The multi-award winning restaurant “The Mushroom” in Themistokli Sofouli street, in Kalamaria, is a place that, although in the east side of the city, has been known since the very first year of its operation, to the whole public of Thessaloniki – and not only now.

It is not only the inspired and careful menu, edited from the beginning by the award-winning consultant chef Dimitris Pamporis, but also the space itself, its philosophy and the professionalism of its people, which make it stand out.

Having opened in 2010 inside the Sofouli Shopping Centre, The Manitari restaurant has managed to bring the whole place to life, attracting people from all over the city and is, without a doubt, among its best restaurants, literally in every way.

Absolute value for money choice and with numerous awards from the FNL guide, as well as “Greek Cuisine” from the “Athinorama” guide and distinctions from the “Estia Awards” as “best value for money restaurant” and “Total Experience”, “The Manitari” restaurant is based on the philosophy of consistent quality, excellent raw materials and a frequent change of the menu, with its people firmly above the customer, who by leaving this place, has now acquired new memories.

Owned by Yiannis Ziagas, a lover of Greek gastronomy and the quality of ingredients, its bright hall with monastery-style tables and special lighting, as well as its cool terrace, overlooking the trees of Sofouli Street, is an ideal place for a total gastronomic experience.

The restaurant’s menu

Here you can dine all year round, every day (the restaurant only closes on some days in August) tasting the flavors of creative Greek cuisine, both in meat and fish, at prices that are perfectly consistent with each choice. Chef de cuisine Leonidas Pantsiukas and his team are responsible for all the new age kitchen creations.

Among the signature dishes of the restaurant, the risotto stands out as a deconstructed cabbage dolmas, with Kerkini buffalo minced meat, herbs and egg lemon, with cabbage foam and bergamot, a dish that was highlighted for the first time in the context of the “Macedonian Kitchen” (“Athinorama”) event.

The fresh Aegean cod with a hazelnut crust, buffalo couscous and pickled mussels is also a “famous” dish at “Manitari”, while among the fish, the grilled salmon with lime and olive oil and roasted beetroot puree, with steamed greens and citrus sauce also stands out and the fresh sauteed sea bass, which people especially love.

In meats, an excellent dish of the day is the pork cheeks with celeriac and leeks, while the buffalo couscous is also a standout. There are also included several suggestions in chicken, pork and beef, always in the context of a new age creative cooking.

Fresh salads with a variety of vegetables and other local products and appetizers such as croquettes made from aged graviera, potato gnocchi with smoked Metsovo cheese and beef fillet tartare complete the options on the menu.

The vegan and vegetarian menu

At “Manitari”, vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options have their own place on the menu, making it the destination for every customer with specific dietary preferences or needs.

We find plenty of salads with all kinds of fresh ingredients, choices in sauteed mushrooms or crushed potatoes, quinoa and tagliatelle with Grevena porcini mushrooms and risotto in the vegan category.

Salads with ingredients such as mousse or feta hummus or mousse from Nivato of Verdikousa and Andros mastic cheese are in the vegetarian and gluten-free options as well as in salads, but there are also in mushrooms and potatoes or the marinated in “Asian style”, beef fillet tartare.

Bar and cellar

The bar and the cellar Entering the restaurant, the first thing one sees is the bar, lined with solid oak wood. In its cellar it hosts a wide variety of wines exclusively from Greek vineyards, the list of which is edited by Sommelier Elina Dakanali. The wine list is regularly updated.

Recently, “Manitari” also introduced the concept of the cocktail bar, which operates on the terrace during the open weather and gives customers the opportunity to enjoy selections from a very nice list of cocktails and signature cocktails, edited by Christos Konstantinidis.

In every venture, the people at “Manitari” always try to change, to be a “click” above the usual and to give a tone of freshness and renewal. And they succeed in it perfectly, which is proven by the restaurant’s 12 years of continuous presence in the gastronomic scene of Thessaloniki