Episode 3: Varoulko Seaside, Piraeus
Over a harbourside lunch of mullet tartare and seafood risotto at Varoulko Seaside in the port of Piraeus, all Michelin-starred elegance with sailboats bobbing outside, Brydon mimes administering CPR to Coogan to the tune of “Stayin’ Alive” but with the lyrics changed to “Steve’s gonna die”. Head chef Lefteris Lazarou has been whipping up award-winning seafood dishes at Varoulko, using ingredients he picks up daily from local markets, since 1987. His mantelpiece groans with Michelin stars.
Info: varoulko.gr
Episode 4: Omilos, Hydra
After travelling by ferry to the island of Hydra (once home to Leonard Cohen), the travellers eat on the stunning terrace at Omilos: pollock carpaccio, squid, octopus and shellfish, all washed down with Sauvignon Blanc and accompanied by impressions of David Frost, Neil Diamond, a German porn film and Mick Jagger in hospital. Occupying a former fuel depot near the entrance of the port, the premises have a venerable history as a day-and-night spot; between 1958–67 it began as Lagoudera, the haunt of the beautiful people. Today it’s an upscale bistro with an amazing seaside terrace.
Info: omilos-hydra.com
Episode 5: Pirgos Mavromichali, Limeni
The duo have a Demis Roussos singalong en route to a gourmet Mediterranean lunch of grouper and risotto on the rambling sun-drenched terraces of Pirgos Mavromichali, a beautifully restored 18th-century fortified tower mansion, overlooking the historic harbour of Limeni, where Coogan flirts with the waitress and Brydon fails to impress her with his Leonard Rossiter impression.
Info: pirgosmavromichali.gr
Episode 6: Poseidonia, Pylos
After an acapella rendition of Vangelis’s Chariots of Fire theme, they eat a simple lunch of Greek salad and grilled prawns at the ravishing ocean-front Poseidonia Restaurant, famed for its fresh seafood, and damn fine coffee. Poseidonia overlooks the Navarino Bay, site of the decisive Battle of Navarino in 1827, when British, French and Russian forces defeated Ottoman forces and helped tilt the War of Greek Independence in favour of Greece. Kalí óreksi!
Info: pylosposeidonia.gr
