comparison, it was the most affordable. Not Just Falafel - The falafels gave me the most favorable taste first-impression. The falafels 'patties' themselves were impressively tasty, and I loved the texture 'mouth feel' - not too dry and not too smooth. The portion was very generous and justified the price. In future I would try their 'chef' version which has additional ingredients including yogurt mint sauce. But trying the 'classic' version let us truly appreciate the quality of the falafel mixture themselves. I would definitely go back for more. Cozy seating available and friendly service too. Falafellas - This was the one to beat. The most popular by far, judging from the long queue awaiting me. They run like a well-oiled machine, but still I had over 25 people in line in front of me. Only Take-away and no seating available. The basic falafel came in a 'pocket' and for bigger eaters, you could get a larger wrap for 1eur more. First impression was good and appetizing. You could order mild/medium/hot spice-level. I opted for the medium. Did not really taste the spice though, I can understand the popularity, but personally I do not really like paprika/tomato sauces in my wraps. I prefer the yogurt/tahini/hummus sauces. Very strange coming from an Asian. The winning ingredient for me was the addition of roasted aubergine. I would come back just for that alone. The falafel patties themselves were quite basic and I didn't care too much for the texture which was quite rough/grainy. Overall not a bad experience and I can chalk it up to personal taste.. Off White Cafe - First impressions were lacking, mainly due to the fact we could not see the falafels themselves, but upon further inspection, they were indeed there and although not in large quantity, ample. Overall taste was decent, but props to the creative liberty taken. The falafels themselves were tasty and had more veggies mixed in the patties, hence the 'greenish' coloring. I liked that. That alone was my favorite part of the meal. The price was the highest of the 4, but could be justified as this more more of a cafe/dining/bar compared to a take-away joint. I would definitely return but perhaps for a coffee or cocktails and try their other offerings. I would say our day out was quite enjoyable but it was a little difficult to do the taste test in a public garden (ala picnic style), with stray dogs and stray strangers roaming around.. Read Airinie's take on our day out, Here.
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