“Groovy Mango” Brings Thai Comfort Food to Neos Kosmos

Two longtime friends have just opened a fresh, unfussy restaurant with bold flavors and an “eye” on the neighborhood

George Mo and Antonis Liolis met more than 20 years ago. They have traveled together, cooked for one another, shared experiences, ideas, thoughts and secrets. Now, they share a restaurant. Groovy Mango, which opened up in May in Neos Kosmos bordering with Koukaki, across from the Syngrou-Fix metro station, serves Thai dishes and signature cocktails, in a style and tone set by the owners themselves.

That is because every design decision, menu item, and playlist reflects their personalities. “Groovy Mango is us,” says Mo.

Off the beaten track

The restaurant occupies a street corner on Irakleous street. There is no designated courtyard, just tables that stretch around the sidewalk and benefit from the location’s elevated pavement, offering a view to the hill of Filopappou. Inside, high ceilings, understated furniture and personal design touches create a warm and relaxing environment. All of it the work of Mo and Liolis themselves, since they did not hire a professional architect studio for the design.

Mo, a foodie and bon vivant, is best known for “Mo Vintage Athens”, a boutique that sells designer archival pieces from the late 1960s to the 1990s. So, his sense of style is evident to anyone that has ever stepped foot in there. Liolis on the other hand, brings extensive experience in hospitality, with past ventures including the bar-restaurant “Circus” in Kolonaki, the famous “Blue Bamboo” Thai restaurants in Petralona and Serifos and currently, “Tzoutzouka” in Roof. Together, they have created a stylish space as well as a food destination full of flavor and quality.

A compact menu with “strong” selections

As Mo explains, the kitchen offers a short, focused menu with a list of Thai dishes that already has its standouts. One of them is the chicken satay skewers, with the pad thai, and special bao buns made with seasoned ground meat following very closely. Spring rolls, mango salad, and Thai curries also feature on the rotating selection.

Of course, the fact that the menu is short, doesn’t mean that they are “stingy” with the cocktails. The drinks menu includes original mixes and adapted classics. Try their own version of the “Zombie”, a coffee martini, their neo-negroni or maybe a glass of wine from their well-curated list of Greek and international labels.

Music is central to the restaurant’s identity. Mo and Liolis build playlists for different moods and moments. The goal is to create an environment with fluid energy that changes according to the time of day, the season or the crowd’s vibe. “Every hour has its own soundtrack”, says Mo.

For Regulars and Visitors

Though Groovy Mango attracts all types of clientele, the owners aim to serve a local crowd first. Of course, the restaurant welcomes international visitors, but its tone and pace are focused more on Athenians who want consistency and quality over a one time experience. “By focusing on the locals, and offering them quality they will come back for”, Mo tells us, “we also appeal to visitors that are looking for an authentic and detail-oriented experience”.

The restaurant opens at 5 p.m. and closes around midnight. It is the perfect place therefore, for an after work drink and a good meal or for a nice, casual dinner with friends. In Mo’s words: “We wanted to make the place we always looked for for ourselves and offer it to everyone”.

So next time you find yourself in the neighborhood and are in the mood for a plate of pad thai and a refreshing cocktail, stop by. You’ll probably end up staying longer than you planned. And that’s just plain groovy.