Elias Corner

Elias Corner is a Greek seafood restaurant with the kind of old New York charm that has, at this point, almost completely disappeared. You’ll have a great meal here, yes, but you’ll also find a celebratory experience built upon the simplest of things—a quintessential component of the city’s endangered identity.

Astoria isn’t just the largest Greek enclave in New York; it’s one of the largest (by population) in the world outside of Greece. The neighborhood is silly with places to tuck into mousaka and spanikopita, but it’s also got quite a few pick-your-own seafood restaurants. While all of them will ably grill or fry your picks, Elias Corner is the only one with a big backyard and serves alcohol. 

Walk in, and you’ll find that old-school feel, working-class chic with a drop ceiling. It’s like an old friend. Check out the display case and the board to see what’s available—there’s no menu. The yard is big and lively, most of the time with families. The servers are in on it, warm and encouraging of fun. It’s white plastic chairs and string lights, so feel free to show up in shorts and a T-shirt.

The food is prepared simply: sea creatures, lightly seasoned, either grilled or fried. Every meal is supported by glugs of good olive oil and the acid tang of vinegar and/or fresh lemon. Fried sardines and grilled octopus are almost always available, so order either or both, a salad to get some big salty lactic hunks of feta, potatoes to soak up whatever’s left on your plate, a bottle or two of wine to make you slow down and savor your evening, your company, the experience. And you should savor every last morsel in both the gastronomic and cultural senses. If Elias ever goes away, you won’t find anything like it again, at least not in this city.