Taverna Plaka

I have been here two times and both times were excellent. The restaurant has a nice ambiance with plenty of outside patio seating. The staff is attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. The food is well prepared, flavorful and fresh. My favorites are the lamb gyro and the chicken souvlaki platter. The last time we went, we were offered a complimentary hummus appetizer, as well as a complimentary phyllo pastry dessert. Although I have never been during peak hours on the weekend, I would say the restaurant would be a great place to entertain a large group of friends. I highly recommend Taverna Plaka. Easily the best quality Greek food that I have ever had.

Do not order food from this place. I ordered the meat mezedes platter (catering tray) for 2, and despite the fact that the description clearly says
«Hummus, cold spread’s platter– eggplant, red pepper & cucumber spread, Greek village salad, flaming cheese (saganaki), spanakopita, hot entrée platter-​Chicken & beef kabobs along with gyro meat accompanied by rice pilaf, moussaka, pastichio, dessert and greek pastry. (prices are per person with a 2 person minimum.)
All I received was 2 small boxes of meat. For which I paid $ 28×2, plus tax, delivery fee and tip. So almost $ 90 for 2 small boxes of meat.
When I asked the delivery guy where was the rest of my order, he said I had to call the restaurant. So I called Taverna Plaka and asked for a manager, he was so uncaring, couldn’t explain what happened, and blamed the problem on the delivery guy. He said they were «very busy» (aka too busy to take care of my paid-​for order), asked for my number and said he’d call me back. Never happened.
Save your time and money, and order from a better and more reliable restaurant in ATL.

Delish!!! Amazing food and ambiance. Sat in their out door patio area. Very quaint. Started off with the assorted spreads. And for the main I had the gyro plate. My friend had the roasted lamb. And it was amazing. Thank you niko for the great service!

Love this place though it was a bit loud with the dj and belly dancers. It was my first time going on a weekend night. Food was good. Had the roasted lamb and the spanakopita. Our waitress Gabbi was super friendly and efficient! Will definitely be back soon!

Service was atrocious. A lot of mistakes and took forever. It took us 3 hours for 7 people to have a 3 course meal. The place is too small for the crowds Sure the belly dancers, although unattractive, are entertaining for 5 minutes, but holy hell did all the music and symbols clambering together get annoying. No one at the table could hear each other speak… literally. And of course the dj played music that was too loud. I couldn’t wait to get out so I could hear myself think again.
The food was terrible as well. The meet for the gyro was dried out and nowhere near enough food for $ 17. I would compare the meat to some jerky… oh and most everyone at the table thought the drinks were poorly made… my water was ok, although it took me 15 minutes to get it and I didn’t get a single refill
My suggestions, just go to a strip club. Better scenery, service AND FOOD

How is it possible that was not a line completely out the door and around the block to get into this place! We went on a Tuesday night and we were literally the only people there. I was completely surprised at how good the food and drinks were at this restaurant, and I am disappointed that in the 10 years I have lived in Atlanta I haven’t been here more often.
We started with a smoked salmon dip, and I tried their blood orange cosmopolitan! The whole thing was just absolutely delightful. Following with the main course, I had Psito Arni. If you like good lamb, this is a must try dish. If you haven’t been… go!

For anyone that has been to Greece or is a foodie, find somewhere else. Sadly disappointed. Food not authentic tasting and could make more authentic flavors at home.

