Marina views, a salt-tinged breeze, a final toast above the water—Athens tasting the sea.

A benchmark for fish and contemporary Greek seafood, Varoulko Seaside by chef Lefteris Lazarou—the chef who reshaped Athenian dining—remains firmly in the spotlight. It held a Michelin star from 2002 to 2024 and features in La Liste’s 2025 selection of the world’s top 1,000 restaurants.

Set on the Mikrolimano waterfront, with sailboat masts etched against the skyline, the room feels relaxed, cosmopolitan and discreetly luxurious. Outside, a refreshed deck and the rooftop terrace extend the experience al fresco hen the weather plays along.
Lazarou is a constant presence in the dining room—greeting, suggesting, fine-tuning—an instinctive host who seems to catch desires before they’re voiced.

The menu reflects a cuisine that has deepened the dialogue between tradition, product and technique. Fresh ingredients, clean aesthetics, bold pairings—and a few “house classics” that tell the story of Varoulko’s evolution rather than repeat it.

Signature touchstones

• Calamari with pesto, one of Lazarou’s early, era-defining plates.
• Crispy sea bream fillets on fried sourdough with pea purée, aubergine and carrot mousses, and tomato jam—kept on so newcomers learn and old friends remember.

Highlights from the current repertoire

• Fish soup with fresh tomato, stone-fish broth and dentex—aromatic, concentrated, warming.
• Shrimp tartare (Gulf shrimp) with basil, feta, a whisper of ouzo and Ossetra caviar.
• Red mullet ceviche with carrot, ginger, lemon and horseradish.
• Seared scallops with hazelnut crust, peach and pickled persimmon—texture meets bright fruit and cool acidity.
• Vegetable dolmas with chard, lemon and tomato—Greek to the core, and a strong vegetarian option.
• Orzo with shrimp, lifted by sweet wine from Lemnos, bukovo chili and Parmesan.
• Market fish fillet with Lefkada salami marmalade, celeriac, green apple and tarragon beurre blanc—precise and indulgent.
• Grilled calamari with creamy avocado, broccolini and squid ink—umami layered in black and green.

A vegetarian tasting can be arranged—think chilled cucumber soup with avocado, quinoa, or a wild-artichoke risotto—attesting to the kitchen’s range.

The tasting menu

Beyond the welcome bites (tuna tart in lace pastry with guacamole–soy–sesame; John Dory pâté with amaretto, Armagnac and orange), the progression often weaves in:

• Chilled cucumber soup with avocado cream, bottarga, lemon gel and a yogurt–cucumber broth.
• Sesame-crusted tuna with seaweed salad and soy glaze.
• Shrimp gyoza with lemongrass and lime sauce.
  (Compositions shift seasonally, but the rhythm—freshness, depth, clarity—stays constant.)

Pastry chef Theodoros Moisidis signs the finale with desserts that are cerebral yet comforting:

• Lemon Pie with ginger mousseline, lemon cream, almond sablé and tonka-pepper ice cream.
• “Bougatsa”—a playful, artful riff: caramelized filo “pages,” custard, milk-chocolate cremeux and orange sorbet (the plating nods to an antique book and inkwell).
• Chocolate—dark chocolate cremeux, Greek-coffee white chocolate, hazelnut namelaka, a lick of smoked aubergine gel, Vinsanto and lime sorbet.
• Peach—white-chocolate–chamomile mousse, peach compote, fennel cream, honey, oat biscuit and peach sorbet.

In the glass

The wine program is predominantly Greek and built for seafood—mineral whites, island varieties, thoughtful textures—with smart detours abroad when a pairing calls for it. Representative labels include an Attican Botanic Brut Sparkling Retsina (Savatiano) for a bright, saline start; Ēkhô White from Naxos (Potamisi–Aidani–Karabraim); Muscat Blanc from Samos; Malagousia from Tinos; Plyto/Thrapsathiri from Crete; Lagorthi from Aigialeia; and a mature Kydonitsa from Lakonia—each bringing a different coastline to the table.

As you leave, the marina lights ripple across the water. A touch of salt lingers, lemon lifts the memory, and you realise Varoulko is like the tide: one visit only makes you want to return.

Address: Akti Koumoundourou 52, Mikrolimano, Piraeus, tel. 210 522 8400