Kelftiko style chops

In Greece, Easter lamb has both religious and ritualistic significance. Its careful preparation harks back to feasts of the ancient Greek heroes celebrating victory.

The Lenten fast, a practice still commonly acknowledged, if not strictly adhered to, is broken at midnight on Easter Saturday with a meal of mayeritsa --a soup made from lamb offal and intestines.

On Easter Sunday, when Christ has risen, family and friends gather to delight in the flavours of herb-brushed lamb roasted on a spit or slow-cooked in the bread oven.

This friendly neighbourhood restaurant, once championed by Jonathan Meades when he lived nearby, gives due deference to the significance of the Paschal lamb.

And at all times the dish of kleftiko (lamb simmered in its own juices) is one of the highlights of the traditional Greek-Cypriot menu. On Friday and Saturday nights the resident bouzouki player revs up the atmosphere.

Greek Valley
130 Boundary Road, NW8