Sometimes you have a meal you know you’re going to remember for a while and my recent visit to The Greek Taverna in Liverpool was just that - for all the right reasons.
The Bold Street venue has more than 1,600 ‘excellent’ ratings on TripAdvisor and has previously been the number one restaurant in Liverpool on the reviews' website, so I had high hopes for my first visit. Having never been inside before, I was impressed by its contemporary decor, with exposed brick walls, and a tranquil blue and white colour scheme reminiscent of all those beautiful pictures you see of Santorini.
Like many Bold Street restaurants, it’s fairly small in size and although it packs the tables in, they’re not so close that you end up feeling like you’re dining with the strangers next to you. As well as enjoying the food, which I’ll come onto, the experience started with great service from our waiter.
READ MORE: Restaurant serving authentic Italian food in most beautiful setting - review
READ MORE: Little Smithdown Road café where a £5.50 breakfast is 'heaven' - review
My husband and I were keen to try the Greek red wine on the menu, but after tasting a sip and finding it too dry, we asked to switch to a bottle of Rioja instead. Normally I do the typical British thing of just smiling and saying I like it, when really I don’t, but I was glad I spoke up as the waiter was only too happy to make the swap for us and the Rioja (£25.95) was deliciously full bodied, yet smooth to drink.
Onto the food, and for starters we ordered three dishes to share. First up was the Dolmades (£5.50) and the tasty, lightly oiled vine leaves were stuffed to bursting with savoury rice.
We also ordered the Spanakopita (£6.50) and I found myself eating the thin, crispy filo pastry, filled with creamy, salty feta cheese and spinach, more slowly than usual to enjoy every mouthful. The third starter we chose was the Taramosalata (£4.25) and the pink smoked cod roe dip was so rich and moreish we found ourselves finishing it off by the spoonful once we’d exhausted the flatbreads.
After a short break between courses, our mains arrived. Not deterred by the waiter’s warning that it was a ‘big portion’, I ordered the Kleftiko (£19.95), which is braised lamb shoulder on the bone.
It certainly was a generous size, and I didn’t quite manage it all but that wasn’t down to how it tasted. The tender lamb fell off the bone and melted in the mouth and the tomato sauce was full of cinnamon flavour making it a really aromatic dish, that I couldn’t help but keep eating past the point of feeling full - yet still I didn’t manage it all.
My husband chose the Stifado (£17.95), a braised beef dish with shallots. Similar to mine, the beef was beautifully cooked and there was lots of it. The dish came with a rich tomato sauce, and the silky shallots added a sweetness to the meaty dish.
As well as thoroughly enjoying the food and having excellent service throughout, what I also loved about The Greek Taverna was its atmosphere. While some of the tables were quickly turned, with people laden with shopping bags clearly having popped in for an early Saturday evening bite to eat before heading home, others lingered longer while enjoying dates, birthday celebrations (there was a big singalong during our visit) and family meals out.
To me it felt like one of those unpretentious ‘any occasion’ rather than ‘special occasion’ restaurants, with the added bonus of excellent food, drink and service. The magic formula so many venues strive for, yet so few manage to get just right.
Receive our daily What's On newsletter, Friday Food and Drink and breaking news email alerts by signing up here
READ MORE:
