Stratford-Upon-Avon is a beautiful town steeped in history (it’s William Shakespeare’s birthplace) and character…and it also happens to offer a fantastic choice of eateries, which was very much appreciated when The Man, Mummy Bird and I visited recently.
Having previously visited Giggling Squid for some scrummy Thai tucker, the following evening saw us at a Greek restaurant, El Greco. As well as the A la Carte offering, El Greco have a couple of fab offers on in the evenings between 5-10pm: a Prix Fixe menu where you can choose a starter, main and dessert from a selection for £25.95 per person, or the 22-dish, Greek Banquet for £29.95 per person. It was a given that His Nibs and I would go the whole hog and have the feast, but I honestly thought Mummy Bird would go for the smaller Prix Fixe. I’ve said before that assumption is the mother-of-all-whatsits, and so I wasn’t overly surprised when Mummy declared that she too was going for the feast!
A lovely young lad got us seated and settled, then got us sorted with a bottle of wine (either Pinot Grigio or Sauv Blanc, I can’t remember which, £28.95) and some table water. Given the simplicity of our food order, we weren’t waiting at all long for the first morsels to arrive: Taramosalata, Tzatziki, Houmus, Spanakopita, Halloumi, Kalamari, Fasulia, Olives, and lots of warmed flatbread. We were on a fairly decent-sized, round, 4-seater table, but a Lazy Susan was sorely needed for this plethora of dishes.
Taramosalata is one of those dips that divides opinion; personally, I love the curiously briny flavour which you don’t expect from a pink-blancmange toned dish – I do get why some folks can’t get on with the salted, cured Fish Roe base, though. Mummy and I snaffled the lions’ share of this dip, whilst His Nibs was giving the Tzatziki and Houmus some serious attention; we also got to have the Olives between us, as The Man doesn’t like them. The battered Calamari rings were gorgeously crisp on their outers, and Chef had cooked the seafood perfectly so that it had remained soft, rather than becoming tough and chewy.
All of us loved the Fasulia, a hearty Tomato sauce-based stew that was made with ‘Gigante’ Lima Beans and epitomised comfort food at its best. Having scoffed the beans, we tore up the flatbread and greedily scooped up every single bit of sauce. Equally fab were the Spinach and Cheese Parcels (Spanakopita); the crisp, crunchy pastry contrasted against the creamy, soft filling and we all smiled happily as we ate them. Chef had cut the Halloumi into generous ‘fingers’ before grilling it to warm it through, and we all munched away at it. We were already feeling fairly full after feasting on these morsels, and they were ‘only’ the starters!
Our empty bowls and side plates were taken away, and fresh napkins, cutlery, and plates set in front of us in readiness for the main course dishes. At El Greco they serve a superb range of dishes, but there were all the crowd-pleasers on our Mezze/Feast menu: Moussaka, Stifado, Keftedes, Loukanika, Dolmades, Chicken- and Pork- Souvlaki, with Oregano-pimped Chips, Rice, and Greek Salad to pair with them.
Not gonna lie, I didn’t touch the Greek sausage (Loukanika) with a barge pole: I’m fussy enough with English Sausage and, having had this spiced type before, knew that it and I were not going to be best buddies. Ever. His Nibs was absolutely chowing it down, though, and said it was gorgeous. Mummy and I wolfed the Moussaka between us – and the Stifado! Rich and meaty, both these dishes were the perfect meal for a chilly late-autumn evening. There was only me in our group who likes Dolmades (stuffed Vine Leaves) so I happily tucked into those, whilst Mummy Bird and His Nibs helped themselves to the Meatballs (Keftedes) and the tender cubes of marinated Chicken and Pork.
For something so simple, the Rice was bloody marvellous! I don’t know what the Greeks do to their rice, but this was fluffy and buttery and just utterly glorious. If we’d had this at the start of our meal, I think we would all have just filled up on it! Clean, bright, fresh flavours burst forth from the rainbow Salad, and those Oregano-zhuzhed Chips? Really rather good; it was the first time I’d had these, and I have to say that they were lovely.
The three of us slumped back in our seats as we concluded our mains, mindful that the Greeks are partial to their syrup- and honey- laden sweet treats. Both Kataifi and Baklava have Filo Pastry at their hearts, as well as nuts, but the difference is in the texture of the Filo. Kataifi is shredded, noodle-like strands of the pastry filled with nuts, whereas Baklava utilises sheets of the pastry that is layered with nuts and drenched in syrup or honey. Both desserts are super-sweet, and were ably assisted in their waist-expanding mission by an impossibly good Honeycomb Ice cream!
Mummy hasn’t eaten a huge amount of Greek cuisine, but was certainly a fan of it after her experience at El Greco. His Nibs and I also really enjoyed the feast, so Hot Wings are given to this Stratford-Upon-Avon restaurant. To book a table, call 01789 290505 or visit www.el-greco.co.uk and hit the ‘book’ button. El Greco is closed on Sunday, opening Monday-Saturday Noon-9pm.
