eros kafe.

A friend and I decided to try out Eros Kafe last week for a late lunch after having walked by it so many times.  It's classier (and pricier) brother, Eros Ouzeri, is right next door but for lunch purposes the Kafe seemed better suited to our student budget.  Not that it's particularly cheap, mind you.

Since we came in after the lunch rush, there were only a few tables occupied and just the one waiter behind the bar.  The menu took some time to get our heads around - it literally was all Greek to me - but we eventually decided on a sharing plate and a main dish to share.  I'm always hesitant when ordering a 'sharing plate' because I never know how big they're going to be.  I wish restaurants would just tell you exactly how many pieces of whatever you're ordering and the waiters can tell you exactly how big the dish will be.  It would make life a lot easier.

Ortikia: chargrilled quail served with honey & orange, beetroot & rocket salad ($15.90)

The quail was good.  It was juicy and plump and bursting with flavour.  The salad was light and refreshing with big chunks of beetroot and a few slices of sweet orange.  I've generally tended to stay away from ordering salads with fruit in them, just because I think it's weird having fruit in my main meals, but I was surprised at how well the orange fit in with the rest of the salad.  The dish was pretty small though, especially for a sharing plate.

Open Yiros Combo: chicken & lamb with pita bread, tzatziki, salad & chips ($18.90)

The lamb pieces came cooked medium (they ask for your preference) and while there were a few pieces which were pink and juicy, the majority of it was too dry.  The chicken pieces, however, were cooked perfectly and had great flavour to it.



Both my friend and I had trouble wrapping the pita bread around the meat and salad together.  The slices were too small so we ended up just eating the elements separately.  The chips were dusted with seasoning and slightly soggy, which was great because I prefer soggy chips, but if you're on the crunchy bandwagon then maybe not so great.  The salad was alright, nothing amazing.

Because I had eaten something before this meal, I was pretty satisfied at the end.  However, my friend had been starving before coming in and was still hungry at the end.  The serving size for the quail and the yiros didn't really match - for almost the same price the yiros plate had a lot more to it, although I get that quail is on the higher end of the price list.

It was an okay experience.  The waiter wasn't the friendliest person - actually, civil is the nicest word I can use to describe him - but service was generally good.  It's a great location for people watching and perhaps I'll come back for another meal, but I am definitely in no hurry.