Meal ordered: Aubergine dish for dinner. Pros: 1) I wanted something relatively light and this vegetarian dish was not only hearty but also was not missing any meat at all. It was seasoned quite well, and I didn’t leave the restaurant feeling heavy or bloated. 2) It was a quiet Tuesday evening, which is exactly what I needed since I wasn’t in the mood for loud music or talking. Cons: 1) None. Summary: If you’re in Bloomsbury and are looking for a good lunch or dinner spot, try this one out.
S K.
Rating des Ortes: 2 San Francisco, CA
I too wanted to like this Greek restaurant, but … The service was mediocre The food was mediocre And it was overpriced Nothing was awful, but it was just a disappointment. Will never return.
Jihyang P.
Rating des Ortes: 3 London, United Kingdom
Just had a tea and hot-chocolate. Not bad ! but they only had Greek tea that day and it was ok. The tea portion was too small for me. but atmosphere was goood
Ray C.
Rating des Ortes: 2 London, United Kingdom
This is the sort of place I really want to like. However I left feeling underwhelmed and extremely unimpressed. Having harboured a desire to visit this café/restaurant for a while, and securing myself a date, I thought this the perfect opportunity to trial it out. You’d expect such a well-stocked pantry to offer great food, and a good selection, and in the evening as they put wine glasses out and dress the tables, it implies that they are suited to cater for diner. … and whilst the space itself is lovely, the walls full of exciting shelves stacked with home brand goodies, jars of sauces, olives, cheeses, meats, wines and other delightful looking elixir bottles, when asking for a menu I was informed that there wasn’t one and that the two meal options were traditional sausages or an okra vegetarian stew option. I have never been a fan of sausages regardless of quality. With a few other items on the counter, we opted for the okra, a filo pastry vegetable slice and a bowl of olives and bread as a pre diner snack. The olives came, and were lovely, however the bread was more like a dry thick cracker about half an inch thick and rock solid. Even dipping this in olive oil didn’t help. The slice was the best part, but came cold and was very small. The okra stew(which we shared), was a great portion size, but also extremely bland and lukewarm. The okra itself was also stringy and I had to leave a lot of the pith on my plate. The staff seemed less than enthusiastic talking to us, and acted as if us asking them for information about the menu was something out of the ordinary, and that there was some issue with this. To add insult to injury, it wasn’t cheap too, the okra dish in itself being around £9. In the end I think we were just happy to get out of there and go for some desert somewhere else. I think this experience just goes to show that whilst some places look appealing, maybe a touch more research is never a bad thing. It’s such a shame as they seem to have such wonderful options at lunch(although I now feel reserved to try them out), but fail in the evening on choice and quality.
Lauren H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Los Angeles, CA
Came here on my first night in London, when I could barely keep my eyes open from jet lag, but I am glad I stayed awake(ok, got out of bed from a nap) for the meal. I had the vegetarian pastitsio, which was a large portion and very good, along with a side order of bread and a side order of what was some of the best tzatziki I have ever eaten(and I have eaten a lot, as it is one of my favorite foods). Service was good and the prices were very reasonable. Very glad I stumbled upon this place. If I go back to London, I would definitely go back.
Hui C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Manhattan, NY
They have a perfectly dressed light salad — just enough olive oil — with good proportions of veggies. Sandwich is also good, but pretty standard café fare, if done a little better. Well-priced for what you get, and a good enough lunch spot!
Maja C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Boston, MA
I really love this place, which surprises me because so many other places on that street are just kind of ok. The first time I came here it was because my friend took me here for celebratory drinks a few weeks before my wedding. I was skeptical but it was close and we were short on time. We ordered some olives and some wine and I remained skeptical because, to be honest, I haven’t had a lot of Greek wine before. As a wine lover(perhaps not as experienced as I thought!) I admit I was thinking ‘Greek wine? this is going to be a disappointment’. But lo and behold, the wine was very good, the olives(of course) delicious, and the service was also good. The second time, my friend and I went for after work drinks and snacks. We ordered the tzatziki(which comes with some nice dark bread) and the small cheese board. We asked the server which size cheese board to get and he said definitely the small one and he was absolutely right — even the small is very big! Luckily I have a bottomless bit when it comes to cheese(see also sushi, popcorn, and tea) but my friend gave up ¾ of the way through. The cheese ranged from delicious to good and if you like different cheeses(i.e. a departure from cheddar) than I highly recommend it. A final note, I’ve never had a full course here and I’ve never tried the incredibly delicious looking things at the counter but I will and will report back! Overall, I’ll be back and I have a newfound appreciation for Greek wine!
