Margaro is an institution. Locals still tell stories about this legendary woman: about her tireless work ethic, impeccable housekeeping, and strength of character. She came from Mykonos to Piraeus with her husband Giannis before the war. He found work at the port as a coal loader. Near Church of Saint Nicholas, by the old exhibition center of the Piraeus Port Authority, below the Hydriot quarter where the shipping companies stand today, there used to be the coal depots, or karvouniarika – for years, that is what the whole area was called.

Originally, Margaro opened a small basement cookshop near Tzaneio Hospital to feed the workers of the neighbourhood. In 1944, she moved to Hatzikyriakeio, right next to the gate of the Hellenic Naval Academy, taking over an old wine taverna owned by a man from Santorini who was selling after the bombings had shaken Piraeus. Fearless and farsighted, Margaro seized the chance to establish her own spot.

Older residents remember her at the stoves, commanding two large kerosene burners with unmatched skill, preparing stews or fried dishes for craftsmen, sailors, and dockworkers alike. Families in the area would also buy their wine there, poured from the large barrels kept in the basement.

In the 1970s, her son Lazaros took over, transforming the shop into a proper fried seafood taverna. For a while, it operated as a self-service eatery: the pans were always hot, and diners helped themselves as much as they wanted. Today, apart from a renovation and the ordering system, little has changed. The third generation – her grandsons Giannis, Kostas, and Spyros – continues the family tradition, keeping Margaro timeless.

The menu is gloriously simple. Shrimp or crayfish, red mullet or striped red mullet – occasionally pandora fish if available – and that’s it. The fish arrives crisp and juicy, dusted generously with coarse salt. Shrimp come unpeeled, inviting diners to eat with their hands and a bit of playful technique. Every table gets a fresh village salad and a crusty loaf of bread.

Nestled at the end of Hatzikyriakou Street at the start of Piraiki, Margaro is the oldest fried seafood taverna in Greece; but it is also a rite of passage, a living postcard of Piraeus, where diners are initiated into a sacred experience shared equally by everyone.

Originally published in Greek at gastronomos.gr.