Vrisaki (Greek) – London, England (8/10)
Jan 9th, 2007 by admin
What a gastronomic treat Greek restaurant Vrisaki is. You enter through the shop front of an ordinary kebab shop, which is a bit off-putting if it’s your first visit, but once you reach the back of the shop, you enter into a completely different world – a vast, buzzing dining room, full of Greek Cypriot families and other large groups of diners. The waiters are elderly men and very friendly, with the exception of a grumpy one! The décor is basic 1970s, but the food is outstanding.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve eaten at Vrisaki with family and friends over the last few years, but we always have the same, meze, currently priced at £18.00 per person. The vegetarian option is cheaper, but if you eat fish or seafood, then you might as well opt for the standard meze as your friends can help eat the meat course for you. There are two sittings in the evening, 6.45 and 9.00, but because of the enormous quantities of food that need to be consumed then digested, the earlier time is recommended. Trust me.
The first part of the meze – dips, beans, seafood, potato, vegetables etc – arrives in countless small dishes and bowls, with plenty of hot fresh pitta bread. The entire table is covered with food and it can be overwhelming. This is the point at which you have to resist the temptation to pig out, although everyone invariably does, because there are around five to six large courses to follow – juicy chilled prawns in their shells, grilled whole sea bass, succulent field mushrooms grilled in garlic and lemon juice, gammon with grilled halloumi cheese, delicious grilled langoustine, fried calamari, then finally the mixed meats platter with Greek salad.
The verdict?
By the time this final course arrives, you’ll be too full to do more than sample the various meats, so there is some inevitable wastage, although we normally take the meat home. I’ve read mixed reviews about Vrisaki, but have only ever been completely satisfied, and always totally stuffed. I’m already planning my next expedition, as the anticipation is part of the fun of eating here!
You might also like another Greek restaurant – Molo (Greek) – 8/10 or some of my favourite London restaurants.
10 – Perfection, 9.5 – Sensational, 9 – Outstanding, 8.5 – Superb,
8 – Excellent, 7.5 – Very Good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 – Average
All the London restaurant reviews on World Foodie Guide
Contact Details:
Vrisaki
73 Myddleton Road
London N22 8LZ
Tel: 020 8889 8760
Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide
