Albana's Taverna - Culpeper

What a jewel! This is a small restaurant with great hospitality and wonderful food. I had the gyro plate and my husband had the Dolmades, both were very tasteful and good size shares. For dessert we had the Greek rice pudding and the gallactoboureko, perfect with a cup of coffee to finish the night. The staff was wonderful, very friendly and attentive. We'll definitely visit again when we're in the area.

All I tried here was top drawer. I'm Greek, so I'm pretty critical about Greek food. Here's a holder. 9.7.2022. Stop with one of my sons. The first time for him and he was impressed. Had the Gyro sandwich and he said it was great. I had the special that was Kotopita. Chicken packed in Filo with feta and other vegetables. Delicious.

Sliced pork chop sandwich with sweet red onion Relish was excellent. Great place for lunch or dinner. The staff was excellent!

Albanas Taverna is an absolute jewel and I would lie if I said it wasn't one of the best Greek restaurants I tried. I also do not live too close to Culpeper (my mother and I were actually only on the way), so it was reputable that I found this restaurant in the first place. Enough backstory, to the meal. For a starter we had served warm Pita bread with Tzatziki sauce. The Pita was light, fluffy and even texured, with a hint of olive oil and the tzatziki was creamy and slightly tangy. The next appetizer was Dolma (filled grape leaves). I'm not an expert in Greek cuisine, but thought Albana had an interesting shot on this recipe. I usually see this recipe without meat, but Albana's contains meat in her grape leaves. They also dried the grape leaves with a balsamic glaze, which gave a bit of a sweet taste, which contrasted beautifully with the Dolma. My main dish was a gyro served with a Greek salad. All ingredients in the salad were very fresh and crisp, and the meat in the gyroscope was tender. Another standout of the meal were the roasted potatoes that came with the gyro (it usually comes with pommes, but you can order substitution). I should also mention that you spend much less money at Albana than you spend for a comparative meal at DMV.

The owner here is actually Greek!!! So it is authentic!! I have been waiting a long time to find real Greek food, and finally have. Being from NY, I was used to having authentic Greek food at Greek restaurants.. but never once in Virginia have I found anywhere as good as this, until now!! The grape leaves, yogurt dip, tzatziki, and Greek salad with chicken we had were absolutely delicious..and the pita too..it was so fresh and warm!! The owner is so nice and welcoming as well, overall excellent experience!! Can?t wait to return :