One question is foremost on my mind when thinking about Taverna, especially given it’s location. That is, is this a restaurant or a strip club? Let’s compare. Both have music and DJ’s screaming so loudly over the PA that you can’t hear yourself think, let alone hold a conversation with your party. Both have scantily clad women dancing on tables. Both have pieces of paper flying thru the air, tho it’s napkins as opposed to dollar bills. Both have customers standing and dancing throughout the place, making it difficult to navigate. And finally, and most importantly considering it’s a restaurant, lousy, seriously over-​priced food!
Went there to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I never would have gone on my own. I love Mediterranean food, but this place… I was at work all day, and hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, so I was starved by the time we wound up eating at 9pm. I ordered the spanokopita.
It arrived with unevenly cooked dough, mushy spinach, and burnt edges. Most Greek places serve this dish with Yi-​Yi sauce, making for a sweet taste contrast to the dish. No sauce on this. I also ordered the Pastichio for my entrée, which is basically just Greek beefaroni.
I paid $ 17 for a tiny square of pasta, that did not include any sides for that price. Despite my ravenous hunger, I wound up leaving over half the dish. It was that bad; Over cooked noodles, bland taste, runny sauce. If I’d gone into the kitchen and seen an open can of Chef Boyardee, I would not have been surprised in the slightest. Except that Chef Boyardee tastes better, and is far cheaper. My server asked if I wanted a box. I told him, no thanks. I left hungry. I also left with both a sore throat (from having to shout in people’s ears in order to make myself heard over the noise of the DJ, the music, and the crowds), and a headache from people shouting in my ear.
To top it off, there was a constant stream of napkins being thrown all over the floor, me, my table, and my food, all to the screams of Opa! IDK what the point of this is, but it was more than annoying. When I walked in around 730 pm on a Saturday night, there was no napkins on the floor, so I guess they wait till later to start that. Lucky me.
The only good thing I can say about this place, is that the wait-​staff were friendly, and attentive. We had a party of more than a dozen people, seated at one of the 2 long tables in the place. I will add, that the birthday girl enjoyed herself. She was dancing on the tables, joining other patrons doing the same. She also joined the multiple «conga lines» dancing thru the place at odd intervals. Since it was her day, that’s all that counts, but I had a lousy time to say the least.
Here’s my thoughts. Taverna needs to get an identity; dance club, or restaurant? As a restaurant, it fails miserably. The food is terrible, and way too expensive. As a dance club it fails miserably. It’s too small and over-​crowded. It’s also dangerous. I almost slipped several times on the napkins strewn all over the floor. I had to take baby steps to avoid taking a dive. The sound system is over-​bearing, but has no fidelity to it. There are so many better restaurants and dance clubs out there. I will never return.

My last visit was on a quiet week night and I received thoughtful, prompt service at the bar from a server and the manager, Scott. Both knew the menu well and were able to answer all of my questions. Since I have a special diet (vegan) I was thrilled to know that I could not only order off the menu, but that the chef was happy to prepare some additional dishes. My friend and I ate really well for a reasonable price. I enjoyed everything I had an especially appreciate the extra care and attention given to vegan friendliness. The special eggplant entrée was outstanding!
The only thing I didn’t enjoy was that smoking was allowed at the bar. I can’t tolerate smoking at all and would have stayed longer if it hadn’t been an issue.

Great management. We pulled up and the manager was helping a guy that had seizure to an ambulance. His dumb drunk friends were trying to make him walk. We had $ 100 worth of gift certificates and the manager let us pay for the whole table with them, when they were intended to be used 1 per visit. He came over the the table and shook our hands and thanked us for coming. They treated us as if we were special guests. Food was fantastic! I got the spinach stuff chicken and omg… i want more right now!
I was a little thrown off by the napkins everywhere, but i get its their tradition and its better than throwing plates or whatever. The belly dancers defiantly made me uncomfortable. I wasn’t expecting all that and felt like i needed to run down to an ATM and get the girl some dollars, but i really didn’t want her coming back because we were trying to talk and it was just awkward. Having dinner next to a half naked chick shaking her stuff next too it. I just kept thinking… omg… stop tossing your hair and please go away so i can finish my sentence. I knew they would be there, i just didn’t realize they would be begging for tips with their hips and eyes!

