Volos is famous throughout Greece for its tsipouradika, and if you have any interest in eating and drinking culture you should plan an evening around one. The format is unlike anything else in the country: you order a glass of tsipouro — a clear spirit distilled from grape marc, similar to grappa but with a more herbal edge — and plates of meze arrive automatically, without you ordering them. As you drink, more plates come. Fried squid, grilled sardines, shrimp saganaki, wedges of feta, pickled vegetables. You tell the waiter whether you want seafood, meat, or a mix, and the kitchen makes the decisions from there.
The tsipouradika cluster along and just behind the waterfront, particularly in the streets around the old harbour. They are basic, cheerful places — tile floors, paper tablecloths, no-nonsense service. Prices are reasonable and meals drag on pleasantly. Arrive hungry: the plates keep coming until you stop ordering tsipouro. Friday and Saturday evenings the seafront spots fill quickly; midweek is quieter and the pace is more relaxed.
For a more varied meal away from the tsipouradiko format, the streets behind the seafront have traditional tavernas and a few more modern places serving updated takes on Greek food.