Food from the mainland Greece’s countless islands doesn’t get as much attention in Manchester as we think it should. The land of endless blue skies and seas comes complete with culinary traditions stretching back to the ancient world, a kitchen that combines oceanic delicacies with rich fruits of the land, and in the 21st Century this can be served steeped in tradition or at the cutting edge of culinary experimentation. My Greek Street Food pays homage to heritage, plating up an impressive range of staples and some lesser known Hellenic bites for the good folk of Peel Green, Eccles and beyond.
Like anything Greek, there’s serious passion behind each serving here, and the team are proud to declare their dishes are “worthy of the gods”, revealing the secret ingredient — regardless of your order — is family and love. While preaching from the gospel of un-rushed dining, the menu includes plenty of light options, such as the Pites, or Greek pita wraps, with souvlaki pork and chicken, Bifteki (minced lamb with beef and pork patty) and Loukaniko (Greek village sausage) among the specialities on that front.
Skepasti Club Giants — two pita stuffed with a variety of ingredients including pork and chicken yeeros — are another real winner, although this is still really just for starters. Specials like Brizolakia and Paidakia, Mama Dishes including Gemista and Moussaka, and, of course, a range of skewers (lamb, anyone?) really add to the authenticity. Meanwhile, those looking to go meat-less are also well catered for, with plant based alternatives to several dishes on offer. Add a reasonably sized kids menu, a huge selection of dips (such as Tzatziki, of course, but also Tirokafteri, and the My Greek unique OMG Sauce), not to mention desserts such as Baklava and Ekmek Kataifi, and it’s not hard to understand why the warm welcome isn’t the only reason to kick back and stay here for a while.