Mazi

Mazi restaurant in Hillgate Street, Notting Hill. Revolutionising Greek food in the UK.

Mazi - Mazi restaurant in Hillgate Street, Notting Hill. Revolutionising Greek food in the UK.

http://www.mazi.co.uk

Mazi - London Restaurant Reviews | Hardens

“Exciting” dishes still win fans for this “classy” and “highly creative modern Greek”, on the site of successive Notting Hill tavernas for almost 70 years.

Scores dropped across the board this year though – it’s becoming “very expensive” and some diners felt ‘processed’ (“we were served so fast we were finished in 45 minutes”).

Mazi, 12-14 Hillgate Street, London W8 | The Independent

Mazi (which means 'together') stands in a street behind the Coronet cinema, on the site of Costas Grill, one of London's first Greek restaurants which opened its doors in 1957.

When I asked why there was no sign of hummus or pitta on the menu, Adrien briskly replied, "Because we're a Greek restaurant, not a Cypriot".

Angie's lobster was flavoured with basil and a slug of Metaxa, the tourist-destroying Greek brandy (luckily this was the 12-year-old version).

Along with the other new experiences of dinner chez Mazi, I was happy to be introduced to Mastiha, a liqueur from Chios, from a tree that weeps crystal 'tears' which you crush and add to alcohol.

Sleek, modern restaurant serving impeccable Greek cuisine – the milk-fed shoulder of lamb for two people is a house speciality.

Mazí Mas

The trend: a new Hellenic league

Restaurant review of the week: Mazi | London Evening Standard

The chefs responsible are Athinagoras Kostakos, executive chef at Bill and Coo on Mykonos, and George Venieris, executive chef at the roof garden restaurant of the Electra Palace Hotel in Athens.

Ingredients presented as trios joined up with smears of purée seem even more old hat than jars and slates.

A small chunk of saddle of lamb accompanied by braised shoulder in flaky pastry — resembling, said my wee Glaswegian pal, a Scotch pie — served on a slate was, however, better than the truncated slice of lacklustre pork fillet and two cubes of pork belly with cep purée chosen at lunch.

Look out for me and my sister Beth Coventry’s Great Taste recipes which launch there on September 27 as a London Restaurant Festival menu.

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Mazi | Restaurants in Kensington, London

This stylish addition to the capital’s Hellenic dining scene opened in 2012 in what used to be Costas Grill.

Purists might be troubled by the progressive presentation – mezédes are served in Kilner jars; tyrópitta is separated into filling and filo for DIY crumbling – but the flavours are reassuringly authentic.

A jar of creamy white taramá hit just the right note of tangy, savoury deliciousness; another of fava (spilt-pea purée), accompanied by tender octopus, was so light it could have been whipped.

Horiátiki contained top-quality oil and feta, properly ripe tomatoes, and (unexpectedly) Cretan-style rusk croûtons and salty capers.

Keftédes were sublime and Mazi’s slabs of feta encased in black-sesame tempura with punchy lemon marmalade might well consign the humble saganáki to history.