I’ll be honest, after some of the hype I’ve heard about Taverna Plaka, I was expecting more.
I met a couple of my girlfriends there for dinner last week, and although it was a Tuesday (typically the slowest day for restaurants), it was deader than a door nail at 6 o’clock.
The waitress couldn’t have been happier to have a table of people to serve when we sat down. Truly, the whole night we were there, we saw maybe 4 other tables of people dining max (one was a large group for a birthday party, but still). She gave excellent service all night, by the way.
While the menu was pretty extensive with all of the usual Mediterranean favorites: hummus, babaganoush, flaming cheese appetizer, kebabs, moussaka, salads, etc. There was nothing remarkable about it — and the prices were higher than I’m accustomed to seeing at other Med places in Atlanta.
We got glasses of wine and an appetizer tray of hummus, a spicy red pepper dip and tatziki with pita to nosh on to start. Then I ordered the chicken kebabs with salad and more pita bread, and one of my girlfriends got the stuffed eggplant with roasted veggies.
At a couple of random points during the night, loud music would suddenly come on and a belly dancer would swish out to dance by the few occupied tables. I was told not to make eye contact to avoid her coming over and asking for tips to be stuffed down her bra or into her voluminous pants, and took the advice to heart. It was surprising to me though, that with so little patronage, she would still deign to come and perform. I guess you’ve got to be positive about that sort of thing though.
Our food came out, and again, for the price, I wasn’t blown away. It was fine. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just fine.
Right before we got ready to leave, the birthday party turned out to be a surprise party and the birthday girl walked in the door and had the bejeezus scared out of her as her friends «surprised» her by throwing napkins and screaming. The poor thing looked ready to faint at first.
And then after we’d paid our bills, we walked out the door, through the piles of what seemed like hundreds of napkins, to the parking lot. I wonder who gets the job of sweeping them up later.
Maybe Taverna Plaka is more fun on the weekends with a big group, but I don’t think I’ll be going back anytime soon — especially with the other, better options for Mediterranean food around Atlanta.

Updated review for Scott D. Of Taverna Plaka:
1) For the amount of people you want to accommodate at your establishment, why don’t you consider expanding and relocating? It’s called an investment.
2) However the confetti was thrown still makes the place looks trashed. If that was the only party there, it could possibly be appropriate but nonetheless, it is not at all a presentable scene for a restaurant.
3) Are you trying to promote a restaurant or a club lounge? The belly dancing was the most obnoxious part of Taverna. I don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would approve of belly dancing anywhere near their food, let alone having napkins thrown on to the tables. And the fact that they are doing it for tips is disgusting.
4) What is wrong with those people?
5) Am I not allowed to input my opinion here on Unilocal?Knowing the name of the disgusting dried bread crust thing does not make it any more appetizing.
6) Why is it relevant whether or not the entire party of 10+ had arrived at that point? She informed me that the complimentary hummus comes with the entrée so I told her I would go ahead and put in a few entrée orders. Every single person eventually ordered an entrée so we should have received plenty of hummus regardless. To put in an additional order does not make any sense what so ever.
7) If it is so the case that gratuity is suggested and not included, then your server did indeed wrongfully and unethically overcharge me. Thank you for pointing that out. Was I not suppose to notice? You can review the transaction under my name for the 17^th of July for an order of seared Greek scallops (20), lamp chops (25) and hummus (6). I signed the receipt assuming it was included. There is no indication of mine on either copies that added the suggested amount unless she signed it herself which I now suspect that she did.
8) We were all there to celebrate a special occasion.
I’m so sorry, Scott D. I’m just not a part of the crowd that finds Taverna Plaka appealing.

I’m not Greek, but I’m a native German and we have a very rich greek culture. This place is very typical and the food is amazing. I had few experiences in Europe that compare to Taverna Plaka!
Starting out with table side Hummus (complimentary), which you mix yourself and our favorite appertizer Tiganita (fried Zucchini and Eggplant) is just a great combination.
In the two times we’ve been here, we’ve had the Gyros and the Souvlaki, both outstanding! Our favorite sides are Pilafi and the Lemon Pepper Potatoes!
The Flair and Ambience of this place takes me back to My favorite Greek spots in Germany and right back to Greece as well.
Besides that the service experience is outstanding.
In my opinion the best place for greek food in town, despite other opinions.

As a native New Yorker I’m pretty experienced when it comes to Greek Cuisine, but this place really misses the mark.
Their prices I found exorbitant for what you actually got, in flavor and in portions.
The ambiance was that of an upscale restaurant. And while they provided «dancing entertainment», I found that to be rather loud and distracting.

This place was fun. We came here to celebrate my sisters birthday and we definitely had a good time. The food was great and so where the drinks. Great atmosphere as well. The only things I would change would be the volume of the music, I get that it’s a party atmosphere but I couldn’t even hear the person sitting next to me, I had to yell my order to the waitress, and I left with a slight headache. If it where just a bit lower it would have been perfect. Overall great place though.

