I know i haven't been on here for a while but I just had to respond to this topic!! Why is it that people who visit the island for a week or so a year or only once feel that they know best and can dictate to others or slander the locals without whom there would be no holiday destination and friendly Greek welcome that they supposedly love.
Manos may be brasher and a little more in your face than many of the other taverna operators, but as someone who has known him for many years as well as many other taverna owners on the island, he is really no different except maybe he works with more heart and soul in his businesses that some others. I know how he started, as a waiter and how he and mina worked bloody hard building up their businesses often in the face of adverse comments by people jealous of his success or envious of his drive.
The fish Manos buys is no different than any other taverna on Symi, are you really that naive to believe that everything is caught locally. Symi is a market economy as much as anywhere else and in order to compete fish is bought as and where available. All Sole (Glossa) on the island is frozen. 90% of the calamari in the early season ie before end Aug/Sept is frozen. Fish has seasons as much as any other produce.
Symi has changed so much over the last 20 years but if people would only try to see beyond the fact that some businesses don't quite fit their ideal of quaint Greek island and see the real Symi they will see that all the real qualities remain, it's the tourists expectations that have driven the changes.
OK Rant over, to all those who have enjoyed Symi (Warts and all)as it should be, I wish you the best and hope like me you continue to hold it dear.