“Theodoros and Eleni” in Legrena is the whole Greek sea on your plate
The restaurant "Theodoros and Eleni" may not be located in front of the sea, but its reputation has travelled all over Attica, leading Athenians and tourists to Legrena to try its seafood - but especially the unsurpassed steamed mussels with feta that made it famous.
- 19/07/2023
Just before Sounion and shortly after your swim at Legrena, if you are lucky enough to find a table, you will eat the most delicious mussels of Attica at the restaurant “Theodoros and Eleni”. They arrive in front of you in no time, fresh, steamed, bathed in a velvety feta sauce, rhythmically clinking together and inviting you. Just a tip: Be prepared to get your hands dirty!
The restaurant, despite the fact that it’s not on the seaside and not easily caught by your eye, has managed to gain a good reputation thanks to its flavours and “alternative” suggestions. In “Theodoros and Eleni” you will not only find the classic seafood dishes, instead you will discover an interesting menu with choices that leave no room for second thoughts as to whether to choose them. But how did it all start?
“The history of the restaurant goes back to 1986,” explains Nikos Nikoloutsopoulos, son of Theodoros and Eleni and a member of the second generation – along with his sister – who has now taken over the restaurant. “Back then, my parents started the business with fish, but also with some meat options. Slowly, it became just fish and seafood. Since the mid-90s our focus has been exclusively there,” he adds.
The family’s goal was to create something new. Something that wouldn’t remind you of the traditional fish taverns, but would marry some of their elements with extra touches of their own. Around the end of 1989, mussels entered the equation, which they sourced, as they still do, from Thessaloniki. “Today, you will hardly see mussels missing from any table,” Nikos tells me. But apart from the mussels, I also tried the handmade carrot gnocchi with prawns, which surprised me mainly thanks to their – slightly – chewy texture and rich flavour.
Then, the intriguing title of one of the dishes on the menu challenged me to discover it. It was a one-way street. It’s Shrimp_must.gr (admit it, you want to know what it is too). It’s the newest addition to the menu and is essentially a great steamed rice with butter, garlic, carob, mustard seeds and soy, topped with freshly cooked sea-scented shrimp. As the title says, so I’ll agree: this is a must-try dish.
A special mention here deserves the plate called “the variety of salads”, served in four sizes: greens, beetroot, tomato, rocket, cabbage, lettuce, fava beans and black-eyed peas land with the “good evening” on the table, making the formerly protagonist rustic redden. And if you’re looking for an appetizer to order, we recommend the fried feta balls with honey and cardamom that will whet your appetite and prepare you properly for what’s to come.
At the same time, at “Theodoros and Eleni” you will find fresh fish, from small fish like shrimp or anchovy to large fish of the day, depending on the catch. Their fish is sourced from the surrounding area, mainly from Lavrio. Note that in all dishes the portions are more than generous.
The table is completed with the right spirit and the restaurant has a rich selection of tsipouro and ouzo to find the ideal one to suit your tastes. Feel free to ask them anything you want about them so you can make the right choice.
So after your summer dives, and throughout the winter, as it remains open, “Theodoros and Eleni” becomes a favorite destination for seafood specialties, with recipes that have remained unchanged through the years and with quality that “remains non-negotiable”, as Nikos Nikoloutsopoulos emphasizes.
Plus: A few metres down the road you’ll find their second restaurant with the same name and the exact same menu, run by Nikos’ other sister – the only difference being that there you can sit down for dinner under the olive trees, in a more island setting.