Restaurant Spondi with two stars in the beginning was one of the most highly regarded fine dining establishmentsa in Greece and is consistently ranked among the top restaurants in the world. And then they lost a star, 2021/2022. Everyone we spoke to in Athens and mentioned Spondi, even at Amazoe, thinks it’s a fantastic restaurant. The problem starts when we asked them the last time they visited. Two years or so was the most common answer.

Losing a star does not mean it can’t be excellent. Perhaps they stepped up their game and started chasing their lost star. We are sad to say it was the other way around. Another Michelin restaurant that you start to think… Do the inspectors need a reality check? We have seen it before, especially in Italy, where we have left Michelin restaurants shaking our heads because they can’t even cook pasta right.

Back to the restaurant, good service, good wine suggestions, the usual snacks – nothing wrong here. The burrata interpretation of a Caprese was a nice touch. We both decided to start with the White Asparagus and chose the Duck as our main course. The asparagus was overly salty, and when combined with the salty cheese sauce, it wasn’t the best combination. The asparagus was also overdone.

The Duck needed a little more resting but was beautifully cooked. After one bite, salt, salt, and more salt. It made the dish inedible. We had to leave it on the plate. I could have eaten it just out of “Swedish politeness,” but my wife said NO, if you eat that, your blood pressure will go through the roof. The waiter did not say a thing while taking away the plates. We think he knew about the issue.

Feeling disappointed, we made the decision to skip dessert and ordered a taxi.