The Best Central London Restaurants

The Real Greek Souvlaki & Bar ? Putney

Address: 31-33 Putney High Street, SW15 1SP
Telephone:

When The Real Greek opened in Hoxton a few years ago, there was a stampede of diners thrilled by the regional Greek cuisine, the groovy ambience, the open kitchen, the authentic smells, the cool waitstaff. Now, like Troy, London's neighbourhoods are being conquered from within by new branches of the smart, sleek, trendy Real Greek Souvlaki, and lucky Putney is the latest to fall under its spell. Set right in the centre of town, the restaurant is so near the cinema it would be criminal not to make it a stopover before or after the show. The Real Greek is a very hip place, very Manhattan, in which to enjoy Greek dishes quite unlike the normal fare. The souvlaki concept encourages sharing and the narrow tables make it easy. Try hand-rolled stuffed vine leaves, crispy cheese balls with herbs or lightly-battered salt cod. Move forward from there to the souvlaki, or "the best kebab in the world" as they put it. Lamb, pork or chicken are skewered and grilled to perfection, then served with tzatziki and homemade tomato sauce and wrapped in Greek flat bread. Traditional deserts, including a glorious baklava, are a must. The Greek wines are a nice surprise. The concept of The Real Greek restaurants was made for larger parties. Food sharing and passing around is de rigueur, and the Putney branch's long, narrow tables are practically perfect for a birthday, get-together, leaving party or any event you can dream up. Order up a few mezedes (small dishes) of Greek olives or nuts to get you started, then move right into the souvlaki, which offers a variety of meats, fish and seasonal vegetables hot from the grill. An exclusively Greek wine list certainly makes a change from the usual, and the charming staff are always on hand to advise.