Home From Home: How to live your Greek myth in London
London is home to a multitude of nationalities. Each has built their own community to embrace their own uniqueness and identity and the Greeks are no different.
After I made London my home in September 2017, the choice of Greek places astounded me. The city boasts a great variety of local shops, restaurants, entertainment and a wide, welcoming community.
If you look hard enough, you’ll find that London has Greek neighbourhoods, like Moscow Road in Bayswater. The street hosts plenty of nice spots and is home to the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Divine Wisdom Hagia Sophia.
As a native girl, I’ll share with you my tips and must do’s’, which you’ll enjoy whether you’re from Thessaloniki or Birmingham.
Do you want to party like a Greek and rock the rhythm of your favourite sounds? Listen to Vissi, Vandi, Padelidis (Originally mainstream, dance music with Greek lyrics)? Then all roads lead to Morton’s Club and the Hellenic Nights every Friday and Saturday. Moreover, many artists from each music genre give concerts in the city so you can enjoy them live.
Real frappe, Mousaka and other delicacies
If you are dying to taste the famous indigenous dishes such as Souvlaki — wrapped pork or chicken with tzatziki sauce — and Mousaka, which consists of aubergine, courgette and béchamel sauce, or savour the authentic Greek frappe (yes, it was us who invented it), here are the places to go!
The Life Goddess at Bloomsbury is one of the best places not only to taste traditional dishes, but also to get some local products like jams, wines, chocolates and other desserts. You should dine there on Sundays to have the full Greek experience while enjoying live music.
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Athenian in Elephant and Castle serves the most delicious Souvlaki and Greek Salad, prepared with meat and ingredients of exceptional quality.
Santorini in Bayswater is famous for its Mousaka and it offers a wide range of other famous delicacies. Their stuff and warm, welcoming atmosphere recreates the unforgettable authentic experience of the Santorini Island. Don’t miss the traditional beverages: the Ouzo, which is a sweet drink containing alcohol, flavoured with anise and served icy, or the Tsipouro, a brandy consisting of pomace and contains 40% alcohol.
Coffee has a very special place in every Greek’s heart and is part of its culture. If you are an authentic Greek, then you will have an urge for coffee more than once in a day. I strongly recommend Carpo in Mayfair or Knightsbridge and Flocafe on Molton Street. Both brands are the most popular coffee chains in our country. The people love to meet and spend time together in these places, so this is definitely an amazing chance to fully know and embrace our culture.
As you see, it’s not hard to feel home, like you’re back in Greece, if you live in London. The only thing missing is the sun but you will get used to it. The Greek element is not missing: in every corner, you can find something Greek… even at Buckingham Palace!
The Life Goddess, 29 Store Street, Bloomsbury, WC1E 7BS, www.thelifegoddess.com, 020.7637.4077, Open Mon — Sun, 10am — 11pm.
Athenian, The Artworks Unit 16, Elephant Road, Elephant and Castle, SE17 1AY, www.theathenian.co.uk, 07397 054921, Open Mon — Sun, 11:30am — 10:30pm.
Santorini, 10 Moscow Road, Bayswater, W2 4BT, www.santoriniw2.com, 020 7727 7112, Open Mon — Sun, 12:30pm — 11pm.
Carpo, 5 Montpelier Street, Knightsbridge, SW7 1EX, www.carpolondon.co.uk, 020 75842 777, Open Mon — Thu, 8am — 10:30pm. Fri, 8am — 11pm. Sat, 9:30am — 11pm. Sun, 10am — 10:30pm.
Flocafe, 40 S Molton Street, Mayfair, W1K 5RW, www.flocafe.gr/?lang=en, 07949 502551, Open Mon — Thur, 7:30am — 8pm. Fri, 7:30am — 9pm. Sat, 8am — 9pm. Sun, 8am — 8pm.
