Bite Club: GRUB OF THE GODS
As holiday to Greece has been a British staple for many years, but unlike their Mediterranean counterparts, like the Italians and the Spanish, the food of this gorgeous country perhaps isn't as widely understood. But just like Hermes (the God, not the distribution company), we are here to deliver you more Greek knowledge than Plato and Socrates put together.
Don’t know your souvlaki from your kleftiko? Is Greek food your Achilles Heel at the local pub quiz? Well, we listened to the public and visited some of the highest recommended establishments in the county.
ELA KENDRO - GILLINGHAM
A two tiered restaurant on the top road (A2) through Gillingham, Ela Kendro was one of those rare and unexpected good surprises. We knew nothing about it, but an instagram tip-off led us to the restaurant which fuses modern interior and crockery with traditional food and Hellenic music.
The open kitchen serves up renowned specialities, but despite being well-versed Grecophiles ourselves, the starters menu still threw up items that we were unfamiliar with, including the kolokithakia (a courgette and egg dish), and pastourma (spicy beef sausage).
We went for the kleftiko (pictured); the succulent, slow cooked lamb joint, served with vegetables and Cypriot potatoes. Often cooked in a baking paper parcel with garlic and lemon, the beautiful meat fell away from the bone and was genuinely stunning.
An aperitif of Zivania Leol (known as Cypriot moonshine) added a lovely top off to a fantastic meal.
It was no surprise when we later found out that Ela Kendro was currently #2 Greek Restaurant and the #4 Mediterranean restaurant in Kent on TripAdvisor.
WEB: Elakendro.co.uk
FB: ElaKendro
ARTEMIS GREEK TAVERNA - MAIDSTONE
With blue and white tablecloths and images of Medi scenery on the walls, Artemis has that traditional Greek Taverna feel. A friendly atmosphere is matched with cracking food from chef Artemis and aided by Mythos beer (our favourite) on the menu.
We chose a duo of dishes including the vegetarian spanakotiropita kia (easy for you to say), which is a spinach and feta cheese mix, baked inside a filo pastry to form a beautiful savoury pie.
On the meaty side of things we opted for the mixed souvlaki; chicken and lamb skewers, marinated in garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs, served with salad over tzatziki and Greek potatoes. The grilled meats take you back to the islands, or at least to barbecues in the summer, while the fresh tzatziki adds the perfect light counterpart. A genuinely excellent meal with happy service. Give it a try.
WEB: artemismaidstone.co.uk
ZEUS OUZERI & TAVERNA - CANTERBURY
With a selection of ouzos, Greek wines and Greek brandy, Zeus Canterbury goes the whole hog in bringing authentic flavours to the county.
A glance at the menu will see the offer of stifado (slow-cooked beef with onions, cinnamon and rice) or garides saganaki (king prawns with peppers, garlic, feta, ouzo in tomato sauce) leap out, as well as a number of others (the lamb burger is very popular).
On this occasion, we opted for the moussaka - a traditional Greek dish with layers of potatoes, aubergine, minced beef (which could be swapped for mushrooms) and béchamel sauce. It was fantastic and a great deviation from what can sometimes be a meat-heavy meal.
Of course, it would have been remiss of us not to include a traditional Greek salad, with tomatoes, cucumber, onions, green peppers, olives, feta, oregano, olive oil and vinegar, making up our meal. A must-visit.
WEB: zeuscanterbury.com
FB: ZeusCanterbury
THE GREEK ARCH - RAMSGATE
Down on the marina-side, the family-run Greek Arch restaurant is a stunning eatery built into the archways under the main road into the town. Now run by Greek Cyrpiot Nancy, the restaurant has a really intimate feel with exposed brick and cave-like ceiling, while also offering al fresco tables overlooking the water.
Our lunchtime choice was a Mount Olympus-sized meze mix of hot and cold dishes (similar to a Spanish tapas) to share between two (at a minimum). Marinated olives were joined by grilled pittas to dip in the houmous (chickpea and garlic), tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber, garlic, mint) and taramosalata (smoked cod roe).
Next up was the grilled halloumi (did you know that was Cypriot?) goats cheese joined by grilled lountza (smoked loin of pork), garlic mushrooms, fried whitebait and calamari.
Traditional wine-flavoured sausages or loukanika and dolmades (vine leaves stuffed with rice, herbs and a choice of either with or without mince) completed a meal that even Pythagoras would have struggled to get his head round. Beautiful.