An integral part of Greek tradition, linked with Greek culture, fish taverns are not simply a restaurant, they are a journey of feelings and emotions. Familiar, laidback atmosphere, great food, pleasant company and cheerful mood come together and create a simple and at the same time unique experience.
Our city is surrounded by sea and offers us a great variety of seafood that in the hands of the masters of cooking turn into a delectable delight. From Piraeus to the centre and the south suburbs, Athens has a large number of fish taverns that are regular haunts for the locals. Our list includes 10 of the best fish taverns in town – with traditional as well as “with a twist” dishes, quality, fresh ingredients, great service, neat spaces, and pleasant vibes that all stand out and offer unforgettable experiences.
To Iperokeanion
In the heart of Piraeus, the legendary Iperokeanion opened 12 years ago. Andreas Kantsos, the owner – a long-time captain, with origins from Kimolos –, knows the sea. The interior is simple but warm, with some tables, many paintings of steamships, and a lovely little corner with a food display and a scales that looks like an old grocery store.
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The kitchen can be seen in the background, and through its permanently open door it lets tasty smells escape. Most of the tables are spread outside, next to the tangerine trees, on the spacious sidewalk. For Andreas, using fresh, good quality ingredients and cooking them well, letting the seafood’s flavours come out is crucial. Seasonality is also very important, with salads and boiled greens and fish on offer changing according to the season.
The menu includes many exceptionally tasty dishes. From the first courses, the salad Kimolos (cherry tomatoes, onion, capers, oregano, sesame, and xinotiri cheese from Kimolos) is delicious and filling, as are the irresistible, golden and crispy Kimolos pitarakia (pies). The kakavia (fish soup) is full bodied and soft-textured and a real balm to the soul. The smoked calamari is very interesting, and the grilled octopus with the balsamic sauce and capers is really soft and tasty. One of our favourite dishes is the grilled tuna – perfectly boiled potatoes, tuna fillet masterfully grilled, and courgette flakes comprise a truly remarkable dish.
48 Maria Hatzikiriakou str, Piraeus, tel. 0030 210 418 0030
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Argoura
The fish tavern Argoura opened in the neighbourhood of Tzitzifies in Kalithea in 2010. The name comes from the owner, Nikos Mihail’s village in Evia, and the space is colourful and neat. Reed screens all around the restaurant, beautiful plants, vases with flowers all compose a very special setting, while the sounds of beloved Greek composers take us back to past eras.
They only use fresh ingredients that are mostly sourced from Kalithea’s market. The recipes are created by Nikos Mihail, during his 30-year-old career in Greek fish gastronomy and are inspired by his favourite flavours. There are no fried fish, no cheeses and no spreads on Argoura’s menu.
Apart from the salads, the boiled greens and the grilled vegetables, there’s a list of delicious fish and seafood – raw and perfectly marinated, cooked in the pot or oven, and grilled. The raw dishes are marinated using particularly tasty ingredients, ranging from citrus fruit and yuzu to bergamot, and are so tasty and fresh they are bound to make an impression. Our favourites include orzo with shellfish (mussels, oysters, smooth clams), boiled to perfection with lovely aromas and a full, rich flavour. For the perfect experience, don’t even look at the menu – ask Nikos to make any dish he wants at that time, since, as he says, in the future he would like to do away with the menu.
49-51 Agisilaou str, Tzitzifies, tel. 0030 217 7173 200
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Pezoulas
The fish tavern Pezoulas is located right next to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. It first opened in 1951 and is now in the hands of the family’s third generation, with Panagiotis Pezoulas in charge. The friendly, vibrant atmosphere and its great food have made it a haunt for many Athenians, including some legends of the golden era of the Greek song scene (Papaioannou, Sakelariou, Panou etc).
The garden with the white walls, the wooden tables and the straw chairs has a Cycladic island feel, while the simple and warm setting of the interior resembles a small tavern of the past. The menu has many interesting dishes, including raw options, like the seabream ceviche that with the freshness of citrus fruit and crispiness of black sesame is truly great, as well as the tiradito tuna marinated in aji Amarillo Peruvian hot pepper sauce. The epic kakavia soup with the velvety feel and the rich flavour prepared with the recipe of Grandpa Panagiotis, using fish from the daily catch and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions), is a must. Apart from the dishes on the menu, you can pre-order a series of amazing dishes, like seafood trachanoto (trachanas is a traditional pasta made with flour and milk or yogurt) made mostly with prawns, as well as with whatever else is included in the day’s catch (like octopus, mussels, calamari etc), it’s creamy with a homemade sauce with tomato, onion, garlic and fennel that adds aromas to the dish.
