Taverna

It's the middle of a hot summer weekday and the streets of the Athenian neighborhood of Mets are all but deserted. Those residents who haven't escaped the city are holed up in their air-conditioned apartments and offices. I'm the first to arrive at Vyrini, the traditional taverna where I have an appointment with Andreas Pottakis, now one year into his tenure as Greek ombudsman.

In the latest electonic edition of its monthly travel magazine, Travel + Leisure devotes its Trip Ideas – Romantic Getaways section to “25 Secret European Villages.”

Among those listed, two are Greek: Folegandros, ranked 10th and Kardamili, ranked 20th.

Whether it’s pizza and street food or burgers, barbecue or even vegetarian fare, these are the food-focused cities around the world that Conde Nast Traveler readers have chosen as destinations worth visiting.

Taverna Kyclades in Astoria Queens, one of the top Greek restaurants in New York City, has been getting a lot of attention from international media lately, as it has become one of the hippest restaurants in Big Apple, drawing numerous Hollywood stars.

A late addition to the forestry bill passed through Parliament last month allows tavernas to continue operating in the Schinias National Park, northeast of Athens, even though the Council of State has ordered them to be knocked down.

The amendment allows the tavernas to remain open for at least another year.