Thalassinos

Friday, May 14, 2010
Thalassinos is well-known fish and seafood taverna in Tzitzifies, behind the Onassis Heart Hospital. Its been the darling of gourmandes in this town for a little more than two decades. Prices here have remained steady over the past few years, but fish and seafood are dear. Nonetheless, for the quality of the raw ingredients and the friendly, accommodating service, I have always felt that Thalassinos is a good deal. Lately, though, I’ve seen a slight downturn in what the kitchen prepares. I don’t know if it’s a phase. I recall better meals here, where the zeitgeist was utter simplicity. Some of the dishes we sampled on a recent visit were a bit muddled. Nonetheless, what is always the piece de resistance here is fresh shell fish and the all-Greek fish, grilled and super fresh. Other recommended dishes include: plump medium-sized Greek sardines, cooked up Salonika style, on the grill and sprinkled with raw onion and boukovo (hot pepper flakes), perfectly prepared; roasted chunky eggplant salad, with specks of green pepper and tomatoes; a potato-smoked herring salad with chopped carrots; rice and octopus salad, with a briny aftertaste that makes it perfect for ouzo; spanakorizo (spinach rice pilaf) mixed with bits of shrimp and raisins, served with a drizzling of saffron-orange sauce; seafood dolmades stuffed with rice, raisins, pine nuts and a medley of chopped seafood. Dessert is simple at Thalassinos: signature chocolate soufflĂ© and shredded wheat pastry (kataifi) filled with cheese and topped with mastiha-favored ice cream are the best things to order. Cuisine: all the fruits of the sea. Famous fish taverna, with imaginative strokes and great ingredients. Decor: cozy and comfortable, bright room with less clutter and a summery lightness, beige walls, shutters and woodwork a seafoam green. Service: Excellent. Wine list: Excellent. house wine, Greek wines, beer, ouzo. Prices: 35-50 euro per person. Address: Irakleous and 32, Lysikratous str., Tzitzifies, Tel: 210-9404518

3 comments:

Luna at: May 24, 2010 at 5:24 PM said...

I am enjoying all these notes. I'll be in Athens for the first time in 30 years - I'm only staying two nights, so am anxious to find some good places. Then off to Symi for two weeks. I would love to know ideas for Symi. I am interested in the cooking of the Dodecanese, and want to learn mroe about it.

thalassa_mikra at: June 13, 2010 at 5:54 AM said...

Diane, It's such a great pleasure to be able to read your reviews. I have two of your books and have cooked extensively from the recipes - your recipe gives me the best tsoureki I've ever tasted!

By the way, the reason why your Matsuhisa blackened cod tastes like no other cod is because it actually isn't cod at all! What Matsuhisa serves is "black cod", also known as butterfish in North America.

Peter M at: December 21, 2010 at 4:54 AM said...

Diane, this is the psarotaverna I visited based on this review.

We dined here in late August and our server stated it was their first day open since the August holidays.

Half the menu wasn't avaialble, the dishes that did arrive were hit & miss and the prices didn't not match the mediocre flavours.

Perhaps they should have delayed opening after the holidays?

I would give Thallasa another try after verifying the full menu is on offer.