Imam Bayildi and Hommos
The most delicious mediterranean food in Graz
Where: Bakaliko, Lendplatz 1, 8020 Graz, Austria www.bakaliko.at/de
When: all year long
Bakaliko is a lovely cosy place, decorated in a cute and unique style mixing mediterranean aesthetics with modern bohemian decor. Next to the wonderful market at Lendplatz, which is another favourite destination of mine in Graz, you will find a great variety of dishes from the Levant (eastern mediterranean). Some known, some new to me, all of them sound delicious. We had a quiche with goat cheese and pear that was to die for and the Imam Bayildi which is eggplant filled with vegetables and hommos, one of the warm specialties. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned. For the use of the right spices the hommos (chickpea-puree) was easily digestible. There is definitely something for every bodies taste, also for vegetarians and vegans very suitable.
Evi Papanagiotou, the chef and loving “mother” of the restaurant, and the young co-owner are not only wizards in the kitchen but also kind and accomocating hosts. There are daily menus for a very reasonable price that round up the sufficient variety of dishes. The restaurant is also a beautiful grocery shop for Greek delights from selected producers, a great way to support sustainable and artisanal food manufacturers in Greece! Since the Restaurant is pretty small, I would recommend to reserve a table especially for dinners. I was there at lunchtime first, but found out later that the small tables create the perfect intimate atmosphere for romantic dinners.
