When I look back at the few times I have visited Greece over the years and think about the food, to be honest, it’s mostly been British food served up in some gorgeous hotel on an all inclusive deal. The odd trip to the local town where I’ve perhaps eaten some baklava and had a coffee or a beer, perhaps a sandwich OR perhaps ventured out of the resort for dinner to enjoy food that’s catered to the British palate with a little bit of Greece thrown in for good measure - but never have I had a proper full on Greek meal.

I had to come back to my home city for that. Hello to the Wee Greek Kitchen in Edinburgh!

REVIEW OF THE WEE GREEK KITCHEN, EDINBURGH

The Wee Greek Kitchen is run and owned by Spiros with head chef, Manthos. It’s located on Dalkeith Road (where the old Edinburgh Food Studio use to be). The restaurant is airy and bright, with two large windows bringing in all the light. Spiros is an artist and has created lovely murals on the ceiling and in toilets.

Spiros describes the restaurant as a place where food meets art. Regular exhibitions hang on the walls, there is live music two days a week - Scottish music on a Thursday and Greek Music on a Sunday and he hopes to soon add live theatre into the mix.

The space is warm and inviting, the tables laden with shiny glassware and clear glass crockery with pops of red colour to make it really welcoming.

STARTERS - WEE GREEK KITCHEN

On sitting down, a wee welcome appetiser soon makes its way out of the kitchen. It’s homemade pitta bread with whipped feta, black olive tapenade and tomato. Strong flavours, but equally delicate. A nice bite whilst perusing the menu.

Dishes like Prawns Saganaki with spiced tomato and ouzo sauce (£12.00); the Spanikopita of spinach and feta cheese pie (£5.00) and the Spetzofai of sausages with rainbow peppers (£9.50) all had my taste buds jumping for joy, but I loved the sound of the Feta Kadaifi - feta cheese rolled in kadaifi filo pastry and served with honey and sesame seeds (£7.00) .

This dish is stunning and not at all how I pictured it to be. The pastry noodles were so thin and crispy, the feta cheese soft and salty, combined with the sweetness and the stickiness of the honey made this dish an absolute winner.

There are also salads to choose from which of course includes a Greek Salad (how could it not!)

MAINS - WEE GREEK KITCHEN

At this point I would have loved a glass of wine but as I was driving and it was only lunchtime, I skipped this step and just enjoyed a sparkling water. Their wine menus feature only Greek wines in both red, white and sparkling. Spiros will be happy to help guide you through the wines best suited to your dining choices.

The menu isn’t a large one, which I like. Too many choices just causes confusion and wastes precious eating time! The mains menu has 8 dishes available. Feature ingredients include Cod in the Cod “Ladogola” (cod served in a creamy saffron sauce) £19.00; aubergines in the Mousaka (layers of potato and aubergine with beef mince and bechamel sauce) £16.99 and Ihah (roasted aubergine with tomato, onion and feta) £15.00 and venison in the Yiouvetsi (venison in a wine and tomato sauce with orzo and blackberries) £19.50.

I couldn’t see past the Lamb Chops served with pitta bread, aubergine puree and traditional Esme sauce £19.00.

This large heavy pate of food arrived overflowing with gorgeous bright food that you cant wait to eat. The 4 lamb chops were exquisitely seasoned and tender; although I would have preferred the fat on the chops to have been removed or rendered down so that it was slightly crispy but that’s my preferred option. The visually stunning and delicious homemade pitta breads with the fragrant dips of aubergine and esme sauce only meant one thing - tuck in and mop it all up.

There are a few side dishes available too such as fresh cut chips and mushrooms in brandy.

DESSERT - WEE GREEK KITCHEN

I have to be honest here regarding the desserts. Baklava £5.50 sits at the top of the menu and I didn’t even read any further. I’ve only checked out the other dessert options now, writing this review! My bad but I have no regrets as the baklava was immense and a mahoosive portion.

Other desserts include Orange Cake with syrup and vanilla ice cream £6.00 and; Yoghurt with Honey and Walnuts £6.00.

The coffee is insane here and I adore the wee Arabian styled cups that it is served in. The coffee has a slightly thicker consistency to my normal every day coffee but its way smoother and far more delicious. It’s served with a wee rose Turkish delight cube.

I think this place is an absolute gem. Spiros, although owner, runs the front of house too and is charming, and friendly with lots of laughter and banter to dish out. He is passionate about his restaurant, the food and the arts. The food is seriously great and if you are looking for a trip to a flavour town and want to experience some warm friendly hospitality, then book the Wee Greek Kitchen.

• The Wee Greek Kitchen has plenty of vegan and gluten free options available.

• Disabled access - might be limited only due to spacing of tables, but the restaurant and toilets are all on one level. Worth checking with the restaurant.

• Plenty on street FREE PARKING spaces 9:30 – 16:00 and 18:30 till morning

• Check out all things Greece on my Amazon Store - www.//amzn.eu/9038JgF
  
  

The Wee Greek Kitchen, 158 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh, EH16 5DX. www.weegreekkitchen.co.uk

My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10

I was invited by The Wee Greek Kitchen to review their menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.