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A restaurant fit for heroes
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
8 Plender Street NW1
0207 388 1111
A grandiose name for this small restaurant at the corner of Plender Street and Bayham Street. Owner Stelios has recreated a truly Greek atmosphere. A veranda which surrounds the building gives it a Mediterranean look. Inside, six pillars of Greek design and three statues preside over the tables which are dressed with white and ivory tablecloths. Under the protective presence of Apollo – the God of Music — and Aphrodite – the Goddess of Love – you will feel quite at home and enjoy Michael’s hospitality. Michael, the Restaurant manager, comes from Cyprus and his cheerfulness is contagious.
The restaurant is on ground floor and basement. A colourful bar is at the back next to the kitchen. Everything is made by their chef from Athens.
The menu also follows the theme – it looks very Greek in design and in contents with some history about Alexander the Great.
A good choice of Greek wines heads a well balanced list of popular ones from France, Italy and Germany. They are reasonably priced with a Frascati at £12.95, a Saint Emilion at £l4.95 and their house champagne at £26.95. We had the Demestica Red at £11.95. A small dish with olives, carrots and chillies was brought with the wine.
I always think that having the Mixed Meze (£l5.95 per person) or Fish Meze (£l8.95) is a wonderful way to spend an evening with friends.
It resembles a tasting menu with a great variety of dishes that keep coming to the table. A good opportunity to sample their cuisine. For the two of us we opted for the Tarama (also known as Taramasalata) – smoked cod roe blended with lemon juice and olive oil; the humus – chick peas blended with lemon juice, tahini, salt, pepper and garlic and the tsatziki – yoghurt grated cucumber, garlic and dry mint – all at £2.95 each.
The humus was the best I have tried – it may be because of the Tahini (ground sesame seeds). The dips come with the traditional pitta bread which was warm and crisp.
To follow the kleftico (£9.50) was excellent. The large knuckle of lamb was tender and very tasty. It was accompanied by roast potatoes and rice. That was new to me as in the past I have had it with potatoes only.
The stifado (£9.50) – pieces of beef cooked in red wine – was also served with potatoes and rice. We shared a Greek Salad (£2.95) which had a good dressing and the ingredients were very fresh
Good news for vegetarians: The traditional Mousaka of sliced potatoes, courgettes, aubergines and mince meat topped with cream and cheese also comes in a vegetarian version. The Alexander platter is a large selection of grilled vegetables including spinach (Spanakopita in Greek – sounds so much nicer), Halloumi and feta cheese. |
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