I'm not a person who goes around calling things 'perfect'. Perfection, in my mind, has a cold sterility, a clinical, almost robotic edge. What does a perfect woman, a perfect song, a perfect book, a perfect vacation, a perfect death feel like? Can their perfection become a prison, a siren song, a "there's no way to go from here than down"?
I just had to make this introduction before I admit that, despite my unwillingness to commit to absolutes, Pavlakis consistently makes the best ice cream I've ever had. Tsoureki; pistachio praline with or without cream & pomegranate (oh, my, God); the heavenly kaimaki...Is it the best ice cream in Piraeus, in Athens, in Greece... in the world?
As far as I'm concerned, yes, this completely ordinary-looking (plus cheap & super-generous) neighborhood confectionery shop is perfect. If a more perfect ice cream can exist, I'm having serious difficulty even imagining what tasting it would feel like. I mean, it's got to the point where I'm even grateful to the Universe that I was lucky enough to run into something in my life I've no qualms about calling perfect, even ice cream. How can you even top a quasi-religious experience that brings forward gratitude for your own good fortune? Every single person I've sent to Pavlakis has been left stunned (even Italians and my Japanese teacher!), so I know it's not just me.
It's not easy to get to---far from it. But doesn't that make Pavlakis even more special?
Spartis 129a
Per big scoop:
€
2
+30
2104615267
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The house is known for the two wonderful Caryatid sculptures located on the balcony of its facade. The house was built in the late 19th century and is a typical example of Athenian neoclassicism.
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Aside from the freshly ground coffee, which is either made on the spot or purchased in bulk to take home, you will find exceptional and always fresh nuts in sufficient variety.
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At this place, they make pizza the original Neapolitan way. The dough is thin and tasty, and the tomato sauce has a refined taste.
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