Diporto

The story

Diporto is a basement taverna at the corner of Sokratous and Theatre Square, reached by two narrow stairways and easy to miss from the street. Inside, the kitchen faces a wall of oversized barrels, and about ten small tables are covered with oil paper. Pots change the meal from day to day, but repeated staples include chickpeas, fava, beans, potatoes, grilled sardines or other fish, bread, salad, and house wine. The room fills quickly, and shared tables are part of the routine, with strangers often sitting together until space opens up. Service moves fast, there is no written menu, and lunch can feel closer to a market cellar meal than a conventional restaurant, especially in this long-standing old building beside the central market.