Agnanti
Greek restaurant · Astoria ·
Grilled seafood & Greek island fare with patio seating
Grilled seafood & Greek island fare with patio seating
"This Greek restaurant near Astoria Park is pretty low-key compared to some of the neighborhood’s more central spots, but it’s very atmospheric, with lanterns on the walls and a little iron stove on the corner. And the food is excellent, from the simple $13 saganaki, an excellent moussaka, or their comforting $25 rooster dish, cooked in tomato sauce with hilopites. Get a couple of glasses of retsina, or splash out a little on the whole branzino." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"If you put Agnanti Meze on the Lower East Side, there would be a line to get in every single night. That’s how good the food here is. Fortunately for you, this place is in Astoria, where there’s an abundance of quality Greek food - and you could probably stop by and get a table right now. This place serves some of the best grilled octopus in the neighborhood, and they also make some very good dips and a bunch of things wrapped in puff pastry that you’ll think about while you lie awake at night. Bring a date or a big group, and go for a walk through Astoria Park (across the street) afterward." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, neha talreja, carina finn koeppicus
"This Greek restaurant on Ditmars Boulevard serves some of the best grilled octopus in the neighborhood, as well as some moussaka that you’ll lie awake thinking about quarantining with. Since this spot is so close to Astoria Park, you could always take your food to-go and have a picnic." - hannah albertine
"An Eater 38 wouldn’t be complete without a Greek fish restaurant in Astoria; a current fave is Agnanti, founded in the early 2000s, by Maria Lambrianidis and Spiro Sidorakis. The setting on the edge of Astoria Park, with its views of the East River, is memorable, and the roster of fish that can be grilled over charcoal or breaded and fried reflects a seasonal and partly local selection. You can’t go wrong with a mess of whiting or a one-pound black sea bass, and the bread dips and salads are great, too." - Eater Staff
"Across the street from Astoria Park, we found Agnanti, run by Maria Lambrianidis and Spiro Sidorakis and situated at 19-06 Ditmars Boulevard (at 19th Street). The corner restaurant has an antique taverna feel with a glassed-in dining area that opens to the sky, rustic white walls hung with Greek movie stills and painted pottery, arching brickwork, and sound-damping ceiling tiles that keep noise low enough for conversation; many patrons still speak Greek. The seafood-heavy menu is reasonably priced: a Greek salad ($17) omits lettuce in favor of crunchy cucumbers, tomatoes, creamy feta and dried oregano; the dip plate ($30) with warm pitas includes taramosalata, tzatziki, spicy tyrokafteri and a garlicky skordalia; Turkish-influenced small plates we tried include sigara bourek ($13), and there are yogurt kebabs ($17) and kefte ($14) as well. For mains we had a charcoal-grilled black sea bass with coarse, smoky white flesh and a plate of fried whiting (four for $17); a companion’s beef bourek ($17) with seasoned meat and rice between crisp filo was also a highlight. Mains come with lemon potatoes or Greek fries sprinkled with dried cheese—both are excellent for sharing. We washed the meal down with a bargain half-liter of retsina ($18) and finished with the complimentary desserts (cinnamon-dusted semolina halva politiko and nut-filled squares) and sweetened Greek coffee, and left convinced we’ll return for the inexpensive fish, liberal use of garlic, low noise level and the serene evening views." - Robert Sietsema
