Thymari Mediterranean Gastro-Taverna is a new restaurant in the heart of Swedesboro’s Kings Highway Downtown, focused on delicious Mediterranean flavors in a beautiful but casual restaurant environment.
Located next to the Botto restaurant, Thymari takes over the former Pat’s Pizzeria dining room which now brings a modern Greece inspired décor, providing a calm and beautiful canvas to serve freshly made food from the delicious and inventive menu.
I stopped in last week for an incredible lunch tasting which had me trying delicious Chicken Souvlaki, Anatolian Kabobs, Grilled Octopus and more… including an amazing “I have to make room for this” Greek Milfey Dessert.
While Gloucester County based owner Maria Pechlivandis grew up in the restaurant business, Thymari is a dream restaurant for her… and a big change from her pizzeria roots!
When she was a young child growing up in Pennsville, her Father founded the popular Pat’s pizzerias in South Jersey… and Maria has fond memories of working the front counter at the Paulsboro location for many years!
For Swedesboro, the building is now dual-use with a small portion allocated to a takeout Pat’s Pizzeria… and with her husband Kleo assisting, Maria has created a destination BYOB Mediterranean restaurant with Tymari taking over the much larger right portion dining room, offering a creative menu with Greek influences but also aspects of the entire Mediterranean region.
Clearly a delicious menu and beautiful decor are key elements of a successful restaurant, but for Maria there is third aspect which she feels is just as important… making everyone feel at home at Thymari!
And honestly I spent a few hours with Marie dining on several of her flavorful menu choices… as our conversations easily flowed from growing up in South Jersey, to the restaurant business, and also her exciting trips around the world.
It was like we’d known each other for years!
And it appears this “triple threat” combination of food, décor and home is working, as while it’s only the first month of being open they’ve had to start requiring reservations at Thymari on the weekends (and recommending them the rest of the week).
Thymari – Swedesboro
it was a quieter mid-afternoon weekday when I stopped in, and Maria and I took a table at the front corner… next to the windows to take advantage of the natural lighting.
We collectively came up with a variety of items to try, which included a few small plates and appetizers, as well as entrees.
When featuring international restaurants I like to identify for readers something from the menu which would appeal to most dines who are new to the cuisine… and in that theme I would recommend the Chicken Souvlaki… Seasoned Chicken Kabobs served with Sliced Tomatoes, Onions, Tzatziki (Cucumber/Yogurt Dip) with Fries and Toasted Pita.
The chicken pieces and vegetables were cooked perfect and tender, seasoned to give that true Mediterranean flavor.
A good appetizer suggestion with a big Mediterranean influence is the Mezza platter offering a variety of items including Eggplant Dip, Tzatziki, Feta Dip and Hummus along with Olives, Gigantes (beans) and more.
Another perfect first-timer option would be a Grilled Pork Belly Pancetta… perfectly seasoned tasty pork bites.
The Anatolian Kabobs turns up the level of Mediterranean cuisine, with beef and lamb sharing top-billing in show, topped with a yogurt-tomato sauce.
With the beautiful Mediterranean Sea as the backdrop theme for the restaurant we found ourselves with two different octopus dishes… Fried Calamari which was lightly fried with a basil garlic aioli.
We also tried Octopus Over Fava which is a Grilled Octopus over a Fava Puree and Caramelized Onions. While not described as a grilled dish, the light chargrilled flavor came through in each bite of the tender octopus.
A few other appetizers were in the mix including a Fried Zucchini. Crispy yet light, and absolutely delicious.
I was absolutely stuffed and overwhelmed when it was suggested that I try one of their dessert dishes!
I thought i already had dessert with the cheesy sweet Tiropitakia, but coming up next was the Milfey Dessert which is a traditional Greek sweet pastry… a filo pastry creating layers with the vanilla cream.
Unbelievable!
We were both full from this incredible lunch which also included interesting conversation with Maria, Kleo and members of her team.
Thymari Mediterranean Gastro-Taverna Is open 6 days a week (closed Monday).
Links and Location
Thymari – Mediterranean Gastro-Taverna
1423 A Kings Hwy
Swedesboro, NJ