Avra Estiatorio, New York-Based Restaurant, Expands to Boston

Simply prepared Mediterranean fish stars in special-occasion-worthy Back Bay digs.

A plated lobster pasta dish garnished with fresh basil in a metal pan on a white tablecloth. Surrounding the main dish are various other plates including a Greek salad with feta cheese, a cocktail with a cucumber slice, bruschetta, grilled meat, and a bottle of olive oil. Silverware and a folded white napkin are placed to the right of the main dish.

Avra Estiatorio. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Avra Estiatorio is betting on Boston’s appetite for fish. The upscale mini-chain of Greek-inspired seafood spots—with glamorous locations in Beverly Hills, Miami, New York City, and beyond—is now open in Back Bay, featuring simply garnished, charcoal-grilled fish, including Mediterranean imports like tsipoura and lavraki. Plus: towers of crispy zucchini and eggplant chips, pretty platters of sashimi, and hilariously large slices of chocolate cake and coconut pie.

A white oval plate with three rows of thinly sliced fish carpaccio in different colors: white, orange, and red. Each row is garnished with small greens and seasonings, with a drizzle of olive oil on the white fish. A lemon twist is placed on the right side of the plate. The plate is set on a rustic stone surface.

Avra Estiatorio’s sashimi platter. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Three pieces of crispy rice topped with diced raw tuna, garnished with small green leaves and crispy fried onions, served on a black rectangular plate.

Avra Estiatorio’s spicy tuna crispy rice. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

The sprawling second-floor location at the Lyrik development, atop just-opened Peruvian restaurant Rosa y Marigold, feels primed for special occasions, from the white tablecloths to the copious faux olive trees. Elegant, wing-like structures dangle above the marble bar, and several private dining rooms are event-ready. In the warmer seasons, terrace seating will be available on Lyrik’s upper level, an unlikely oasis perched above the Pike.

Upscale restaurant interior with neatly arranged tables covered in white tablecloths, set with wine glasses, plates, and cutlery. The space features wooden beams on the ceiling, large windows with sheer curtains, and numerous potted trees adding greenery throughout the dining area. The atmosphere is warm and inviting with soft lighting.

Avra Estiatorio. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

A modern restaurant interior featuring a long bar with high wooden stools and a variety of bottles displayed on shelves behind it. In front of the bar, there are several tables covered with white tablecloths, each set with plates, glasses, cutlery, and small olive oil bottles. The ceiling has unique, curved pendant lights, and large windows with striped awnings allow natural light to fill the space. The overall atmosphere is bright and inviting.

The bar at Avra Estiatorio. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Diners are encouraged to swing by the fish “market,” a display brimming with whole specimens on ice, to choose their seafood and peer through the large window into the kitchen. “Everybody wants to experience the fish market,” says Avra cofounder Nick Tsoulous—but for those who want to stay at the table, staff will present options on a tray. Many of the selections are from the Mediterranean, but Boston, of course, has plenty of its own great seafood, and “we love [sourcing] locally, if available,” says Tsoulous. Next, the fish is grilled, deboned, and finished with ladolemono sauce, a Greek mix of olive oil and lemon. (The Avra team seems particularly proud of the restaurant’s olive oil; there’s a bottle on each table. It’s from a small family farm in the Peloponnese and is a first-harvest oil, which has a bolder taste than oils from later harvests.)

Stack of thin, round pancakes with visible herbs or seasoning, served on a white plate with a small bowl of creamy white sauce garnished with a sprig of dill. Next to it, a dish of pasta with tomato-based sauce, topped with fresh basil leaves and a whole cooked lobster, presented on a gray plate with a white tablecloth and cutlery in the background.

Avra Estiatorio’s chips (crispy zucchini and eggplant with tzatziki) and lobster pasta. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Grilled whole fish served on a white oval plate with two lemon wedges and fresh parsley, accompanied by three small white bowls containing green seasoning, a light yellow sauce, and capers, each with a spoon, on a separate white plate.

Avra Estiatorio’s whole fish, grilled and served with ladolemono. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

While the fish is the star of the 26-year-old restaurant group—more precisely, “Greek seafood with Mediterranean influence,” says Tsoulous—there’s also “a great selection of meats” and other dishes, all meant to be shared. Start with a Greek salad, says Tsoulous, featuring Kalamata olives, feta, tomatoes, peppers, and onions, and then an appetizer such as grilled octopus with caper and red wine vinaigrette. Next, raw fish of some kind, whether a sashimi platter of Faroe Island salmon, big eye tuna, and hamachi or lavraki ceviche with a bit of heat from jalapeño. Grilled fish-market selections and other entrees come next—lobster pasta, for instance, or Colorado lamb chops—followed by celebratory, somewhat over-the-top desserts.

A colorful salad featuring sliced cucumbers, green and red grapes, and leafy greens, garnished with sesame seeds and microgreens, served with a halved lime on a white plate.

Avra Estiatorio’s lavraki ceviche. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Three grilled lamb chops seasoned with herbs are served on a white plate with a roasted garlic bulb and a drizzle of sauce, garnished with a sprig of thyme. The plate has the word "AVRA" printed on the rim.

Avra Estiatorio’s lamb chops. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

This is the eighth location for Avra, which Tsoulous founded in 2000 in New York City’s Midtown East with Nick Pashalis, his longtime business partner in other food endeavors, and Marc Packer, cofounder of Tao Group Hospitality (which is behind major restaurant and nightlife destinations in New York, Las Vegas, and elsewhere). The Avra founders waited 16 years before opening a massive second location elsewhere in the city, and expansion continued from there. Avra tends to attract A-listers and power players wherever it opens, but its roots are humble: The restaurants are inspired by Tsoulous’ coastal Greek hometown of Nafpaktos, where he grew up fishing with his father and uncles and feasting on their catch with family.

A stylish restaurant interior featuring white tablecloth-covered tables set with wine glasses, plates, and cutlery. The seating includes cushioned booths and wooden chairs. The space is decorated with lush green plants and trees, creating a natural ambiance. The ceiling has wooden slats with recessed lighting, and the walls have modern art pieces and soft lighting. The overall atmosphere is warm and inviting.

Avra Estiatorio. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Modern restaurant interior with wooden flooring, large potted plants, and tables covered with white tablecloths set with wine glasses, plates, and cutlery. The space features large windows with sheer white curtains, curved ceiling with recessed lighting, and hanging pendant lamps above the tables.

Avra Estiatorio. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

“We like Boston, and we think it’s a big fish town,” says Tsoulous, and it felt like the time was right to open here. “We think there’s not enough food here the way we do it, and not a lot of Greek seafood restaurants.” Besides, says Tsoulous, Boston has a big Greek population: “I think they’re very anxious to come in and try our menu.”