11 Pisistratou str, Kalithea, tel. 0030 210 9422 684
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Restaurant Ta Kanaria
Restaurant Ta Kanaria has been open in the scenic Moschato neighbourhood since 1950. The third generation of the Argiropoulos family is now in charge of the restaurant with one main principle – they serve few things but all of them great, using only the best ingredients and cooking them to perfection. That’s how they offer a sui generis fish eating experience. The interior is simple, neat and vintage since nothing has changed from when the restaurant first opened – even the old mosaic floor has remained the same.
The tables are spread under the vine and the fig tree in the well-kept garden that’s just lovely to look at and relax while you enjoy your meal. The tomato salad is the only salad on the menu, however it’s quite unique in flavour – using juicy tomatoes, finely chopped onion and grated tomato on top, it’s aromatic and fresh. The feta cheese and the olives come in separate dishes and, together with the salad, complete the selection of first courses.
The restaurant’s star is definitely the fried caramote prawn form the Platamonas area, crispy and incredibly juicy, it’s just amazing. The fish is always fresh and what’s on offer changes daily, depending on the catch. We loved the fried surmullet, that was crispy and delicious. The simplicity of the clean flavours allow the ingredients’ taste to shine and offer a unique culinary experience.
119 Kanari str, Moschato, tel. 0030 210 9422 119
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To balkoni stis Kiklades
In 2011, To balkoni stis Kiklades opened on an uphill street in Vyronas. It doesn’t have a view of the sea of the Cyclades, but, with large windows and a ceiling that opens up, it does turn into a large balcony overlooking Athens, offering a great view of the city. The space is well-kept with clean lines, and the atmosphere is warm and friendly. The Kovaiou brothers (Aggelos, Antonis and Hristos) focus on quality ingredients, and on the creation of tasty and easy to digest dishes, as well as on reducing waste to the greatest extent possible, and so they try to use every part of the fish and seafood.
Triantafillia Karamanli, the chef, has created a great menu with a variety of really tasty dishes, including the fresh fish tartare marinated in citrus fruit juice, with coriander and passion fruit, the most rustic-flavoured sardine bruschetta with homemade aromatic bread with fennel seeds, parsley pesto and green apple pickle, and the full-bodied handmade ravioli filled with crayfish meat. We like the grilled squid, stuffed with fragrant spinach risotto served with a miso butter sauce. The fish is fresh and delicious whichever way it’s prepared. The fish fricassee with wild greens from Schoinousa, chard greens and lettuce cooked in a fish broth, served with leeks and an onion confit cream that adds a special sweetness and aroma to the dish.
13 Pavlou Mela str, Vyronas, tel. 0030 210 7640 240
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Psariston
Psariston has been around in the western suburbs, in Neo Iraklio, since 2000. It’s a particularly funky fish tavern with a deliberately messy décor that shows the humorous side of Vasilis Akrivos, chef and owner of the restaurant.
Psariston focuses on great ingredients and creative recipes. Vasilis Akrivos, inspired by his trips around the world, experiments and offers unique dishes and unusual flavours. The menu includes traditional dishes, like a variety of fish – including red porgy, bream, seabream, white seabream – that are masterfully grilled and offer great culinary pleasure. But it also includes a variety of totally new dishes with unusual food combinations that surprise with their perfectly balanced flavour.
The fried tarama salad with spring onion, dill and ouzo is a particularly unusual and tasty dish. The Symi shrimp with ginger is amazing – it brings out the lemony and slightly spicy flavour of ginger without covering the tastiness and slight sweetness of the Symi shrimp. Another special dish worth trying is the escolar with shisho leaf, as well as the shrimp with gorgonzola served with kimchi sauce. We enjoyed the noodles with smoked eel in white sauce, it had a voluptuous umami flavour. The great number of amazing dishes and the goal of constantly evolving make it no surprise that Psariston has become a must destination for fish eating in Athens.
15 Kalavriton str, Neo Iraklio, tel. 0030 210 2850 746
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Aiolou 68
Near the main fish market, on the homonymous street, you’ll find Aiolou 68 that opened in 2016. Three hospitality sector businessmen are behind this restaurant, restauranteurs Vasilis Akrivos (Psariston, Gidi), and Aggelos Frantzis (Bar Bee Kiou) as well as oenologist Giorgos Tarnaris. Bringing their experience and knowledge together has added a great fish-eating destination to the city’s scene. The interior is modern and minimal with white being the primary colour. The wooden tables and the pops of blue on the doors add a laidback, island vibe to the space.
