Fish Tavern Thalassa @ Elefsina

One warm Sunday in February, we made a short trip to Elefsina (Eleusis).

Of course it is the ancient cult centre of Eleusinian mystery and there is a splendid archaeological site with museum (photos in Gate to Greece), while the modern Elefsina town is an industrial & small port town.

After a walk along the port, we stopped at a fish restaurant called Thalassa.

It is close to the sea, but there is not view to it. The outdoor tables are pleasant enough, though.

As all the fish restaurant in Greece, there was a selection of large fish sold by weight, but we did not take it and chose from the menu.

Grilled bread & tzatziki.

Nothing particular. Just fine.

Lettuce and cabbage salad was a bit odd. A half the bowl was chopped lettuce and dill, and the other bowl was sliced and marinated cabbage.

And here are main courses. Fried calamari.

I was disappointed when I saw them, because the squids are small and thin, but on tasting them, my disappointment turned out to be unfounded. They were very sweet and soft.

The second main course was grilled sardines.

Again pretty good. Edible to the bones.

The only problem was fried potatoes.

Regardless of their anaemic colour, they tasted good albeit quite oily. The problem was that they turned up only when we finished half of the main course. They were close to become our dessert! Although there were several waiters and the restaurant WASN'T full, either they or maybe the kitchen, or both were not coping well.

The total of above all was 25 Euro only. Very good value for money for the quality of food. We would love to come back, especially when there isn't much people.

Thalassa- Θάλασσα
Kanelopoulou 9, Elefsina
Κανελοπούλου 9, Ελευσίνα
Tel. 210 554 6585

Roadside Bakery Giannoulaki

Heading toward Peloponnesus, we stopped at this roadside bakery called Giannoulaki. It is near Elefsina and just after Shell Gas station.

It is a huge shop and there is also a huge variety of sweets, breads, and snacks as well as coffees.

There is no place to sit down. A constant stream of people just bought whatever they wanted and drove away.

We bought a huge ham and cheese pie with tomato sauce for 2.20 euro. It was really big and tasty. Frappe was 1.50 Euro.

Well recommendable for snacking when you drive for Peloponnesus from Athens.

Aigaio @ Elefsina

I have already told you that we had been to Elefsina (Eleusis) (and I think I also told you also not to go to Ramnous on weekends as the site is closed due to labour dispute; REMEMBER if you are an amateur archaeologist).

Here are some more photos from Elefsina.

Entrance to the archaeological site was free, as it was a Sunday in March. There was a group of Russian women visiting it with a guide. I guessed it was a sort of KAPI excursion of Russian community in Athens.



I have to update Eleusis section of Gate to Greece with new photos.

And the lunch!

At the moment we finished the visit, GH was very hungry and wanted to settle on somewhere near. I used my smartphone to locate one and went.

Aigaio



It is a small fish taverna very close to the archaeological site.

The menu is short with usual items of Greek psarotavernes. We ordered some humble dishes.

Here are red wine, bread, salad and taramosalata.



The salad I think was called DIAFORI, with cabbage, celery, red pepper, parsley, and cauliflower, all marinated in salt-vinegar dressing so that they are like pickled. Nice.

Taramosalata, which was slightly green due to the presence of parsley, was one of the best I have eaten (although I have to admit that I do not eat taramosalata at restaurants often). Not too salty and not too oily.

I liked the wine. I think I prefer cheap new wine than the barreled and matured ones.

Fried calamari were very good. Sweet and succulent. I ate fried calamari recently at the taverna Tripodos in Plaka and I can tell you that there was no comparison.



I ordered also grilled sardines.



Also delicious. Mmmmmm.

We had also fried potatoes (which were very average) and the bill came to less than 30 Euro (28, if I remember well).

Of course it is not a destination restaurant, but if we happen to be in Elefsina, we will be happy to go back.

Aigaio
Aischylou 3, Elefsina

After the lunch, we walked toward the port to digest and have a cup of coffee. We stopped at a cafeteria called Friends.



It was a very nice Sunday afternoon.

Elefsina revisited

Today we revisited Elefsina after 9 years.

Actually I wanted to visit Ramnous for the first time but my prudent phone discovered that the site is closed on Saturdays and Sundays because of the labour controversy of the guardians. I had heard that an agreement was reached with the state, but evidently it was not for all he sites.

Anyway the man on the phone told me I should protest to the Eforia (I am not sure how to translate it, but it is the office that manages the sites and museums), which you bet I will not.

In Eleusis, the archaeological site and museum were as I remembered from 9 years ago, but the town of Elefsina was more beautiful than in my memory. There are now many nice restaurants and cafeterias. I guess there are many shops as well, but it is difficult to perceive that on Sundays.

The nostalgic Greeks might say that in the drachma era it was easier to live than now, but to my eyes it is difficult to deny that the Greece has gotten richer from the material point of view since the introduction of Euro. Of course the life is more complex than it wants to be and the more money did not make the life easier, because it brought new expectations and by consequence also disappointments.

Anyway, we will be visiting Elefsina if it manages to be beautiful as it is now.

Lesser Propylaia of Eleusis and Italian Agora of Delos

  

This weekend I added an entry of the Lesser Propylaia to Eleusis section, and another of the Agora of the Italians to Delos section.

Agora of the Italians (or Competialists or Hermaists)
http://www.mesogeia.net/trip/delos/delosagoraitalians_en.html

Lesser Propylaia
http://www.mesogeia.net/trip/eleusis/eleusisspropylaia_en.html

Great Propylaea, Eleusis

  

Yesterday, I added two entries to Eleusis.

Great Propylaia
http://www.mesogeia.net/trip/eleusis/eleusisgpropylaia_en.html

Sacrificial Altar (Eschara)
http://www.mesogeia.net/trip/eleusis/eleusiseschara_en.html

Eleusis

  

Four pages of various monuments in Eleusis were added.

Hiera Odos
Temple of Artemis
Sacred Well
Ploutoneion

Eleusis (Elefsina in modern Greek) is an extensive archaeological site near Athens. Regardless of its size and historical importance, it is not very popular to the tourists, probably because it lacks in any major monument, I mean, for example, there is no still standing temple there. And the place is not really attrative; Elefsina is now an industrial area of Athens, and there is scarsely anything recommendable (well, except this site).
Even so, it is certainly a must site for the antiquity lovers.