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By The Glass wine bar & bistrot
Review
About
By the Glass is an exquisitely designed wine bar right in the heart of Athens in one of the most beautiful old buildings. By the glass serves wine by the glass and allows you to get acquainted with every region of Greece that produces wine of great quality. Meet unique greek wine varieties and get to know the most delicate greek wine-makers. Each variety of wine finds a perfect match in food and our chef has taken care of every little tasty detail, please allow us to introduce you to the greek wines! An all day destination for lovers of both coffee and wine, since By the glass is open during the day serving delicious and artful coffee.
Features
CUISINES
International, Mediterranean, European, Greek, Wine Bar
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner, Late Night, Drinks
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
American Express
Discover
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Mastercard
Outdoor Seating
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Takeout
Visa
Wine and Beer
Location
Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?
Reserve a table
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 10:00 AM
Sunday
6:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Monday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Friday
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Contribute
4.0
773 reviews
Excellent
374
Very good
192
Average
101
Poor
54
Terrible
52
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This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, express or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfringement.
Despina C
Athens10 contributions
Oct 2024 • friends
I ve been to this place quite a few times and had only good things to say about the experience. However, the last two times i ve been there a) the service was very slow (ie waitors were either not coming or they were making mistakes with our order since each time a different person tried to attend to our request). This of course is not a problem of the employees, it implies a lack of good management at a higher level. B) The wines and plateaus were unjustifiably expensive.. no reason for a bottle of wine to cost 40 euros or so when it costs 30 or so in other restos pretty close by. C) we were particularly frustrated when we were forced to pay by one card (and not each one separately); the owner instructed us on paying each other afterwards and pay by one card since the state tax framework has made it impossible for them to receive separate payments. Apart from this being absolutely inaccurate, i m afraid the restaurant shouldn’t burden customers with this issue. Plus, the manner was really patronising to us, a group of young women- and I doubt it would be the same if three men asked to pay separately. These two experiences were bad enough for us all to say that we won’t be going again any time soon.
Written November 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NIAN
Athens31 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
Very neat space aesthetically, but not so much functionally. In the evening if you sit outside in the portico you will get cold at first. Kind staff will light the stoves but they will only warm the face but the feet will remain cold..... exaggeration...? If you're young and you go for a quick drink..YES, but when you're 40+ and want to drink and eat something you pay for and handsomely (not excessively) YES you'd like something more. They have many wine labels (many bravos), but the cooking of the food was mediocre....it couldn't be more dry!!!!
Frou frou and perfumes??
Written January 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RPaulsson
5 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
An opportunity to try fantastically good Greek wines that cannot be bought at home. Very knowledgeable waiters who made perfect suggestions for suitable wines for the dishes. The food was also of the highest quality.
Written April 7, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pmds
Padua110 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
I will review this "Experience" starting with some advice:
1st tip: never mention the word restaurant, otherwise it will be pedantically explained to you that By The Glass is not a restaurant, but a Wine Bar Bistrot where dishes are prepared to share and accompany the wines...?? You will then discover that the menu is structured like all restaurants, starters, salad, main courses and desserts.
2nd tip: take a Greek course first, because the extensive list of wines by the glass is only written in Greek, so when ordering you will be at the mercy of the waitress on duty.
3rd tip: be careful not to let the waitress recommend the wine from the aforementioned incomprehensible menu. To try some Greek wines, I asked for advice and I was given two of the most expensive wines by the glass (€20 and more). I didn't take the advice, and ordered something else, which was still very expensive (€12).
4th tip: don't think you can order whatever you want. For the first time in a restaurant I was advised against a dish on the menu. I didn't receive an explanation, I was advised against it and that was it. At this point my question is, why put a dish on the menu that is not recommended? It should not be added or at least deleted!!!
To conclude, we went to "By The Glass" curious to try Greek wines, given the wide choice, but we were disappointed. The extremely high prices are incomprehensible compared to the rest of Europe. As for the cuisine, disappointing beyond measure, I would draw a veil of compassion. Overall I found "By The Glass Wine Bar Bistrot" pretentious for no good reason.
Written January 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christos M
Chalandri29 contributions
Nov 2023 • friends
It has lost its glamor and flair as a shop
We ordered a rosé and then the waitress told us she didn't have any more and suggested more expensive options etc
The food is mediocre without flexibility in a customer's order to change the accompanying food reason with vegetables or salad, in the style of a half-baked chef, the waiter without even asking said that this is the only way to serve salmon😂 (rice)
High prices compared to the quality!
Written December 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nikolaos Santorinaios
15 contributions
Jan 2025 • friends
Hair in the salmon with rice I ordered where half was fat. I literally ate it and pulled it out of my mouth. Not justified for a serious wine bar, at least as he wants to call it happening. Nowhere is not allowed. At the end, we were given a sweet dish (for 5 people), which of course we left because as an act it was contemptuous. 60 euros per person. 300 euro bill. This is about moderation
Automatically translated
Written January 26, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Afroditi M
Heraklion5 contributions
Dec 2023 • friends
Upon arriving at the wine bar a couple of days ago, we explicitly informed the staff that our intention was solely to enjoy a selection of wines and not to order any food. Despite their initial assurance that this was acceptable, we were surprised and disappointed when, upon sitting down, the staff attempted to persuade us to order food. When we reiterated our preference for wine only, we sensed a noticeable level of annoyance from the staff, which was both unexpected and unwarranted.
