There’s nothing better than discovering a hidden gem that has absolutely huge portions and great value for money.
That’s exactly what happened when I visited Epirus Greek Restaurant in Birkenhead, a place I’d walked past so many times without popping in. It’s easy to see how popular the restaurant is amongst locals, as it always looks tremendously busy through the window.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect at Epirus as no one I knew had ever visited there, but a quick glance at the online menu before going made me more than ready for a delicious Greek feast. The menu includes a range of hot and cold starters, mezes, main meals and desserts.
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On the Epirus website, they describe themselves as an "affordable, authentic and traditional" restaurant, offering "Greek delights" with choice for vegetarians, meat and fish lovers. As soon as I sat down, I was politely welcomed and given a menu - which was absolutely filled with scrumptious options.
You know sometimes when you look at a menu and you're almost overwhelmed? I felt like that, purely because everything sounded so good! In the end, I went for a 'feta filo' hot starter for £4.95, which was basically fried feta cheese in filo pastry with honey and roasted sesame seeds - what more could you want?
For my main, I chose 'chicken spanaki' priced at £14.95 which was chicken breast, stuffed with spinach and feta, cooked in a creamy white wine sauce and served with rice. One bit of advice - I'd make sure you're extremely hungry before visiting Epirus, because the portions are absolutely huge.
Even the starters were big, served with fresh hot bread for a bit of an added extra. My feta filo was deliciously crunchy and sweet, oozing with gooey feta cheese. I didn't want my starter to end, and could've probably eaten a whole plate of the feta filo alone.
The mains were the star of the show though, as the waiter came over with plates the size of his head carrying our ultimate banquet. I was shocked and stunned at the sheer size. Considering the prices weren't anything crazy, I couldn't believe the value for money.
From a giant moussaka to quite possibly the biggest lamb kofta I've ever seen, I was in ultimate foodie heaven. The most impressive thing was the fact that Epirus didn't skimp on flavour - with huge portions you might expect it to be bland, but it all tasted unbelievable.
My chicken breast was absolutely swimming in a creamy garlic sauce, accompanied with fluffy white rice and a lovely fresh salad. As I cut into it, it was juicy and tender, with just the right amount of spinach to feta cheese ratio.
Every other meal was thoroughly enjoyed by the other guests at the table. After sampling some lamb kofta, I was couldn't believe the amount of flavour it had. This kofta wasn't the same as the ones you buy from Asda to stick on your BBQ, it tasted fresh, homemade, and it was absolutely huge.
The moussaka was tender, with tantalizing lamb mince and you guessed it - couldn't be finished. Was that a problem, though? Absolutely not, because Epirus gave us some goodie bags to bring our food home, something I think they provide guests with quite regularly.
So if you're after somewhere to eat in Birkenhead but don't want to spend an absolute fortune, I'd highly recommend Epirus, especially if you've got a big appetite like myself. You can book a table at Epirus here.
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