Alexandros A.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
I would go there for the coffee and the pastries, for a lunch, or to try some Greek wine. They stock excellent wine and cheeses and always bring nice fillo based pastry. Their food although made there by a chef is still café food and slightly pricy for the category. However, their ingredients are good and portions are generous. The lentil soup or the mousaka were worth trying. The kofte in olive oil and potatoes made a filling and hearty lunch but it would be something you can make at home. The greek coffee is good although not exceptional but they stock nice mountain Greek tea. It’s not always easy to find a table but makes it up with long opening hours and in fact might be better to visit later in the day when it’s a bit quieter.
Miguel A.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Los Angeles, CA
I just wanted to say a few words, about this amazing place. Went in for lunch one day and, found this place to be Great!!! The staff is great the service is amazing. Would have to say this is one of my top choice to go to while am in London. I would recommend this place to anyone wanted to have a great meal with friendly service.
Sarah S.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Elgin, United Kingdom
I’ve lived in London for many, many years, and have eaten in some of the finest restaurants. This CAFE(emphasised) is the snottiest, snobbiest eating establishment I have ever experienced. Both the times(I like to give places a second chance) I have been, I was routinely ignored at each stage of the process by the staff behind the counter. When I was finally acknowledged/served/allowed to pay(yes, I mean ‘allowed’), their attitude stank. The food is overpriced, uninteresting, below average fayre, that parades as interesting, luxury, natural deli-type food. It isn’t. Oh, and the carrot cake, and the chocolate bar at the till, are both revolting. Get over yourselves in there guys, really.
Yee Gan O.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
I stumbled across this Greek deli when I met a friend for lunch at Store Street Espresso a few doors down. There was a crowd outside, which is a good sign in a market driven capitalist society As I was a little early, I popped in to browse in a restrained manner as I already had lunch plans. They had a range of ready to eat food, which was keeping the crowds outside and inside happy — they also have a dining area at the back of the restaurant As well as that, they also had a tempting array of cakes, deli items and Greek goods like sun dried tomatoes and oils to buy and take away. A veritable treasure trove of Greek food items if you’re a fan of Greek food and cooking A worthy diversion on this interesting little street just off Tottenham Court Road
Grant T.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Enfield, United Kingdom
Another glorious find! My supervisor wanted us to try someplace new for lunch, and he brought us to The Life Goddess. They have a fairly simple menu with a few things on it, plus a few Greek pies, sandwiches and baked goods. I opted for the small Greek salad with a meat pie and a spinach pie(as Greek spinach pies are my favorite). I also got a lemon soda sweetened with Stevia. Win! There’s a bit of outdoor seating on the pavement in front of the place or there’s a few seats in the back. Since it was such a nice day, the outdoor seating was already taken, but the indoor seating was nice and it was quite cool in the back. I did notice several people outside enjoying glasses of white wine so it’s nice to know you can go there on a sunny day and relax with a glass. And the food? It’s tasty. The Greek salad is light and a mix of massive chunks of mouth-watering tomatoes and cucumbers mixed with olives, onions and Feta cheese. The pies were really well good as well, but the Spinach pie was a clear winner of the two I tried. Inside the restaurant there is a huge section of goods to take away as well. I saw from the tables that they have their own brand of marmelades, oils and vinegars, but in browsing I also saw bags of sun dried tomatoes and other yummy items. The baked goods looked so good that I got a slice of homemade carrot cake to go. I then noticed that they get their coffee from my favorite coffee roaster in London: Ozone Coffee. I had to get a iced coffee drink to take with me. I’m drinking the delicious coffee and eating the cake as we speak. The cake is amazing. It’s ridiculously moist with a creamy(and not too sweet!) cream cheese frosting. It may be the best carrot cake I’ve eaten since moving to London. In fact, I just took another bite. YUM. Delicious Greek food and amazing baked goods? You’ve sold me! I hope to take many lunches here!