Four restaurants to enjoy meat, fish and Italian dishes near the still waters of Evripos in the quiet city of Chalkida.
EUBOUS
It is named after the ancient name of Evia, which means "good cattle." Behind the establishment are chef Dimitris Magiras and his two partners, Christos Frantzis and Yiannis Pappas. Most of the meat they use is Greek—from Veria—but they also work with selected farms abroad.
They specialise in sirloin steak, T-bone, rib eye, American picanha, and matured meats (dry aged 30 days).
On the menu, you will also find goat macaroni with local goat and "tyrota," i.e., the local handmade gogges pasta poured with hot extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with grated dry myzithra.
It is located above the water, and it has an industrial design, an open kitchen, and a raised terrace facing the Evripos Ferry and the Old Bridge.
Chalkida, Archiepiskopou Makariou 1, Karambabas, tel. 22210 37877
Tsafaki
Tsafaki is a breath of fresh air on the Old Bridge. The restaurant has an amazing view and is decorated in blue and white. It also has tables on the sidewalk next to the sea.
The menu covers all categories of seafood. Crabs, ceviche and carpaccio, prawn noodles, crispy prawns, raw scallops (and oysters).
In short, all these seafood delicacies and mezes are why you come to Chalkida. Plus, there is an impressive list of wines and spirits.
Chalkida, Archiepiskopou Makariou 5, tel. 22210 94600
Le souk casual fine dining
The restaurant, opened by Thodoris Bitsios and Elsa Karamouzis nine months ago, offers Italian cuisine with an emphasis on pasta, especially pinsa romana. This dish has thinner and lighter dough than pizza and is made with slow-ripening dough for at least 48-72 hours.
Try the pinsa featuring pumpkin marinated in lime and mint and topped with goat cheese and basil pesto.
Also try the the fresh ravioli stuffed with pecorino, parmesan and pepper (like the sauce of the classic cacio e pepe pasta), the pappardelle with veal cheeks (pulled) slow-cooked in the oven for 5-6 hours, the risotto with pumpkin and gorgonzola, as well as teres major from American black angus beef grilled.
The fresh gelato in many flavours that Thomas makes with his own hands is wonderful, particularly the pistachio flavour.
It stretches next to the beach, with a raised terrace and tables on the quiet pedestrian street from where you can see the sea.
Chalkida, Ermou 10, Center, tel. 6978008832
Alati
Chef and owner Vangelis Bitikoukis grew up in his grandfather's fish tavern, where he was a fisherman. Next to him and his father, from whom he took over the taverna, he learned the secrets of fishing. So when the tavern passed into his hands in 2017, he turned it into a seafood restaurant. 80% of the fish and seafood comes from the Evian Gulf, and the rest from the Aegean.
They make them in the pan and on the grill, but they also prepare many raw dishes (carpaccio of pelagic sea bass, scallops with orange and chilli, Aegean tuna as a tataki—with very light grilling on the outside—crayfish as a tartare, or even large shrimp if they can find them).
They also have stews: black risotto with cuttlefish or seafood like paella, shrimp pasta, and excellent barley risotto with shrimp, garlic, and lemon. Quite a few appetisers are served, such as fava beans with herring that they smoke themselves, crab salad with blue crab, etc.
The shop is simple and dressed in white. It has a terrace with a view of the harbour and tables across the street and sidewalk.
Chalkida, Agia Marina (opposite the Sailing Club), tel. 22210 52394
Artemis Gitzi is a columnist for Cantina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.
READ MORE: ERGON HOUSE: A vertical herb garden in the centre of Athens.
