WHAT THEY’RE EATING IN

Athens

1 ISLAND GROUPER WITH JALAPEÑO & YUZU

At Island, Greek cooking is combined with Asian and Latin American ingredients, in keeping with the city’s growing trend for fusion cuisine. Fresh local grouper fillet is seared on both sides until crisp on the outside and juicy inside. It’s placed atop a perfectly balanced, velvety jalapeño pepper sauce, sweetened with mirin, and topped with a sweetand-sour yuzu foam. islandclubrestaurant.gr

2 WORKSHOP BY ALIENTO URAMAKI

Japanese-peruvian fusion cuisine, known as Nikkei, first came to Athens about five years ago, and Workshop by Aliento is one of the best places to try it. The thing to order? Uramaki, inside-out sushi rolls. In this dish, prawn tempura, asparagus, avocado and sriracha are rolled up in a sea-bass fillet marinated in ‘tiger’s milk’, the spicy, citrus-based mix used in ceviche. The whole thing is then wrapped in a thin layer of rice and topped with fried onion flakes. bit.ly/aliento-athens

3 HAPPY BLENDER ACAÍ ISLAND BOWL

Originating in Brazil, açaí bowls have long been a favourite in California, and are making waves here, too. Açaí, a sour superfruit packed with vitamins and antioxidants, is frozen, blended and served with healthy toppings. At Happy Blender, they blitz açaí with organic coconut milk and pineapple, topping it with kiwi and banana, Greek honey (or agave syrup for vegans) and granola with dried fruit. happyblender.gr

4 MARGOT PISTACHIO MOUSSE

Margot is one of the best Italian restaurants in the city and this dessert has earnt it a lot of fans. The dish starts with a base of pistachio crumb and praline, followed by caramelised sour cherries and a generous scoop of sour cherry sorbet. A pistachio sablé then covers the sorbet, followed by a whipped ganache with white chocolate and pistachio praline. The whole thing is then sprinkled with caramelised chopped pistachios and more cherries. trattoriamargot.com

5 KAFENEION SITISI RABIT STEW SOUVLAKI

A beloved street food, souvlaki traditionally comprises pieces of grilled meat served in pitta. But in recent years, chefs have been coming up with their own twists. At Kafeneion Sitisi, rabbit is slow-cooked in tomato sauce and shredded before being wrapped in sourdough pitta, along with spiced mayo, lettuce, crispy onions and garlicky fried potatoes. Chilli jam adds sweetness. facebook. com/kafeneionsitisi

Pistachio mousse at Margot