A Sunny Afternoon In A Fish Tavern in Greece

After months of intermittent lockdowns and endless nights and days of doom scrolling and the chaos that has seemingly descended on just about every doorstep, it seems we’re finally turning a corner. And just in time, too. Easter in fast approaching and summer will be here faster than you can smash a plate. We, here at Athens Express, the premier destination company in Greece, prefer to focus on the positives, and while there isn’t a whole lot to you can point at and be happy about, there are plenty of lessons to be gleaned and things to rejoice about. Consider the humble Aegean fish population. After a full year of not overfishing the living heck out of the poor buggers, their stock replenished and certainly less stressed from less marine traffic from ocean liners and speedboats, we can expect a crop bump, as it were.

Fish tavern

Which brings us neatly to the crux of the gist: the iconic Greek fish tavern. Whether you’re up in Kefalonia, in the Ionian Islands or south in Crete, this time tested staple of Greek culture is a seal of quality family time. The Greek fish tavern has withstood the test of time and is probably comparable to the Acropolis in terms of marketability and public awareness.

Meze

So what do we order? Depending on the size of the party, you may want to start with the obvious; mezes. Or antipasti in Italy, tapas in Spain or hors d’oeuvre in France. These are the starters. The opening act before the headliners. That’s not to say that your food experience should follow a linear path. You can stick with mezes, and in fact, that’s preferable, for the essence of eating mezes consists of grabbing two or three dishes to be sampled as you drink ouzo or tsipouro with friends. You can then get up and go about your day, or carry on eating a more robust lunch, again, depending on how many carafes of ouzo you’ve had.

Lobster

Order some fried calamari in batter, a Greek salad, octopus and a fava puree to start with. Sardines, taramasalata or tzatziki to dip your fries in (fries are optional). And of course, you’ll want to try the red snapper with lemon and olive oil. Don’t forget the shrimp saganaki. Don’t ever forget the shrimp saganaki. As your travel agents, we have a moral duty, here. It will change your life. As your main course we say go big or go home. Get yourself a lobster spaghetti, or ‘astakomakaronada’. On a side note, we dare you to try saying that with a head full of ouzo. Lobster spaghetti is awesome. If you’re pressed opt for the shrimp spaghetti. Equally good, half as pricey.

A Sunny Afternoon In A Fish Tavern in Greece

By this point, the combination of the gentle Aegean waves, the summer breeze, the delectable food and the (hopefully) good company should have lifted your spirits enough to forget the last year. We say, come to Greece. Forget your troubles and enjoy the simple things in life. Greece has them all.

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