Taverna Irene Official — Restaurant in Thassos Municipality

Open lesson - "How to do business the Greek way"

Tuesday, September 2, 7:30 p.m. We decide that today we will have dinner earlier. For today I have chosen Taverna Irene - Official . The rating is promising. Although it is early for dinner time, 20-30 people are waiting in front of the restaurant. Everything is full - maybe 250-300 visitors. I think I will have to look for an alternative, but a large table of 10-12 people is freed up. The waiters rush, clean, rearrange and three tables for 4 people each are obtained. A thin and smiling woman appears and quickly seats 3 groups of waiting people. We decide that we will wait for a table. The lady conductor asks us how many we are and gestures to us to wait. Waiters fly past us with huge trays. They are all men and act as a team. After 30-40 minutes, our hour comes - the lady (her name is Otilia) seats us and apologizes for the wait. An elderly waiter gives us a menu in Bulgarian (there are also Romanian, German, English and maybe other languages). We make a modest order - draft beer, 0.5 l of white wine, Greek salad, grilled cheese, bread, water and a seafood platter for two. I hesitate whether it is not too little and thank God that my greed does not prevail. A huge salad arrives, which is enough for at least three and a platter, which is enough to feed at least six. Everything is uniquely delicious. The base of the platter is at least a kilo of fried potatoes, and on them there are mussels, squid, shrimp, octopus, several different fish - about 3-4 kg of ready-made food. We enjoy the food, and the queue is still the same. Otilia conducts the orchestra of waiters, they fly with trays of food, serve and rearrange tables. By 10:00 PM it's calmer, but people keep coming. We've managed to eat about 2/3 of the food, and everyone knows that I eat a lot, and so when I think about it, I have no conscious memory of having half the salad left. It's time for the bill. Before we pay, they bring us ice cream as a compliment from the establishment. The ubiquitous Otilia comes with a 0.2 l bottle of ouzo, she gives it to me as a gift for visiting them. We leave with heavy stomachs and hearts full of emotions. I think about how difficult it is to have an Otilia in...

In reality it's worth just 4 stars... But Romanians are very welcomed here so... 5 it is. The food is good, the service is fast but they are so busy after 7.30 PM. The waiters and busboys are running around like headless chickens. After a while it gets tiring. It's like being on the Wall Street Exchange floor. One can pass over this, but I can barely accept the fact that they did not had mousaka at 6.30 PM (advertised as day special on the black board) and refused some menu items cause "the grill is to busy" with orders. We asked for feta grill and garlic bread and cheese but got offer instead an amazing cheese deep. It was really yummy so a good trade off. But one remember these things :) Honestly it's an overrated place due to good social media hype. I'll give it a second try but with waaaaaaaaaaay less expectation and report back. Menu items are a bit on the pricey side, one litre lemon juice at 10 euros was probably half and half store bought lemon concentrate juice (we know it as Hellas) and fresh lemon juice - there was some lemon pulp in the jug so let's say it's half and half. In Limenaria same 1 litre lemon juice was just 4 euros and the taste was absolutely divine. Also the presentation was a bit strange... Tzatziki on a pasticio plate? Ahm, in fact on every plate... So temper your taste buds expectarions, come early, enjoy some pricey food in the middle of some loud mouth not so civil Eastern Europeans from the Black Sea shores. Also be prepared to have the stuff attention only until they take your order, afterwards it's a matter of luck. We asked for the bill from our busboy because the waiter was in Tasmanian Devil mode. Strangely we also received the complimentary desert plate with ice cream and typical greek donut balls. Was a nice unexpected surprise. The other fameous place right next Irene's did not bother with complimentary sweets. But that's a different story for a different review. In conclusion I'll try Irene's one more time but with way more less expectations. To be...

My family and I recently had the pleasure of dining at a Greek tavern " Irene" on the beach in Thasos Island, six times over ten days – and each visit was a delight! Our group of four adults and three children were warmly welcomed by the friendly staff who made us feel right at home from the moment we arrived. The location of the tavern is simply stunning, with breathtaking views of the crystal-clear waters at sunset. The menu offered a fantastic selection of traditional Greek dishes, and everything we ordered was delicious. The adults indulged in a variety of freshly caught seafood, including grilled octopus and a mouthwatering seafood platter, while the children enjoyed classic Greek favorites like souvlaki and moussaka. The portions were generous, and every dish was bursting with flavor, showcasing the rich culinary heritage of Greece.

What truly set this dining experience apart was the exceptional service. The staff were attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about the food they served. They went above and beyond to ensure that both the adults and children were comfortable and happy throughout the meal.

As a delightful surprise, the tavern presented us with complimentary gifts at the end of our meal. The adults received a bottle of locally produced wine or a glass of champagne and the children were thrilled with their small, hand-crafted souvenirs. This thoughtful gesture made our visits even more special and left us with cherished memories of our...