The whole experience was so disappointing that we drunk our wine very quickly and left.
Written December 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FOTEINI M
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • couples
I used to go to 'by the glass' with friends and had associated it with beautiful personal moments. But my last experience was disappointing. They brought us all the dishes (salads, appetizers and mains) at the same time, apparently so that the waiters from the shop opposite the square and tumbleweed. The dishes range from mediocre to bad with the highlight being the cold dry chicken. Thus, the position of the table in the lane of the corridor became a secondary problem with the addition of a small table to fit the food and as a result both we and the passing waiters tried not to cause a fatal fall. Pity.
Written April 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
joejohnson12
23 contributions
Jun 2024 • friends
Fotini was our amazing wine guide for an impromptu tasting. Our party of five kindly requested a flight of her favorite wines and we were treated to an amazing wine flight and a personalized history lesson on each Greek varietal. Many Greek varietals were consumed and thoroughly enjoyed! On top of that, and many tastings and wines by the glass later, we were treated to food samplings, as well. Our children were even treated to some tasty morsels. The hospitality here was far beyond our expectations and really enhanced our Athenian experience. Fotini was even so kind as to share her personal salmon meal with the group. We definitely had an unforgettable time with her!
Written June 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Conseiller99
Roseland1490 contributions
Oct 2023 • couples
This place is really disappointing. Nice atmosphere; nice wine bar, but the food and service were a major problem. The hostess was very nice to start, though seemed unhappy that we didn’t want to sit down for our reservation right away…we came a half hour early to try the wine bar; we got over that, then got seated. Things were quiet. She pushed us hard to order; we ordered a bottle of Greek wine and said we would order as soon as it came. We were given a printed menu and immediately told that they did not have the last two appetizers or last two entrees; both of which were singificantly limited from what we read about on the website. We waited, and waited; more people started showing up. We finally got our wine and ordered our food. The meat charcuterie was very good. Then we waited, and waited for our entrees….more people came in and the place got pretty busy; like three/quarter full. The problem: the hostess was the only hostess, and the hostess was the only waitress….who was cooking? Hopefully not her too. So she was overwhelmed. When our food came, it was warm. The truffle risotto was flavorless mush. So was that a one-night problem…with the “we’re out of this, we’re out of that, etc etc.”. Disappointing to say the least. So all that we’re in Gault-Millau sounds nice; with the nice website menu, but the reality is quite different in our experience. We’ll pass.
Written October 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mathilde & Anthony
30 contributions
Jan 2024 • couples
We had reserved a table 3 weeks in advance for the New Year.
The restaurant informed us by email at 3 p.m. that my reservation was no longer possible because they were no longer taking customers from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.!!!
Let us know only a few hours before dinner?! So we found ourselves without any restaurants on December 31 because all the others were full.
What a shame because the dishes looked very good
Written January 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Μάρω Παπαδημητρίου
22 contributions
Feb 2024 • friends
favorite shop with disappointing service! green salads at all, finally procedurally he showed us that we can get burrata, I think it has nothing to do with green salads... anyway, all the rest of his dishes are wonderful, the flap steak, the risotto, the courgettes, the brownie are among the best , the wine they offered us was excellent but the staff was rude, with a snobbish style and a negative attitude. We asked for tap water, because we think that Athens is a European city with drinking water, and we were almost attacked that you don't serve (is that really possible?) At the end, when we asked for the bill, the waitress came and loudly announced to us the total amount account! I had invited 5 of my friends to set the table for them and apart from being inelegant, I think it was her obligation to bring us the whole thing in writing and for us to decide what to do with it
Written February 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Evangelos M
7 contributions
Dec 2024 • family
Legendary service - brought four dishes with half an hour between them. And they did the unprecedented, serving the alpha male first, as if I could enjoy my dish while others kept waiting. Asked for second wine rounds to no avail. And not a single apology. Almost sixty years old, first time I ever complained.
Written December 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marianna K
Athens20 contributions
Nov 2024 • business
The place is nice, both inside and outside, the food was good. The wine list was good but the wines were very expensive, I would expect from a wine bar- restaurant to have more reasonable prices for wine that would allow people to enjoy it. What was really annoying was the volume of the music, we went for dinner and we could not hear each other. I do not understand why the music is so loud in places where people go to talk and have a good time. It is not a night club.
Written November 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helena G
Dorset42 contributions
Sep 2022 • none
We've eaten here both inside in the arcade area and outside in the square by the old church mainly because we stay at InnAthens which is through the arcade (although I understand that the restaurant is unrelated to the hotel). Food has always been looked and tasted great, service also good with attention to detail and wines either by the bottle or by the glass have always been good recommendations based on our price point, preferred character of wines etc. I've learnt a lot about Greek wines and been impressed by them - just a shame we can't buy any of our favourite wine list vintages in the UK. Nice locations, inside can be a bit noisy when busy, blankets have been provided outside when cold in the past. Best to reserve on Friday/Saturday/Sunday nights as it's busy.
Written September 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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