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You'll rarely find the Greek island cooking seen at Trata Estiatorio outside of Greece; there's no gyro here, nor even heavy, Greek mainland casseroles like moussaka and pastichio. Instead, the focus is Greek island cuisine, which emphasizes simply prepared, fresh-caught fish that's grilled and eaten right on the beach. Indeed, the décor reminds you of a beachside restaurant, with whitewashed walls, tile murals of boats and fish, wooden chairs and scuffed wood floors. To enhance the beach-like experience, check out the house specialty: an extensive fish selection, prominently preserved on ice. Waiters help you select the fish yourself, then charge by the pound to charcoal-grill it with ladolemono—a simple flavoring of saffron-infused olive oil, lemon, capers, and oregano. The seafood selection includes everything from karavides (Scottish langoustines) and astakos (Maine lobsters) to labraki (European sea bass) to red fagri (whitefish). Following Greek tradition, the fish are deboned after cooking for a perfectly juicy, flaky texture. A few more heavily spiced dishes are available, like the kalami-style souvlaki, normally made of skewered pork or lamb, but here in a seaside version called xifias souvlaki, a fresh swordfish kabob skewered with vegetables and grilled with olive oil and lemon. It would be hard to find a wider fish selection or simpler, more skillful seafood preparation outside of actually visiting the Greek islands. — Timothy Cooper

The manager claims the 100-plus-label wine list, all Greek, is the largest selection of Greek wines available in New York, and there's even an all-Greek beer selection and Greek bottled water.

Pikilia, $16; whole grilled red fagri, market price (about $34/pound); whole grilled lavraki, market price (about $29/pound); xifias souvlaki, $36