Gialos Kalamaria: Authentic Fish and Seafood on the Thermaic Gulf

northgreecetaste

Oct 7

3 min read

Some restaurants you pick for the food, others for the view. Gialos in Kalamaria doesn't make you choose: it has both. Right by the Nautical Club, just past Palataki, it sits literally a breath away from the sea. Boats, seagulls, a little pier and the Thermaic Gulf stretching out wide in front of you set the scene for a table that smells like summer, even when the calendar says otherwise. The view wins you over at first glance, but the reason people have been coming back for more than 20 years is on the plate.

A story that began in 2004

Gialos opened in 2004 on Nikolaou Plastira, founded by Babis Arvanitopoulos and Alexis Pechlivanidis, two friends who met at a hotel in Kastoria, found each other again in Thessaloniki and decided to build a place of their own. They had already been working side by side in the restaurant business since 1990, and their philosophy was clear: good fish, quality ingredients, simple flavors and warm hospitality. Today, Kostas Arvanitopoulos has joined the team, keeping the family spirit alive. People from the early days still work here, and plenty of customers have gone from regulars to friends. Gialos doesn't chase the latest food trend. It has built its identity on consistency.

What to eat at Gialos

In the kitchen, led by Chef Petroula Xeli, the approach stays simple: fresh ingredients and cooking that lets the taste of the fish and seafood speak for itself. The menu is Greek and Mediterranean, with the sea's best catch in the starring role. Try the shrimp linguine, the shrimp orzotto, the ceviche and the seafood carpaccio, plus the fresh fish, grilled so the ingredient stays front and center. For a more classic table, there are steamed mussels, charcoal-grilled octopus, grilled or fried calamari, and small fresh fish, grilled or fried. And to start, handmade spreads, eggplant salad, freshly fried zucchini and crisp, refreshing salads.

Fresh fish and quality ingredients, every day

Behind a seemingly simple fish dish lies the quality of the ingredients. At Gialos, fresh fish and carefully selected seafood, excellent extra virgin olive oil and vegetables from small producers are the foundation of the kitchen. Long-standing relationships with suppliers keep the quality steady day after day, and the result is the Greek seafood cooking you know and love, made with care and done right.

What to drink with your fish and seafood

You can stick with tradition: ouzo or tsipouro pair perfectly with the mezes. If you're a wine person, there's a selection of labels that works as well with a light ceviche as with a whole grilled fish, and there are beer options too.

Dining by the sea in Kalamaria

From the tables at Gialos, the Thermaic Gulf is within arm's reach. The scenery changes through the day, from the clear light of midday to the colors of sunset. That's why the place suits a relaxed lunch of fish and ouzo, a family get-together or a slow dinner with a view. It's not just "a restaurant with a view": the sea is part of its identity and shapes the menu and the whole experience.

Gialos: a lasting favorite for fish in eastern Thessaloniki

With a refreshed kitchen team but the same philosophy since day one, Gialos carries on in Aretsou and Nea Krini, true to what made its name. Fresh fish and seafood, Mediterranean flavors, personal service and a table right on the Thermaic Gulf. After more than 20 years, Gialos still feels like Gialos.