Affordable tavernas and ouzeries in Piraeus that stay true to simplicity and authenticity.
There’s a distinct charm when you stroll along the seafront in Piraiki and Mikrolimano, it’s as if you’re carried through time, one step back and one towards today. Your ticket for this different cosmic journey is the blue-and-white tavernas and ouzeris that have been setting tables a breath from the Saronic’s blue for decades, as if time has stood still.
They stand by simplicity, authenticity, the classic. Families and friends have tended their kitchens for years, serving without any frills fresh little fish from the caiques that come in and traditional seafood that pampers us while respecting our wallets. Let’s go wander among them...
Ormos Aphroditis for Cretan meze
The seafarer Kostas Antonodimitrakis dropped anchor in Piraiki at the sweet little Ormos tis Afroditis. Since 1981, together with his wife Niki, they’ve been treating us to Cretan hospitality with goodies from their home village, Kalyvia Monofatsiou. Their menu may not be big, but it’s select, with products they bring themselves from their island and fresh ingredients sourced from nearby producers and fishermen. When the catch arrives, Kostas deftly fries the small fish and grills the bigger ones just right. He’s an expert in seafood, especially squid and shrimp, and as a true Cretan he makes magical boubouristoi snails, which you must try with a little ouzo. Akti Themistokleous 288, Piraeus
Akri for delicacies from Kasos
And from Crete we travel, taste-wise, to beautiful Kasos, to a fish taverna that truly breathes an island breeze. White tables and blue chairs by Akti Themistokleous set the scene for Kassiot dishes, with the signature being the delicate, handmade dolmadakia. Of course, there are also many seafood options—grilled, fried and stewed. First of all, the cod with skordalia, which is fantastic and a reason to visit Akri, and then the crispy lilliputian shrimp and the honeyed cuttlefish. Akti Themistokleous 298, Piraeus
O Diasimos for unmissable fish soup
We continue our wander with the Saronic as a backdrop and drop anchor at the family restaurant that has been serving tasty dishes to Piraeus locals and beyond for over sixty years. O Diasimos is sailing into its new era with Fotis Kourouniotis, the next generation, at the helm. Fotis is a talented chef with drive and love, and a legacy from his parents—the craft of treating the sea’s treasures right. His fish soup delights the palate, and his langoustine pasta is so flavorful and generous that it’s a feast for the eyes as well. Akti Themistokleous 208, Piraeus
Vagg-Eir
Right above the sea in Mikrolimano, Vangelis and Eirini created their fish taverna twenty-five years ago. To this day they haven’t changed at all and faithfully continue to serve the finest ingredients. Frying is their strong suit. The calamari and shrimp come out light, airy, crisp and at the same time juicy. Pair them with their own crab salad and a refreshing dakos. If you’d like to order something more, look between the kritharoto and the cod. The kritharoto is as it should be and the cod nicely cooked. Akti Koumoundourou 32, Mikrolimano
O Faros for shellfish
A meze eatery has been showing us the way to pure, flawless seafood dining since 1995. On its menu, all the sharing meze parade by. Dakos, taramasalata, crab salad, marinated anchovies and octopus fritters. Then we move on to the day’s catch, where we can choose from what the fisherman brought in. Porgy, red mullet, baby red mullet, dentex depending. We advise you not to skip a first plunge into the venus clams, cockles and mussels—they’re briny and redolent of iodine. And between us don’t leave without a generous bite of the cuttlefish stewed in wine and tomatoes. The cuttlefish is melt-in-the-mouth and the sauce thick, fragrant and so tasty it begs for bread. Akti Themistokleous 234, Piraeus
Thea Thalassa
Dressed very elegantly in whites and blues, this taverna invests in the unmatched view and all the sea’s goodies. At whichever little table with the checkered tablecloth you sit, you enjoy the magical frame that holds Salamina, the Saronic and Aegina. The voyage sets off with dishes that flirt harmoniously with tradition as well as modern renditions. We succumb in both cases. On the one hand to well-crafted ceviche and carpaccio, and on the other to oysters, grilled sea bass and linguine with shrimp. For fresh fish, just ask what has come in from the caiques. Tip: Pick a tsipouro or ouzo as well from the well-curated selection. Akti Themistokleous 344, Piraeus
Psaroskala
At Psaroskala, one of the prettiest little tavernas in Piraiki, everything is cared for, from the space to the recipes that follow to the letter the instructions of old seamen. We step inside and our eyes light up; above us hang yellow and blue little boats. On the walls, painted parts of big fish take center stage, and on the tables the most art deco tablecloth stands out with species of fish and seafood. We sit on painted yellow or blue café chairs and enjoy a well-grilled fresh fish. At the back of the place, after all, there’s a large fish counter to make choosing easier. Akti Themistokleous 214, Piraeus
Ta Vrachia tis Peiraikis
Final stop at one of the oldest fish tavernas in the area, the one that " shouts" Kalymnos everywhere. You’ll grasp it at once by looking at the wall dominated by the map of Kalymnos. Sponges take the lead in the décor and there’s a reason for that. Its owner, Manolis Magklis, hails from there and has brought all his love for the island into his ouzeri. So we don’t stop at the wrapping but at the substance too. Many of the fish and seafood on the menu come fresh from the Ithoula fishmonger’s in Kalymnos, and most of the recipes have Kalymnian roots. Don’t leave, then, without tasting the local island spinialo. Akti Themistokleous 300, Piraeus
Source: Reader.gr