First Time here for a Bday Celebration.
1. Atmoshphere: Excelent, People dancing on top of the chairs and the more adventurous in top of the tables, very loud music but it added the diferentiator factor which is good.
2. Food: tried the Gyro plate and the Chiken Kabob, OMG Reaaaallyyy Good! Amazing taste, Way to go!
3. Service: Not bad but could be better. Waiter took too long to bring our drinks and we didt get any water until we have to ask for it several times. I am not saying the service was that bad, but this could be a subject to improve.
I will defenetely come back

After initially visiting a year ago and experiencing the new management skills, I must say I am impressed. I initially went for the familiar which was the garides plaka– Plaka shrimp! It’s jumbo shrimp sauteed in red and green bell peppers. It also consists of olives and melted feta cheese as well.
Another favorite dish of mine is the pastichio– Greek Mac and cheese! It’s layers upon layers upon layers of noodles layered with ground beef and bechamel!
My favorite traditional meze or tapas would have to be the kreatopitakia (beef pie). It’s crispy dough, phyllo, i believe that is stuffed with seasoned ground beef and served with marinara sauce. Don’t forget to try the calamari, it’s crispy with hints of lemon slices mixed throughout the huge plate they give you and is divine. It too is accompanied by marinara sauce as well.
Friday and Saturday nights are best especially for celebrating occasions. Come enjoy the table dancing, loud music, belly dancing theatrics. Bring your dancing shoes as you may be pulled into a huge dance to include all who enter! Word to the wise, napkins are flying throughout the night and maybe even a plate or two, OPA!

I’m on the fence about this place. Good location with plenty of parking, excellent for large groups, nice patio (heated & enclosed in the winter), and the service is excellent (very attentive & just nice). AND there is belly dancing entertainment — so far so good!
I really enjoyed the Saganaki — the flavor is excellent — we couldn’t get enough of it and it’s flaming so it’s fun! The Humus and Pastichio are excellent and I want to try other dishes there as well.
So where is the negative — well — I’m sure all restaurants have this happen at one point in time, but just need to make sure the issue is truly minor and taken care of. Our part of 20 or so just sat down and unfortunately 2 roaches ran across the top of the table and down below. Again, It didn’t freak us out that much since we clearly stayed and enjoyed the food, but just want to make sure that this is a fluke.
I will definitely give it another chance if we are in the mood to eat Greek food.

This restaurant was pretty good. I advise going on the weekend, as I heard it was a lot livelier at that time! When we went, there were about 2 – 3 tables filled besides our table. We went in a large group and the hostess sat us right away. You can choose from indoor or outdoor seating on the patio. They also have a bar area you can sit at as well. The patio is really nice in the fall season! They didn’t really have any drink specials but the prices were fairly average.
The food was good! They even offer free hummus and pita bread before your meal. The hummus wasn’t ordinary hummus though. You literally mash the chickpeas yourself at the table. It was awesome! The entrees are a bit expensive and start at $ 17 per plate, but they also offer tapas or small plates to share consisting of spinach pie, chicken skewers, tzatziki sauce, etc. They range from $ 6-​$ 11. There was a belly dancer who came around and danced a song which was quite interesting. Overall, it was a pleasant experience. Looking forward to trying it on the weekend!

We came here for Panida A.‘s birthday dinner and it was definitely a fun-​filled night.
I really liked the atmosphere there on Saturday nights. They had a dj that was spinning some pretty trendy Greek dance music and 2 belly dancers for entertainment. Halfway through the night, they even had belly dancers entertain the guests throughout the patio area and indoor dining area.
The positive energy at this restaurant was great and our server did the best she could considering it was a busy night. I appreciated the complimentary hummus dip and pita bread. It’s neat how they served the freshly cooked chick peas in a mortar and pestle so you can mash your own hummus at the table.
I ordered the gyros plate because I hadn’t had it in awhile and it was pretty standard. Nothing out of the ordinary and since I was starving, it hit the spot.
I think for the «authentic» experience of dining at a Greek restaurant and being surrounded by Greek Americans in Atlanta, this restaurant is definitely a top pick.