Food review: Fish taverna ‘Estiatorio o Tasos’ (‘Εστιατόριο ο Τάσος’)

Before returning to The Netherlands in the beginning of Oktober, we went on one final excursion to a popular little port-town in Greece called Galaxidi (‘Γαλαξίδι’ or alternatively ‘Γαλαξείδι’). And a friend who currently lives there had recommended a particular fish taverna (‘ψαροταβέρνα’) to try: ‘Estiatorio o Tasos’ (‘Εστιατόριο ο Τασος’; literally ‘Restaurant Tasos’). So we did. And this is my review of that establishment.

Restaurant Tasso in Galaxidi, Greece

It wasn’t busy when we arrived, but we did arrive a tad early for Greek standards and it definitely got busier later. During high-season I would advise arriving early to get a table, or perhaps make a reservation. Otherwise be prepared to wait a little.

I have seen at least two reviews on google mentioning that their meat dishes aren’t the best in town. Now I’m not going to outright say ‘don’t order meat’, but this is a seafood restaurant, located right next to the harbour. What do you expect? Going out of your way to visit a fish taverna in the port and then complaining about their meat dishes, is a lot like walking into a whiskey bar and complaining about their beer selection. We did not order any meat dishes, so I cannot comment on them, but I’m almost certain that they will be just decent at best, no more no less. The seafood, however, is something else!

Fresh ice for the ouzo

First thing we ordered was the horta (‘χόρτα’ literally ‘green stuff’). The patron felt obliged to warn us that this horta was a tad bitter, but I actually prefer it that way. It was still warm when it arrived (which is the way to serve it; in many tavernas it unfortunately arrives cold at your table) and had a light bitter taste to it. Very nice. I would say slightly above average.

Ouzo ‘d’Artemis’ blue — Good ouzo from Athens

We also ordered a little bottle of ouzo, and asked for something not too strong. The waitress suggested this brand of ouzo from Athens; d’Artemis Blue (see photo). The bottle was served together with the original glasses—which isn’t common practice in Greece—and it’s a nice touch that Belgian customers especially will surely appreciate. This ouzo was quite fragrant, full of aromatic volatiles from the aniseed, yet not overly sweet and not too ‘strong’ (which is exactly what we asked for). A good one for sure!

Below is a photographic overview of all the food we ordered; horta, fried squid, fried shrimp, fried fish, and fried octopus.

The fried squid was almost perfect, but we felt it was lacking is a bit of crunch in its crust. The fried shrimp were also very tasty, but didn’t really stand out: no better than you’ll typically find in many other fish tavernas. The fried fish however… WOW, just WOW! This blew our minds! You could literally taste the sea, and these were perfectly fried. Simply one of the best, freshest fish I’ve ever had. The grilled fresh octopus was the second favourite, very nicely grilled; good char, soft tender meat.

En plo‘ ouzo (‘εν πλω’), from Patra.

Half-way through this feast, we ordered a second bottle of ouzo; ‘en plo’ (‘εν πλω’) by the Camari distillery located in Patra. Again a mild variety, but a tad stronger and a bit more neutral than the d’Artemis. And also again, we got two new glasses to match the ouzo brand. This is not common at all, and I think it’s a very nice touch. But when it comes to the flavour, I think I preferred the d’Artemis more; that one is close to the top ten of best ouzakis I’ve had. But this is just my personal taste preference of course. Both ouzos are of excellent quality.

Chocolate tiramisu

We finished the meal with this complementary little sweet: chocolate tiramisu. Not a typical greek desert, but it was still nice and—considering how heavy tiramisu can be—surprisingly light.

The price was reasonable, about average for a decent fish taverna, certainly considering the enormous amount of food we had. We stayed a night in Galaxidi and departed the next day, but not before having a coffee at the establishment next to the taverna. While enjoying a nice ‘freddo cappucino’, we watched a small boat with a fisherman at the helm slowly pass by in front of us as it was leaving the harbour, probably on its way to catch more seafood for that evening’s menu. Straight from the sea onto your plate. I would definitely eat again at Restaurant Tasos in Galaxidi. Recommended.