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There are good reasons for its popularity. At Yannis, those reasons include fresh seafood from next door and light, crispy fried vegetables

I booked a terrasse table at Yannis, the popular Greek restaurant on Victoria Ave. next door to that piscine palace, New Victoria Fish. The Yannis in question is Yannis Papageorgiou, son of Frank Papageorgiou, who owns New Victoria, where you’ll find some of the best smoked salmon in town.

Stepping into the beige and baby-blue dining room, I was intercepted by the most genial maitre d’, a fellow named Jimmy Baloukas, who showed me a menu and led me to the refrigerator case filled with clear-eyed and red-gilled snapper, pompano and Greek sardines. His enthusiasm was infectious and I quickly booked a terrasse table while eyeing the thick slabs of swordfish and tuna next to the whole specimens on ice.

The cooking relies on simple seasonings and fresh meat, fish, seafood and vegetables. It’s healthy and flavourful, and the platter-style presentation offers a convivial dining experience. Montreal counts several excellent Greek restaurants, including the elegant Vegera, the tiny Delfino, Trinity, the new Drummond St. restaurant opened by restaurateur Peter Morentzos, which has everyone buzzing, and the mighty Milos, the restaurant that introduced Montrealers to the fine-dining possibilities of a cuisine that had long been relegated to cafes and brochetteries.

Yannis ranks highly also, partly because the next-door fishmonger connection means the fish is gorgeous, but also because of the incredible service we enjoyed at the hands of Mr. Baloukas, a former owner of both Faros and Angus Noir who joined the Yannis team as a partner a month ago. His greeting couldn’t have been friendlier, his menu descriptions were mouth-watering, and he allowed us to taste two wines before settling on Ambelon, a food-friendly white made with the robola grape. Hovering waiters can be a pain, but Mr. Baloukas knew when and how to interject and when to keep his distance. His food recommendations were also spot-on.

To begin, that classic Greek appetizer trio: grilled octopus, Greek salad and jumbo shrimp. The octopus was a fine rendition of this summertime favourite, with thick slices of charred, tentacle-laden flesh tumbled in a mix of capers and red onion. Delish.

Filled with olives, green peppers, tomatoes and feta, Yannis’s “salade grecque” is a winner that could only be improved upon with local tomatoes at their peak. Yet the jumbo grilled shrimp couldn’t be much better. Our plate consisted of three Ecuadorian wild sea shrimp, jumbo in size, weighing in at under six specimens per pound. Juicy and resilient, these toothsome babies needed only a squirt of lemon to enhance their slightly sweet flavour. Awesome.

Papa Frank’s smoked salmon is indeed as good as local foodies claim. Silky and delicate in flavour, the salmon slices literally melted in the mouth, and there was a lot of melting going on as the portion is more than generous. When available, don’t miss the grilled sardines, which are moist, meaty and served solo to better appreciate the fresh taste of this usually fishy fish.

The Yannis special, fried eggplant and zucchini slices served with tzatziki and fried saganaki cheese alongside, is another must. I’ve had this dish at many an estiatoria, but no one does it better than Yannis. Why? Because not only are the vegetables utterly grease-free, but each slice is also puffed, which makes them impossibly light and crisp. A triumph!

Main-course options include a few meats, but why pass on the fish when it’s this fresh and appealing? We chose a red snapper for two and a swordfish steak. Before each was grilled, Mr. Baloukas arrived tableside to show off the whole snapper and later the slab of swordfish. Boy, did they ever look good! All the dishes were served with generous portions of baked fava beans, rice pilaf and grilled peppers and oyster mushrooms, all delicious.

Come dessert time, we were holding our sides and waving white flags in surrender. But that didn’t stop us from enjoying a complimentary platter of fresh fruit and thick Greek yogurt topped with cherry preserves.

Yannis, 6045 Victoria Avenue, near Linton St., Phone: 514-737-9384.