Kapnos - Greek fare

Saganaki

We recently visited Kapnos Taverna in  Ballston. I tried their lunch and dinner menus and absolutely loved it. The strengths of Kapnos are the small portions of most items on the menu (similar to the tapas); the flavor and presentation; and its variety.

I have to give a call out to their spreads. We tried the smoky eggplant (melitzanosalata) and a feta cheese spread (tyrokaftari). Both were served with some fresh pita and were very tasty. Their traditional saganaki (think flamed cheese with a dash honey) was also delicious. Their spanakopita, however, was just not as good.

Eggplant spread with pita

For the main course, we tried the falafel, marinated chicken souvlaki and spit-roasted lamb. All the dishes were the same size but were sufficiently filling. For dessert, we tried their almond cake. While nothing great, there was also nothing to complain about.

The Ballston location also has a raw bar. We tried their raw oysters. Expensive.

If I were to find a fault, it would be the ambiance. A bit noisy for a quiet dinner.

While not as good as what I have had was in Chicago's Greek neighborhood, Kapnos is one of the better Mediterranean options in the DC region. Recommended.