Taverna Kyclades: Fine Greek grill, but the wait!

By Suzanne Parker

I don't get it. I just don't get it. On a recent weekday evening, there was a long line of patrons patiently (or not so patiently in our case) waiting on Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria for a table at Taverna Kyclades. Taverna Kyclades has a reputation for excellent, reasonably priced seafood and other Greek specialties. But so do many Greek restaurants in Astoria. What sets Taverna Kyclades apart? Why stand in line? We had to know.

Taverna Kyclades is a small, modestly appointed Greek restaurant that in balmy weather opens its French doors and expands its capacity out onto the street. Unfortunately, Ditmars Boulevard is a major gritty thoroughfare that is in line with the route to Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Even though we were fortunate enough to be seated at an open window table within the confines of the restaurant, our meal was punctuated by intervals when I watched my dining companion's lips move, hearing only the sound of blaring sirens. Waiting curbside on Ditmars for 45 minutes and enduring the relentless traffic noise made us long for a little peace at the table. We didn't get it.

The menu here is archetypically Greek. Lots of dips and salads. A few hot appetizers. Pretty much all the entrees are fried or grilled. Sides are a choice of fried or roasted lemon potatoes, rice, beets or horta (dandelion greens).

The peasant salad, a conglomeration of tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, onions and feta, was a nice change from the usual Greek salad, especially this time of year when lush tomatoes, a major component, are abundant. Generous slabs of particularly nice feta adorned this seasonal treat.

The cold antipasto, a trio of skordalia (garlic potato), tzatziki (yogurt, garlic and cucumber), and taramsalata (caviar) dips were pretty much standard issue. Instead of the more typical pita, a basket of warm, sliced, foccacia-like bread drizzled with oil was provided for dipping.

Fried zucchini and eggplant slices seemed to leap to our table, they were so fresh from the deep fryer. They were served with skordalia dip. This simple dish, so dependent on timing, was flawless.

The best entrees here are the least complicated. Whole grilled fish, lightly drizzled with olive oil and a sprinkling of herbs, is their forte. Our branzino (Mediterranean sea bass) was sweet, moist and delicate, all the result of the inherent quality of the fish. Grilled lamb chops were done medium as requested and nicely seasoned, but contained more gristle than we would have liked.

The Kyclades Specialty Platter was the letdown of the meal. It is a combination of stuffed clams, stuffed shrimp, lobster tail, fillet of sole and scallops that tasted like it came from the frozen foods department of your favorite warehouse store. The shrimp and lobster tail were dry and rubbery. The stuffing used for the shrimp and clams had the consistency of mushy breadcrumbs with a vague crab flavor. The fillet of sole and scallops were also a bit overdone, but not as badly as the other seafood, and had no distinctive flavor. Very chain restaurant.

Coffee, Greek or otherwise, is not served here. When we asked why, our server pointed to the people still waiting for tables. They do, however, bring a divine complimentary dessert, which went a long way towards placating us for going coffeeless. Galaktoboureko, a traditional syrup-drenched Greek dessert made with a custard in a crispy phyllo pastry shell, comes on the house.

The Bottom Line

Taverna Kyclades is a very good traditional Greek seafood restaurant with fair prices, but is it worth putting up with the lines and noise? With many other good neighborhood Greek restaurants throughout Astoria with tables available — and that take reservations — you have to wonder.

Suzanne Parker is the TimesLedger's restaurant critic and author of “Eating Like Queens: A Guide to Ethnic Dining in America's Melting Pot, Queens, N.Y.” She can be reached by e-mail at qnsfoodie@aol.com.

Taverna Kyclades

33-07 Ditmars Blvd.

Astoria, NY 11105

718-545-8666

Cuisine: Greek, emphasis on seafood

Setting: Small, minimally decorated, with more outdoor than indoor seating

Service: Efficient

Hours: Lunch & dinner daily

Reservations: Nope

Alcohol: Wine and beer

Parking: Street

Dress: Casual