Yamas: say Cheers!

Yamas (meaning Cheers! in Greek) is a very authentic Mediterranean taverna in the middle of Luxembourg city and will cozy up to you the moment you step into it.

Unlike Athena that pretends to bring a more elegant touch of Greece to Lux, Yamas has all what we truly love about Greece — relaxed atmosphere, brightness, bluish white tones, water washed wooden elements, daydreaming images of sea, appetizing wall prints of olives and olive oil, colourful clay tableware and very welcoming people working at this place.

Yamas comes with an unexpected twist — it has an open kitchen done in a shape of a modern glass box that adds a special touch to the atmosphere.

Greece won’t be Greece without its mezze: indulge in aubergine caviar, don’t skip a tzatziki - as every time it tastes differently - add some olives, pita bread, fried zucchini... but especially go for metsovone: a delicious very characteristic smoked cheese, deep fried, but so storytelling in taste, both sweet and fine, rustic and sharp, unlike any other fried cheese you have ever tried.

For the main, guide yourselves depending of what kind of meat or fish you prefer.

Go for the grilled octopus, the famous lamb dish Keftiko (although it is very hard to beat Athena on this one), or become super local and order a gyros. It comes on a long plate surrounded by freshly chopped onions and tomato salad — a perfect garnishing to follow up this dish.

As everything else about Greece, the food is most of all very authentic and lively, not necessarily too sophisticated in its appeal but always pleasant, honest, vibrant in colour and full in taste.

Beauty about places like this one is its simplicity and devotion to a single mission — not to impress, but to warmly host and offer an intimate culinary and cultural round trip to the land of Gods.