If you’re looking for the best healthy and homey comfort food in downtown then IT’s got you covered! A small oasis amidst the urban feel of Kolonaki where you can enjoy a hearty portion of salad, nibble or even full-sized portions of delicious dishes!
Originally conceptualised and created by Kallia Kambouridou, IT is no new kid on the block. The founder, now also owner of another 2 sister food businesses in Athens, originally opened the first store back in 2005 aiming to serve the quick business lunch crowd. Despite business going well, IT was shuttered to flames in February 2012 amidst the turbulent times of the crisis-striken Athens but was reborn a few months after that. The new concept bridged healthy comfort take away food with a proper sit-down menu for those in the know.
Ever since moving to Skoufa street in Kolonaki, IT clearly got on the map especially for the regular ones around this urban part of Athens in a well-designed, eco-friendly space that spans across three floors.
Lentil salad with crumbled cheese and wild rocket salad
Shrimp quinoa salad with kale
We visited IT a few weeks back for its new all-day menu and were caught by surprise as the place can easily fool you for a take-away joint. Despite Kallia and the team being great hosts, we enjoyed a delicious range of new dishes that will definitely soon take us back for a proper dinner!
For starters we tried some crisp spinach and cheese pies and a couple of freshly-made salads in hearty portions! My favourite? The shrimp quinoa salad with kale, a rare breed even for the ever evolving Athens food scene! The lentil salad was equally delicious with a perfect balance of ingredients and a killer sense of freshness.
As the food discussion followed suit, we carried on talking about how the business has recently transpired into three different businesses with a highly-tailored boutique catering service, IT Catering, and a new all-day café restaurant, Canal Café, at the newly built Stavros Niarchos Culture Center.
The main dishes arrived and were blown away by the traditional fresh pappardelle Bolognese – ugh! A mouthful of joy that got us thinking of the good ol’ homecooked pasta we all crave. IT also serves great breakfast and brunch with many more dishes, including a wide variety of healthy options (think egg white omelette!) and killer freshly-squeezed juices. So we’ll definitely be coming back for more!
