Hamido Seafood

Hamido is where you should be going for fresh, made-to-order seafood and delicious pita on Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria. This Egyptian restaurant isn’t the only fish market where you can pick out your fish and tell the staff exactly how you want it cooked (we also love Abuqir and Astoria Seafood), but it’s the only one that’s currently open with outdoor seating.

Here’s how it works: you go inside to pick out your fish by the pound, and then head back to your outdoor table and order from their non-seafood menu. We’d suggest getting the dip appetizer sample, some grilled octopus cooked in lemon and olive oil, and then building a DIY pita sandwich with the tahina, eggplant salad, and thinly sliced tentacles.

You can stop by Hamido for outdoor dining or takeout starting at noon every day. They have a bunch of wooden tables with umbrellas set up so the sun won’t make you look a little bit like the fried squid on your table.

photo credit: Alex Staniloff