We realised that we couldn’t call ourselves The Real Greek unless we were serving proper, heartfelt Greek food. The kind of food that isn’t just Greek by name, but with flavours that transport you to Greece, to the beachside taverna with the owner who remembers you, who brings you a plate piled with chargrilled prawns, still too hot to peel, no matter how hard you try.
At the heart of this new incarnation of The Real Greek is the grill, and at the heart of the menu, you’ll find our souvlaki: skewers of seafood, pork belly, lamb sausage, chicken, halloumi or mushrooms, marinated in herbs, sea salt and extra virgin olive oil, chargrilled and spritzed with lemon. All that’s needed to complete the meal is the rich, vibrant creaminess of your favourite meze – all new, all improved (except the taramasalata, which has always been great) – and the fresh citrussy crunch of a couple of the salads we’ve added.
For the last year, we’ve been bashing heads and forks with restaurant teams, with customers, with our new Greek development chef and head of food, obsessing over how much garlic the British palate can tolerate in tzatziki (answer: not as much as the Greek), the texture of small chunky vs large rings of calamari, the creamiest vegan Greek yoghurt, the optimum size of the lamb on a souvlaki skewer so it cooks to succulent perfection…
We have tasted – seriously – hundreds of Greek salads, forensically examining them to find what makes the best kalamata olive, the perfect level of acidity in the extra virgin olive oil, if feta is best scattered through or served on top, the cut of the cucumber, the virtues of tossed vs untossed. So, we can confidently say that every individual element of our Greek salad is the best and that we’re truly proud of it.
That said, we’re super proud of everything, which, to be honest, we couldn’t say before. Come and try it all, especially our new favourites:
• Tzatziki (now made with a great strained yoghurt that holds stiff enough to be served on a plate).
• Taramasalata, the only dish that was perfect as it was 🙂
• Flatbread with a hint of garlic and the best mountain-top oregano we could lay our hands on.
• Fried calamari, now cut into small chunky pieces that crisp up perfectly, just like they serve in Greece.
• The glorious new prawn skewers are big, juicy, chargrilled and served in the half shell, so they smell exactly like a Greek summer.
• Pork belly skewers, caramelised so the meat is crisp on the outside and super tender inside, in a delicious marinade with more of that mountain-top oregano.
• Everyone loves lamb skewers, except ours weren’t good enough. They are now: made with the neck cut, diced smaller so they stay moist and delicious on the grill.
• Our chicken breast skewers are delicious, but if you love Greek food, you know the wings are where it’s at. Sticky, tender, full of flavour.
• Greek salad, of course, because it’s the best, but also the new kids: the chickpea salad suggested by one of our regular customers and served with vegan yoghurt so that everyone can have it, and herby quinoa tossed with dill, parsley, spring and white onion and fresh lemon juice.
• And the Bougatsa, which Yaya would approve of because it’s super traditional and loaded with custard – everyone’s favourite dessert.
That doesn’t mean everything we serve is 100% Yaya-certified authentic – she’d have something to say about a Greek mojito, for example, (juicy lemons muddled with Greek honey, ouzo, mint, lots of ice, soda water – what’s not to love?) and as for the Greek sangria…! Luckily, you’re converted – it’s already a bestseller on our drinks menu, along with the grilled lemon G&T.
So come to The Real Greek and taste the new menu. Bring a friend, bring your family, bring all your friends and family. Fill the table with souvlaki, salads and meze and tell us what you think.
