Tucked into Kolokotroni Street in the center of Athens, Tarzan is a tiny new souvlaki shop with a very simple idea: take the classic Athenian souvlaki and leave it alone. The place is inspired by the neighborhood souvlaki shops of the 1980s that were simple, fast, charcoal-grilled and unapologetically straightforward.

And, there are no fries.

The souvlaki comes wrapped in a soft wheat pita with grilled meat, tomato, onion, parsley and hot pepper. You can choose pork, chicken or kebab, and there are a few homemade sauces if you want to play around with the formula. But the meat stays at the center of the story.

That is what I like about Tarzan. It doesn’t seem interested in reinventing souvlaki. It seems interested in reminding you why people loved it in the first place.

There is something very Athens about eating a souvlaki standing on the pavement, with the smell of charcoal in the air and tomato juice inevitably making its way somewhere it shouldn’t. It is fast food, but it doesn’t feel trashy. It is cheap, messy, satisfying and deeply connected to the rhythm of the city. The portion is on the small side but sometimes it is an advantage – you can try two! They also have their own beer crafted exclusively for them by Corfu brewery.

The location helps, too. Kolokotroni is right in the middle of the increasingly touristy center, surrounded by bars, shops and restaurants trying to capture the attention of everyone passing through. Tarzan takes the opposite approach: a small menu, a few stools, a piece of paper around your souvlaki and that’s basically it.

Sometimes, that’s exactly what you want.

Tarzan The Souvlaki Project
Kolokotroni 39, Athens

Another great souvlaki place in downtown Athens: Elvis