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Kollias Seafood Tavern in Piraeus, Greece

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Kollias is a tavern in a working class neighbourhood of Piraeus, near Athens, Greece.
 
It may be the best seafood tavern in Greece.
The Entrance Door
The Entrance Door
 
The owner has given the tavern its name, and quite deservedly so. He is always there, meeting the customers, cooking, serving, chatting. He is the heart, the mind, everything.
 
I visited the tavern on a Friday, when thousands of people were departing from the port of Piraeus for their summer holidays. The tavern was open, Kollias was there and so were the customers. The food I was going to taste required a rather strong drinki, so I opted for ouzo from the island of Chios, named “Apalarina”.

The first dish was “Asparagus of the Sea”. They come from the island of Lefkada. Incidentally, I saw some “greens of the sea” similar to them in the fish market in Venice, but do not recall how they are called in Italian.

 

Asparagus of the Sea
Asparagus of the Sea

The taste of sea prominent, crunchy and enjoyable.

He then served “Stuffed Mushrooms”. They had cheese, shrimps and clams with white wine. Quite tasty.

Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed Mushrooms

When it came to the fish, the chef recommended “katsoules”, a fish very popular in Piraeus and the Saronic Gulf Islands. They are like flattened red mullets. They are very tasty and juicy, although they are considered to be a humble fish.

"Humble" Katsoules
"Humble" Katsoules

To wrap the meal up, the chef brought another “B” fish, from the sea lake of Messolonghi, called “stiradi”.

The fish was grilled in “butterfly” mode, as you can see in the picture. Lightly fatty, juicy, tasty, great choice!!!

"Butterfly" Stiradi
"Butterfly" Stiradi

Overall, if you ever visit Athens, grab a cab and go to Kollias. You will not regret it.