Last weekend I was kindly invited down to the new Soho branch of The Real Greek restaurant. Dragging my mum along for a girly day out in London, we arrived at the place not really sure what to expect of the menu. We'd only ever been to a cheesy local Taverna where more emphasis is placed on the entertainment than the average food.
After a quick explanation of how the menu worked, we got down to business and picked out favourite things. Boy did we have a feast to get through! To start we opted for Greek flatbread with a creamy, delicately spice hummus and a chunky, chilli greek cheese Htipiti. This was absolutely delicious, I loved the big chunks of feta paired with a mild chilli kick - I could happily have eaten this all afternoon. We also ordered a portion of spinach, leek and feta filo parcels as a side too. These had the perfect crunch and left no greasy after taste.
For our grilled meze course, we went all out! The tender lamb cutlets were a surprise favourite. They were my mum's suggestion and I wasn't too fussed but they soon won me round at the first bite - the supple meat just fell off the bone. We couldn't not order the grilled halloumi could we? The grilled aubergine in a garlic tomato sauce was fit for a King!
Our waitress told us we'd be missing out if we didn't add some seafood into the mix. So obviously we try a few of their delicacies! We were recommended to try the juicy king prawns - which was a superb suggestion! Covered in a tart tomato sauce and rich feta cheese, we were fighting over the last one! The chargrilled grilled octopus was another surprise favourite. It has such a rich, delicious, garlic flavour and was incredibly moreish. Even though we were stuffed, we couldn't stop picking.
For dessert I opted for the caramel and pecan cheesecake despite the fact I was fit to burst! The creamy cheesecake, topped with crunchy toasted pecan nuts and sticky caramel on a biscuit and pecan base. I'm still dreaming about it now! Although I did have major dessert envy when my mum ordered the Greek yogurt sundae!
Thanks so much for making our Saturday so enjoyable The Real Greek!