London's best Greek restaurants

16 June 2015

There's something so evocative about Greek cuisine. Plump purple olives and creamy feta drizzled with olive oil; grilled fish spiked with thyme; glasses of chilled local wine. It's the taste of summer nights and warm breezes fragrant with jasmine.

Back in London, though, Greek food has been stigmatised by plate-smashing, Zorba the Greek on permanent loop and cheap ouzo on tap. But as Greek food festival Carnival à la Grecque comes to Islington (at Lark In The Park, 60 Copenhagen Street, N1, 020 7553 7190) we'll discover just how good real Greek food can be.

Greek and Greek-Cypriot chefs will celebrate their cuisine in a cook-off to find out who cooks the best kebabs, bakes and sweets, with tastings from 1pm to 3pm.

And after your taste buds have been tickled, why not discover the restaurants serving up the finest kebabs, kleftiko and kalamari in town?

As Greek As It Gets
Newcomer As Greek As It Gets is off to a flying start. The all-day café offers a Greek brekkie of walnut bread, honey and yoghurt.

Then it segues into wraps (from £3), grilled meats and oven bakes. Your Greek holiday will come flooding back over a coffee frappé, cold beer (£3) and a plateful of gyros (meat cut from the rotisserie) wrapped in flat bread with chips. Only the plastic interior lacks authenticity.
233 Earl's Court Road, SW5 (020 7244 7777, asgreekasitgets.co.uk)

Andy's
Forty years old this year, Andy's in Camden has stood the test of time with its classic menu. The alfresco tables won't exactly transport you to a sun-drenched Greek isle - not in February, anyway - but Andy's blend of simple food and cosy interior makes for a jolly atmosphere, particularly for groups.

Grilled sea bass and sea bream (£12.95) delivered thriceweekly from the island Aegina, a range of salads and meze are nice, light options.
81 Bayham St, NW1 (020 7485 9718)

The Real Greek
This buzzing Hoxton outlet of the Real Greek souvlaki bar chain offers modern Greek to a contemporary crowd in a smart environment.

Service is efficient, the wine list extensive and the food is good. The menu is served tapas-style for sharing, with the mezedes - little sharing dishes - made fresh daily from 100 per cent Greek ingredients shipped in from mainland suppliers. Lamb souvlaki (£5.85) is a bestseller, while Santorinian fava (£3.25), a yellow lentil dip, makes a change from hummus.

Try a frozen ouzo mojito (£5.25): delicious, if not authentic.
14-15 Hoxton Market, N1 (020 7739 8212)

Vrisaki
Join the queue for fab kebabs or a dish of pasticho (baked macaroni) or moussaka to take away, or wend your way past the char-grill to the long-standing restaurant out back.

This Bounds Green Greek-Cypriot taverna, on an unassuming row of suburban shops, offers a lively atmosphere and superior taverna grub.

Dish after dish of palest pink taramasalata, glistening radishes and gigantes beans is served up to be followed by a good range of hot dishes like grilled quails, beef stifado (stew) or loucanica (spicy sausages), all priced between £10 and £18.
73 Myddleton Road, N22 (020 8881 2920)

Lemonia
The Primrose Hill set adores Lemonia, now nearly 30 years old. On the weekend, it's full to bursting with waiting customers kept happy with a smile and a plate of olives and crudités.

This approachable venue proves classic Greek-Cypriot cuisine really is the healthy option. Watch the area's yummy-mummies - including Kate Moss, who ate there this week - tuck into sea bream (£13.75), grilled tuna (£13.50) or an artichoke and broad bean appetizer (£5) without fearing for their waistline.
89 Regent's Park Road, NW1 (020 7586 7454)

Retsina
The antithesis of a plate-smashing taverna cliché, Retsina (named after the Greek wine) is the smart and slightly pricier end of Greek dining, as befits Belsize village.

Muted colours and suede chairs spell chichi urban chic; white linen-clad staff, plastic water bottles and garlicloaded kalamari evoke your last Greek holiday.

What sets Retsina apart is the range of specials and fish dishes. Call ahead to order hare stifado (a slow-cooked stew), suckling pig or milk-fed lamb. Whole fish like sea bass or John Dory are another strong suit.
48 Belsize Lane, NW3 (020 7431 5855)

BEST PLACES TO BUY GREEK INGREDIENTS

Zen
Just off Queensway, Moscow Road offers a little corner of Greece, with grocery stores and cafés where old men sip coffee and play backgammon.

Zen is at the heart of it: a proper grocer's selling all things Greek, including dried fruits, cheese and fresh fruit, veg and meat.
27 Moscow Road, W2 (020 7792 2058)

Odysea
Greek food supplier Odysea launches its online shop later this month. Enjoy fine olives, superb pine and fir tree honey (£2.49/450g), and "Delia's cheats" ingredients chosen by Delia Smith herself such as roasted red peppers (£1.99/450g) and aubergine meze (£2.19/220g). odysea.com

Selfridges & Co
The Food Hall's Mediterranean counter sells meze for Greekthemed suppers, barrel-aged feta, and a range of Greek yoghurts perfect with a drizzle of honey.
Oxford Street, W1 (0800 123 400)

Andreas Michli and Son
The Greek-Cypriot shops around Green Lanes include this treasure trove, selling dried fruit, olives and smoked meats, and seasonal vegetables such as cardoons and wild garlic.
33 Salisbury Road, N4 (020 8802 0188)

MORE ABOUT

Appetizers

London's best Greek restaurants

Read More