Last night we joined a group of friends for dinner at the newly reopened George’s Kitchen (formerly The Fat Greek) for dinner. It’s a cozy Greek family-style restaurant that delivers good wholesome food at reasonable prices.
The restaurant is set in a repurposed house. When you arrive, you get the feeling that you’re arriving at a mate’s house for dinner. The garden needs a lot of attention. Aside from first impressions, if you put those aside, you’re treated like family and fed like a Greek king. George’s is a family restaurant with dad George in the kitchen, and brother and sister Dimitri and Alexia running front of house.
The food is quality home cooking Greek style and the menu is typical of what you’d expect, but with a few extras that make the fare very appealing.
We ordered some of the Dimitri mezze platters to start which came with pitas that I could eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner any day of the week – they were fresh, hot and perfectly tearable. Tzatziki, Hummus and Taramasalata were excellent. The Tarama is my wife’s favorite and there wasn’t a spot left by the time plates were cleared. The Spanakopita were crisp, slim and very moreish. I don’t generally go for Dolmades but these were good, I tried one because I have to, you know, for research. There were some other nibbles on the platter too – a pair of chicken skewers and Halloumi which were delicious. The Lamb meatballs were the only thing that wasn’t a hit on this platter. Two out of the four ended up uneaten.
For mains try some of the chef’s specialities (there’s a section in the menu), and have a look at what’s on offer on the specials board. If there’s one thing I know about Greek, it’s that Greeks know how to make a mighty fine lamb. The lamb knuckle stew comes in a rich gravy, and the lamb shoulder is sliced thin and served with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon. I preferred the lamb shoulder, my wife preferred the stew. Both were delicious. They don’t look like 5-star dining date in the pics, in fact, the pics don’t do the flavours and the tenderness justice at all. We also had a watermelon and Feta salad which cut through the richness of the lamb in both our dishes a little.
Others at the table had the lamb and chicken souvlaki (two separate dishes, but I just didn’t want to say souvlaki twice in the same sentence, but now look what I’ve done), the lamb pasta dish which has a Greek name that I didn’t write down, and the beef fillet which came drenched in a rich sauce. All looked superb. I limited myself to snapping pics of other peoples plates and not hovering over everyone with fork in hand to sample, that would be taking friendships to a whole new level. Maon did manage to acquire my wine glass at one point, but what are friends for if not to share a little Chenin.
They’re not licensed so remember to bring your own booze. Fortunately we live close enough to have been able to dash out and pick up a few bottles from home before the other Dave and Mandy arrived (not that you’re any less special than the other other Dave and Mandy, it’s just they were there first so you guys were the other Dave and Mandy last night).
With all that superb Greek fare I opened a bottle of Ken Forrester Wine Estate Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2021 – the one that was rated best Chenin in the world by Decanter this year, followed by a Louisvale Wines Stellenbosch Dominique 2020 – a blend of largely Cab Sav with a bit of Merlot and a dash of Cab Franc.
The service at George’s Kitchen needs work – it’s family run, and it seems nobody is cracking the whip when it comes to service. Food came out of the kitchen quickly at first but then our mains were stacked behind another large table so they appeared after a noticeable wait. We had to flag down wait staff several times during the evening. It’s forgivable and won’t ruin your evening as long as you’re not expecting great service. The food and the ambiance made up for the occasional absent waitress.
For me the most special part of the evening was right at the end of service when George came out of the kitchen to chat with guests. He’s such a warm and hospitable soul and you can see the passion for what he does written all over his heavily lined face. Stick around for that moment, it’s worth the wait.
The space is cozy with a limited number of tables, so I’d suggest calling ahead to book.
George’s Kitchen is a vibey, cosy restaurant for a low-key night out where a wholesome meal and good company is what you’re after. It’s unlicensed, which takes a huge chunk off the bill making it very reasonably priced. We’ll definitely be back.
