Indian and Pakistani cuisine has been slowly becoming more visible in Athens in the past few years, and I couldn’t be happier. Unfortunately, most restaurants are popping up around the more touristy areas and thus carry premium prices — with the exception of our very own “Little Pakistan” around Plateia Theatrou, where you can find some amazing Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi food for dirt cheap (just try to avoid going there at night!). And now, of course, we have Taj Mahal in Kallithea. It’s honest, not at all fancy or pretentious, and the same could be said of the food.

They have made a splash in the area competing with other fast food/delivery restaurants by offering “Indian chicken souvlaki” (which is actually a very good idea if you think about it) but I just go there to enjoy their palak paneer, the dal dishes, the vegetable curry, the sweet rice, the samosas and others.

What I like the most is that, while they’re obviously not going for maximum authenticity, the food is still very spicy and hot — which is disappointingly often not the case in Greece. You’d be surprised how often similar restaurants pander to locals who generally cannot stand spicy food (Greek cuisine hovers close to zero spiciness and our virgin taste buds seldom pass the trial by fire of real hot food). The guys in Taj Mahal make no such compromises, so two thumbs-up from me!