A new Greek taverna is settling into the storefront at 20-14 Francis Lewis Boulevard in Whitestone, where three partners have spent the past six months gutting and rebuilding the space once known as To Steki Tou Laki into Ouzeri Greek Taverna. The restaurant is aiming for an October opening, with a soft opening for family and friends planned for next week to trial the menu before a full public launch.
Ouzeri was created by Mario Kattos, Vasilis Potamousis, and Ilias Zaharopoulos, who signed the lease in May, according to The National Herald. Kattos is also chef at Gramercy Kitchen, the modern American diner with Greek specialties that opened in January 2018 at 184 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, replacing the 24-year-old Gramercy Cafe, according to WorleyGig.com. Kattos, who is Cypriot, told the paper the partners wanted to build a Greek restaurant rather than open another diner, and he curated Ouzeri's menu using his own personal recipes.
From Diner Playbook to Daily Fresh Fish
The menu leans into simple, home-style taverna cooking: paidakia, pork chops, loukanika, and souvlakia alongside moussaka, pastitsio, and youvetsi, per the seed report. Kattos said the kitchen will serve fresh fish every day, including the fish of the day, lavraki, salmon, lobster, and shrimp, plus a seafood youvetsi, with Greek dishes getting a contemporary twist in places.
That seafood focus traces back to the ownership structure itself. Kattos's business partners own fish businesses and work as wholesalers, a sourcing advantage that mirrors Gramercy Kitchen's own operating model of daily hand-selected seafood supplied by commercial wholesale partners, according to Gramercy Kitchen. Kattos said he's aiming to serve quality food at reasonable prices, and the article notes the restaurant has already received positive feedback from the neighborhood ahead of opening.
A Greek Stronghold With a Changing Census
Ouzeri will seat 80 to 90 people indoors and comes with its own parking, with outdoor dining space planned for summer 2027, the station's report states. The restaurant occupies ground once held by To Steki Tou Laki, a neighborhood Greek eatery that served saganaki, kontosouvli, and tsipouro alongside live Greek music nights. Its longtime owner was Lakis Anagnostopoulos, according to Estiator Magazine.
Whitestone has long been a stronghold for Queens's Greek-American community, anchored by Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church, which was established in 1975 and operates a parish and Greek afternoon school, per the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church of Whitestone. Even so, local leaders continue to view the neighborhood as an enduring Hellenic hub.
A Hand-Painted Mural Inside Ouzeri
Inside, Ouzeri features a hand-painted mural by muralist Eleni Misetzis, according to The National Herald.
Liquor License Still Pending Review
Ouzeri is still awaiting its liquor license.
Once the soft opening wraps up next week, the partners plan to use feedback from family and friends to adjust the menu before hosting a full opening party in the weeks that follow. The taverna sits along Francis Lewis Boulevard as it works through its final steps toward a full public debut.
