Sorcha: Suvlaki, a tiny Greek restaurant nestled in Soho,- with a deep blue exterior covered in Greek script. It grabs your attention in from the very beginning. A reincarnation, built on the former site of 21 Bateman Street, Suvlaki aims to bring authentic Greek street food to London – with a modern twist…
Rating:
Appeals to:
City working carnivores looking for something that won’t break the bank – casual lunch/meal in a great atmosphere.
Appreciators of Greek street food. Now you can have it inside a building, and you don’t have to go to Greece either!
In A Word
Legit
The Venue:
As a very…intimate venue (which only seats 34), it can be a bit of a squeeze to maneuver around Suvlaki. I think this adds to the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere that the restaurant has added to the streets of Soho.
It’s worth taking a minute just to appreciate the surroundings that you are in. The décor that evokes thoughts of Greece – with large pillars and marble table tops. For me, this brings to mind ancient buildings, but all within a modern setting.
The kitchen is located at the front of the restaurant – so you can watch the chefs preparing everything. If, however, you’re like me and can’t stand to drag your eyes away from the cooking (I cook for a living…), there are plenty of seats with a little more distance!
The Food:
Suvlaki’s menu has been created by a well-known Greek celebrity chef, Elias Mamalakis. Elias has aimed to combine traditional and new ideas – with the aim of creating something authentic, but with a modern twist.
The menu is concise. Meat is either served on a skewer or in a wrap and there are only a few starters, side dishes and desserts available.
In order to sample a range of the food available (and on the recommendation of the waiter, a pretty friendly guy from Crete) we opt for the ‘Suvlaki Exuberance’ platter – which includes a choice of two skewers, two mini wraps, four side dishes and a pita burger.
The skewers and wraps are lovely and obviously made using fresh and fit to purpose meat, which is of very high quality. The care that has gone into selecting this meat that they use is obvious.
The wild boar comes from a farm on Mount Olympus (Ed: yes, THAT Mount Olympus) and, as someone that is always a bit wary of “strange” meats, I can say that I am definitely left wanting more after trying it.
The burger, a mix of pork, lamb and beef mince, is cooked perfectly, nothing like these overcooked chewy burgers that I have grown to expect in restaurants. It’s beautiful, juicy and gone in a flash!
As the restaurant only has five side dishes, as part of this platter, the only one that we don’t try is the carrot and pea potato salad. The salads that we do try are fresh, crunchy and full of flavour, and the oregano on the chips is a small addition that creates a whole new taste.
The portion sizes are fairly decent in Suvlaki (apart from the salads – which could do to be a bit larger) and the prices are on the whole, reasonable. I’d say they’re more than better value for the quality and taste of the food that is produced.
The Booze:
The alcoholic drinks on offer include beer (from a selection of Greek microbreweries) and an exclusively Greek wine list.
We had a bottle of white – Alpha Estate’s Malagouzia 2014 and could have easily had another (Ed: yup). The taste was great, smooth and very drinkable.
The Verdict:
The food at Suvlaki really was incredible compared to other Greek restaurants that I have been to in London.
I would highly recommend a visit to anyone who wants a filling, healthy and high quality meal, without the central London price tag! (Ed: though it’s kinda in central London…)
The Details:
A 21 Bateman St, London, W1D 3AL
P 0207 287 6638
T (@suvlaki)
I (@suvlakilondon)
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