A new restaurant is promising to whisk customers away to Greece with a blend of classic and modern dishes. Kellari has replaced Yiannis in Wollaton Road, Beeston, which served up souvlaki and stifado in the town for more than a decade and before that was a fixture in Sherwood for a good number of years.
Yiannis didn't reopen after Christmas, and owner Yiannis Fragkantonis is now concentrating on pop-ups everywhere from Attenborough to Matlock. But enthusiasts of kleftico and tzatziki haven't been left high and dry thanks to the new venture.
Anyone visiting the restaurant will notice some changes as Kellari puts its own stamp on the business. There's been a facelift resulting in the kitchen being moved upstairs. The bar has been relocated, while a coat of white paint on the walls makes it as bright as the buildings in the Greek isle of Santorini.
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The menu features traditional dishes, some with a modern twist. With a menu that is likely to leave customers spoilt for choice, the mezze for two is the ultimate Mediterranean sharing platter featuring some of the highlights. With no fewer than 12 elements including a Greek salad, hummus, pitta bread, meatballs, spanakopita, beef stifado and chicken gyros it's quite a feast.
Alternatively you can pick your own starters and mains. Kick off with trahanas pasta soup with mushrooms, sweet garlic, smoked bacon, and foam cheese, or pitaroudia from Rhodes (chick pea, tomato and courgette fritters) and king prawns baked in spicy tomato sauce with ouzo and peppers topped off with feta cheese.
Homemade mains include well-known Greek dishes of moussaka, beef stifado, slow-roasted lamb shank aka kleftico and a speciality gemisto kotopoulo, which is chicken stuffed with spinach, feta cheese, sundried tomatoes and wrapped in pancetta. Rounding it all off are desserts baklava, sokolatopita (chocolate cake soaked in chocolate and honey syrup) and galaktoboureko (filo pastry filled with homemade vanilla custard).
It marks a return for one member of the new team Mechmet Kalioutsis, who previously worked at Yiannis before going on to open Solo Grano in Nottingham city centre. Also involved is Vasilis Moustaferis.
Vasilis said: "Yiannis had it for a long time and this was a good opportunity for the premises to be used again. We have made it a lot brighter. The layout is not that different but we have expanded the space as much as we could.
"We are trying to give the best flavours in the world. We have done a few twists on traditional recipes and so far we have had great feedback. We want people to have a good experience and remember it so when they think of Greece, they think of our food.
"We have vegan and gluten-free. The desserts have to be tried. Everything is homemade, even the ice cream."
Unlike Yiannis, Kellari will be open for lunch and will soon be launching a special lunchtime menu with lighter dishes at lower prices. Once properly up and running properly, they will also be introducing a takeaway service.
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