The open bar, with the wooden fish on display is particularly cool, while the garden with the tables underneath the fig trees gives the impression of being on an alley in an island. The menu includes traditional Greek and international recipes, as well as dishes with more unique ingredients. So, you’ll find fava, fragrant crab salad, crispy Symi shrimp, fresh cockles and smooth clams that smell of the ocean, as well as tuna and salmon sashimi or ceviche. The homemade farfallini pasta with spicy salsiccia sausage and mussels, a very intense comfort food, as well as the grilled prawns with truffle that are fine and fragrant, in perfect flavour balance.
60 Aiolou str, Athens, tel. 0030 210 3247 925
Nisiotisa
At the edges of Penteli, in Vrilisia, the family fish tavern Nisiotisa opened in 1999. The three Kyriakopoulos brothers have created a unique destination for fish on the mountain, and the crowds it attracts are proof of its popularity and success. With a dedication to providing great service and using quality Greek ingredients they rightfully earn their place as one of the best fish taverns in Athens. The interior is roomy and light, and the white and blue give the subtle impression of being on an island of the Cyclades, while the corner fireplace keeps the hall warm. The garden, for the sunny days, is gorgeous, neat and just right for a relaxing meal. The menu consists mainly of perfectly executed traditional fish recipes. There’s a number of dishes you need to try, including the crispy fried cheese pie from Skopelos, the crunchy Symi shrimp and the dreamy crayfish meat that’s so soft and airy, you just can’t get enough. We particularly liked the prawn orzo – it was delicious with perfectly cooked prawns. For grilled fish lovers, it’s definitely worth trying one of the day’s fish over open fire.
168 Penteli Ave, Ano Vrilisia, tel. 0030 210 8032 957
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Psarou
Located in the centre of the charming Glyfada neighbourhood, Psarou is a modern fish tavern with great food and island vibes. The space is particularly nice, with large windows and a ceiling that opens up. The open plan kitchen, the stylish bar and the light-coloured straw chairs create a laidback, pleasant atmosphere, while the Greek music playing adds cheerfulness. Psarou combines traditional recipes with new culinary trends of Greek and international cuisine. The menu is long with dishes that are prepared daily on the premises.
The feast starts with meze on a tray and goes on with a large variety of tasty appetizers, salads and boiled greens and vegetables, main courses and desserts. Apart from the meze from the tray, it’s worth trying the fresh tuna tartare and the raw marinated seabass, as well as the grilled haloumi with spicy fig jam. The rocket salad with anevato cheese, tomato, croutons, thyme and balsamic and honey vinaigrette is rich and fresh. There are many great choices for the main course with delicious and perfectly grilled fresh fish, traditional recipes like fresh bearded umbrine fricassee with chicory and herbs, as well as dishes with a twist, like fresh mussels teriyaki with ginger and sweet chilli. It’s worth mentioning and, for those who have a taste for it, worth trying, that they have 50 different kinds of ouzo and tsipouro (traditional pomace raki) that can be seen on display around the restaurant and are from various areas of islandic and mainland Greece.
14 Lazaraki & Dousmani str, Glyfada, tel. 0030 210 9680 040
Garbi
The restaurant Garbi has been around, in Vouliagmeni, right by the blue waters of the Argosaronic gulf, since 1924. Its view is just magic. The space is particularly elegant, painted white, while the plants and the chic bouquets decorate the space. Large window panels all around, and a neat, discreet garden at the back, with tables and huge umbrellas. The restaurant is managed by the second the third generation today, with Mrs Angeliki, her daughter Elisabeth, and her nephew Pavlos continuously offering culinary delights to the restaurant’s regulars, using traditional recipes that have become favourites, while also adding some more modern touches. You’ll find tasty choices on the menu, made using fresh, quality ingredients.
Its airy, creamy tarama salad is one of the best in town, while the delicious aubergine salad with the smoky taste is absolutely worth trying. The velouté fish soup with the fish filet and the prawns is the highlight – the broth is prepared with a variety of fish and gives the soup a rich flavour. The seabass carpaccio, beautifully marinated and delicate in flavour, is very tasty, as is the crayfish meat with spicy mayonnaise. Those who like grilled fish should definitely try the fish of the day that comes daily from Leros, Crete and Andros and are masterfully grilled over coals.
21 Iliou & Selini str, Kavouri, tel. 0030 210 8963 48
Read also:
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Top 10 pizza spots in Athens – Neapolitan, classic or Canotto
