Plated pasta inside Terminal 2 instead of another cheese pie
La Pasteria sits airside in Terminal 2, past security, and gives SKG one of its few sit-down Italian options. Tables look straight onto the Schengen gates, so you can keep an eye on boarding for A- and B‑gate departures. The setup is full-service: a server seats you, brings a menu, and you pay at the end like a normal restaurant, not a grab-and-go counter.
The menu leans on classic pasta and salads: think penne with tomato sauce, carbonara, and a couple of mixed salads rather than an encyclopaedia-sized card. Expect mains to land around mid-teens in euros, which is steep for simple pasta but normal by airport standards. Portions read as “OK but not huge” in several 3‑star reviews, so don’t come in starving 30 minutes before an evening Aegean flight and expect a feast.
There’s wine by the glass alongside the usual beers and soft drinks; some travellers rate the house white as better than what they had at standalone bars in Terminal 2. If you’ve got a 60–90 minute wait before a 20:00–22:00 departure, this is one of the few places where you can sit down, have a plate of pasta, a salad, and a drink without juggling trays in the gate area.
Service swings between quick and sluggish, especially when several flights to Athens and German hubs bank around the same hour. Reviews mention staff rushing near boarding peaks, but also note waits of 25–30 minutes for pasta when the restaurant is full. Regular SKG flyers build in at least 45 minutes here before an evening departure, then walk straight to nearby Schengen gates after paying.
Watch out for: simple dishes priced above €14, modest serving sizes, and the risk of slow turnaround if you sit down less than 40 minutes before your gate’s boarding time. One practical move: check the queue and ask the server for a time estimate before you order, then set a phone alarm for 10 minutes before your posted boarding time.