This is a relatively new, fancy Greek place from the same owners as the similarly fancy Kyma,…read morethough their interiors couldn't be more different, with the latter being bright and this place dark but still inviting. The restaurant spans two floors, with multiple staircases and an elevator, and our group of six was seated downstairs. There was one issue during service, but they made up for it, and the staff was otherwise friendly and professional. Before the meal, I had a cocktail at their upstairs bar since I arrived early. This was the $20 Aegean Silk with Stray Dog gin, masticha, citrus, and thyme honey, clarified with Greek yogurt. The drink was pleasant, with notes/flavors of anise, citrus, and something lightly botanical. The honey flavor was light, and overall, I liked it. Others enjoyed two of the $21 cocktails, the Pink Current and the Amber Coast. After ordering, they brought us sliced, toasted sourdough with olives, good-quality olive oil, and, uniquely, some whipped manouri cheese with a mild sweetness, presumably from honey or something similar.
My appetizer was the Hamachi Crudo for $29, with finger lime, citrus herb emulsion, and Aegean sea salt. The dish came with five meaty pieces of yellowtail, topped with finger lime and edible flowers, with the herb emulsion served in dollops on the side. The fish was terrific quality, and the finger lime added a nice bite of citrus while the herbs were mild. Overall, it was good. Others enjoyed the $26 Kalamári, the $26 Horiatiki, the $25 Grilled Halloumi, or the $33 Octopus Carpaccio. For the latter, they mistakenly brought out the grilled octopus, apologized, took it away, and updated the other person when it was about to be ready. On a side note, all the appetizers, except the halloumi, seemed quite big and worth the price.
For our main dish, three others and I split two grilled fish and two sides, while the other two who didn't have fish loved the $44 Short Rib Yiouvetsi. We went with the Fagri/Porgy, listed as firm and sweet, and the Lavraki/Sea Bass, listed as mild and delicate. The fish were MP per weight, and we ordered both fish for two people, and the fagri turned out to be around $102 while the lavraki was about $87. After bringing out the whole butterflied fish, the waiter asked if we wanted it portioned out, which was a nice gesture. They gave us each an adequate portion size, with my preference being the porgy, but that makes sense as I tend to like firmer fish, though there were unfortunately some bones in the otherwise deboned fish.
Both fish were cooked perfectly, and this place is particularly notable not for the fish itself but for its ladolemono, or olive oil and lemon sauce. Normally, I find this sauce on the lighter end, almost more like a lemony dressing, but in this case it was thicker and had a much stronger flavor while not overpowering the fish. While I prefer cheaper spots like Stamatis in Astoria or similar, I can't complain about the quality.
Better of the two sides was definitely the $18 Roasted Mushrooms with a mavrodafni reduction. This wasn't the typical/generic blend, with the mushrooms nicely cooked. The reduction had a mild sweetness and richness, but it wasn't oily or overdone. The Greek Fries for $16 were served with a feta sauce. The fries were nice and crispy, but I prefer the feta to be broken down like in other spots, as the sauce was a bit too mild. In fact, we all preferred dipping it in the ladolemono. For both, the portion size was nice, easily split among two to three people, more akin to a steakhouse.
Two of us gluttons decided to finish with the Ekmek Kataifi for $16, listed as shredded phyllo, light cream, and toasted pistachio. I liked that it wasn't overly sweet, with the cream being pillowy, but the citrus flavor was a bit lacking. Overall, it was good, but I prefer some other places.
If you like places like Milos, you'll probably enjoy this one. For a fancier Greek place, we had a good time.