Dionysos A Different Greek Restaurant

How good was that?!, we kept repeating on our way to the car after dinner at Dionysos in Eimsbüttel. This restaurant is a true Hamburg staple: it’s been serving Greek goodness to people on Eppendorfer Weg since 1972. Michalis Josing, who has been in charge for 14 years, is the 2nd generation manager and has created something rare: a successful fusion of Greek tradition and contemporary zeitgeist.

You’ll be surprised if you go in expecting an ordinary Greek restaurant. Dionysos appears in a modern light, no kitsch, no pennants in white and blue, no gesso sculpture. Instead, there are simple wooden tables covered with pure white tablecloth, leather couches and a marine blue bar. Warm candle light and several oil paintings - including one of the owner’s terrier - make for a very homey atmosphere. A few stairs take you up to the wine room in the back of the building. Dionysus would be delighted: in the interests of this very god of the grape harvest you’ll find Greece’s best wines stacked up along the walls, and if you’re lucky you’ll catch one of the occasional wine nights.

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Our server David, who is from Italy originally, was glad to give us details on the menu and presented us with an exclusive olive oil from Messinia, bottled by the owner’s sister-in-law and limited to about 200 bottles per year. I was taken by its soft yet rich olive flavor and did not hesitate to reserve one of their rare bottles.

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Dionysos is also famous for their Mezedes, variations of specialty appetizers from Greece. We went with tzaziki, fresh beetroot salad, kolokythokeftedakia (baked zucchini balls) and scampi with rosemary and peperoncino, seared to perfection. It was beyond incredible, and the tzaziki was definitely the best I’ve ever had.

The main course followed: pike-perch fillet on savoy for my dinner companion, burrata on grilled tomatoes for me. And what can I say, it was heavenly and we have officially made Dionysos “our Greek”. We’re already looking forward to trying all 22 mezedes and are happy to compliment Michalis Josing on a successful symbiosis of tradition and modernism.