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Back when we were children and our idea of dream junk food was summed up by the slogan “Fast, yes; makeshift, no,” our palates were still largely uninitiated, almost “virgin.” The cheese we knew was kasseri, a Greek semi-hard cheese; our cold cuts were pariza or ham; and sandwiches were wrapped in a paper napkin or aluminum foil at home.

Burgers, then, were our idea of paradise: a reward for a good grade, a Friday- or Saturday-night treat. And among those burgers, one stood out: the legendary Golden.

For us, Golden was something completely new. It introduced a generation of Greek kids to American-style food. Along with the yellow cheese, beef patty and mayonnaise came a magical combination of ingredients: bacon, lettuce and tomato.

There was also grated cheese, something resembling Parmesan, but that was the Greek touch.

It was that trio—bacon, lettuce and tomato—that set off our taste buds and delivered the elusive umami, although of course we did not know the word at the time. It spoke directly to something deep inside us.

Bacon. Lettuce. Tomato.

BLT.

A sandwich with a century of history

Golden was our first encounter with a sandwich that had already created its own legend in the United States—a legend that had been born more than 100 years earlier, most likely in Britain.

Since the Victorian era, the British had been putting together elaborate spreads for afternoon tea, and the classic bacon sandwich regularly held a prominent place on the buffet.

By the late 1920s, the BLT—bacon, lettuce, tomato and plenty of mayonnaise—had made its first appearances in English-language cookbooks. Those early versions, which were closer to a more elaborate club sandwich, also included a slice of roasted turkey. The turkey eventually disappeared.

The BLT takes off in America

The BLT soon crossed the Atlantic.

Americans had always loved bacon, and after World War II, when lettuce and tomatoes became readily available in supermarket refrigerators, they embraced the BLT as an easy, everyday meal for the table, the workplace and school.

Its popularity soared, taking it from home kitchens into American diners and cafeterias.

The sandwich resonated so strongly with American culture that an entire month—April—was designated National BLT Month.

How many sandwiches around the world can claim that kind of cultural impact?

American culture embraced the BLT and dedicated an entire month to it: April is officially National BLT Month.

Throughout its long journey, the basic BLT recipe did not change. It remained devoted to the simplicity of its three ingredients, plus mayonnaise.

What evolved was the technique.

The bacon needs to cook slowly and patiently in a pan without added fat, until it renders all its own fat and becomes crisp and crunchy. The bread is then toasted in that bacon fat—preferably white country bread or buttery brioche, so that it can soak up the mayonnaise nicely.

The tomato should be ripe, juicy and thinly sliced, ready to release its juices with the first bite. The lettuce should be fresh and crisp, chilled from the refrigerator and full of flavor.

The contrast between the warm bread and bacon and the cold tomato and lettuce is part of the BLT’s appeal.

Make the mistake of eating your BLT cold, with soggy bread and chilled bacon, and the experience simply will not be the same. Some mistakes are hard to forgive.

A perfect BLT is built around three ingredients—bacon, lettuce and tomato—between slices of toasted bread spread with mayonnaise. From there, everyone can add whatever they like.

Right place, right time

Making a good BLT at home is not difficult. Quite the opposite: its simplicity is precisely what made it so popular.

And yet, for some strange reason, a BLT tastes even better when you buy it from somewhere else.

When you find yourself in line after a night out at a good food truck, patiently waiting for your sandwich to arrive hot, with bacon fat dripping from it.

When you hurriedly unwrap the paper so you can take that first greedy bite just after pressing play on the latest episode of the series you’ve been following for weeks.

When you arrive home hungry and your partner says, “Should we order a really good sandwich?”

Or when you’ve spent the whole afternoon out, walking around, and suddenly stumble upon the perfect place—the kind of place that makes a BLT exactly the way it should be.

That’s when you can feel like a British lord taking part in the ritual of afternoon tea, or a bona fide American kid sitting at the counter of a Tarantino-style diner.

Fortunately, Athens has places like that.

Places that take bread, mayonnaise, bacon, lettuce and tomato and turn them into something extraordinary.

If you don’t know where to find them, you don’t have to look. We’ve done it for you.

The best BLTs in Athens

New York Sandwiches

The shop that taught Athenians the true taste and aesthetic of American sandwiches remains a reliable favorite, no matter how many new burger joints open around the city.

At its location on Sinopis Street, next to the Athens Tower, you’ll find a BLT in its most classic form: properly toasted white country bread, a generous amount of crispy bacon, tomato, mayonnaise and iceberg lettuce—the only departure from the traditional recipe, which calls for leaf lettuce.

It is also available on whole-wheat bread for those looking for more fiber.

Guarantee

This legendary Koukaki sandwich shop was serving gourmet sandwiches when everyone else was still making ham-and-cheese toasties.

Its huge menu features breads, cheeses, cold cuts and spreads, along with a willingness to experiment with original combinations and compositions.

A classic BLT, of course, doesn’t leave much room for experimentation. But the quality of Guarantee’s ingredients alone—and, for that matter, the dilemma of whether to put them on kampagiu bread, focaccia or a simple toast bread—are enough to whet the appetite.

Ergon House Athens

The iconic deli-restaurant in central Athens could hardly fail to serve an equally iconic BLT.

Its version, naturally, bets on simplicity and quality ingredients: white sandwich bread toasted until it releases its buttery aroma, crispy bacon, juicy tomato, iceberg lettuce and mayonnaise.

There is also a vegan version, in which eggplant takes the place of bacon, joined by avocado, tomato, iceberg lettuce and plant-based mayonnaise.

Borghese

This salumeria, which set up shop on Archelaou Street several years ago, showcases excellent loaves from Kora alongside authentic Italian cured meats and cheeses. It can also boast one of the most tempting BLTs in Athens.

The secret is the pancetta—the Italian influence is impossible to escape—which is expertly crisped before being laid onto toasted focaccia or sourdough bread spread with paprika mayonnaise.

That extra kick ultimately makes all the difference.

Alouatou

A good sandwich always starts with the bread, which is why a bakery—and especially one belonging to the increasingly popular microbakery category—is arguably the perfect place for a hearty BLT.

At Alouatou in Exarchia, the sandwich comes on crisp ciabatta, packed with crunchy bacon, tomato and lettuce. Kimchi mayonnaise adds the spicy note that suits it so very, very well.