RUBY WAX - As Greek As It Gets

Celebrating Holland Park’s
new literary festival with:
Jung Chang
Sophie Dahl
John McCarthy
May 12 Issue 331 thehillmag.co.uk
RUBY
WAX
On overcoming life’s
obstacles and fi nding
happiness in Holland Park
RACING
COLOURS
Stylish dressing for the
summer season at Goodwood
Hats off
WELCOMING CELEBRITY
MILLINER MISA HARADA TO W2
lus Henry Conway on the rules of minimalist style | Tom Parker Bowles on asparagus

Go
Greek
As Greek As It Gets’ proprietor Dimitri Karonis tucks into pitta,
taramasalata and hummus with Alexander Larman as he dispels
the clichés about Greek food and restaurants
If you were asked to name even a handful of really
good Greek restaurants in London, you’d probably be
stumped more or less immediately. Uniquely amongst
virtually every kind of foreign cuisine, there seems to
be an acceptance that Greek restaurants should either
be the sort of clichéd plate-smashing taverna that was
thought to have disappeared in the 1970s, or a blandly
homogenised chain establishment. In a city where
Italian, Indian, Chinese, French and even Vietnamese
restaurants are making waves, it seems a great pity that
Food &
DRINK
there aren’t more high-end places to enjoy authentic
Greek cuisine (as opposed to Greek-Cypriot, a keenly
felt distinction).
All hail, then, As Greek As It Gets in Earl’s Court,
probably the best Greek restaurant in town. The first
thing that you realise when you walk in is that the
design and atmosphere – slickly modern without
being oppressive or trying too hard – are a world
away from the down-at-heel eateries scattered glumly
throughout London. The second is that the man

ehind it, Dimitri Karonis, is a
world away from the clichés
of an ancient, mustachioed
proprietor shuffl ing round
in slippers. Instead, he’s
dynamic, engaged and has
great plans for the future.
We meet on a wet Tuesday
evening, but the mood is
soon lifted by Karonis producing an excellent bottle
of Albariño, which sets the tone for a jolly hour and a
half’s chat.
He’s owned the restaurant for six years, and has
lived in Britain and worked as manager there for four.
“We had another manager, but one day he was gone,
with a lot of money in his pocket! I thought I had to
protect my investment, initially, but then I wanted
to come and stay here, so I’m very happy living in
Britain.” He was already a successful restaurateur in
Greece, owning the Athens franchise of Yo! Sushi,
amongst other establishments, but he welcomed
the challenges that accompanied setting up a Greek
restaurant in London; as he says, with a shrug. “There’s
this association that it’s the priest, the fi sherman,
the housewife and all the others who go to Greek
restaurants. We wanted to change that.”
Change that he certainly has. Over the past few
years, As Greek As It Gets has attracted a large and
loyal clientele, drawn both by the undeniable charm
and buzzy atmosphere, and the top-quality food.
Despite having had a late lunch, my mouth waters at
the menu, and sure enough, a succession of delicious
dishes begin to appear. These range from upmarket
takes on traditional Greek favourites (pitta bread with
a selection of excellent dips including taramasalata,
hummus and delicately fl avoured calamari) to the
house specialties, which include a beef cooked
in honey, red wine and pepper, and the signature
dish, arnaki lemonato (lamb in lemon and white
There’s this association that
it’s the priest, the fi sherman,
the housewife and all the
others who go to Greek
restaurants. We wanted to
change that
wine sauce).
Everything
is deeply
delicious, and
I start to feel
my journalistic
impartiality
being well and
truly warped as
I start to plan my return visit.
What’s particularly amazing is that it’s incredibly
reasonably priced (the lamb dish, the equal
of virtually anything I’ve had in far grander
establishments, is a mere £13.50 – no main course
costs above £15).
As Karonis says: “I wanted to run a restaurant
where a couple could come out and have a good
dinner, with interesting dishes that they wouldn’t have
somewhere else, and it wouldn’t cost them a fortune.”
He’s proud of the fact that he hasn’t raised prices in
six years. That said, he’s not a big fan of the discount
cards and vouchers that have cropped up recently.
“They’re good for the industry, but they need to be
limited, as otherwise people come to expect food to
be permanently discounted. We have a really good
value set lunch, and that’s something that people
respond really well to.”
Karonis has grand plans for future expansion. “I
want to open another place on the King’s Road, which
will be a neighbourhood restaurant. The idea will be
that you can come in and have a glass of wine and
some meze, and relax with your friends.” Would he
like a further chain? Again, the twinkle, and if I was
a betting man, I’d suggest that the chances of more
As Greek As It Gets establishments opening are pretty
decent. “Well, we’d have to see about that. Now, you
really must have some more wine...” }
As Greek As It Gets, 233 Earl’s Court Road
Above: As Greek As It
Gets on Earl’s
Court Road

All Greek to me
It doesn’t get Greeker than this in SW5
As Greek as it gets on Earl's Court Road
prides itself on three things: simplicity,
elegance, and something that's all too
lacking from a Friday night at a restaurant -
fun. The restaurant that has received more
than a few awards from this publication in
its time is run with love and care by owner
Dimitri, who is more than happy to
recommend a meal.
Faces of his family adorn the menus as
you pick from a host of traditional, rustic,
hand made meals. The decor is adorned
with the uniforms of Evzones, the Greek
soldiers adorned with kilt-like garments
(Dimitri's grandfather was one).
Rice encased in vine leaves arrives handprepared
for maximum flavour. You can
enjoy a glass of Greek wine or Ouzo with
some daily home made pies, a big variety
of Greek appetizers and unique souvlaki.
Full a la carte menu includes bifteki with
feta dip, pork gyros or skewers with
aubergine puree, suckling country
sausages and galaktoboureko.
Daily special dishes will give you the
opportunity to discover more about Greek
cuisine. The venue is not only a great night
out with friends, but provides fun for
birthday parties, family lunch or dinner
throughout the week. Look no further than
the hidden away upstairs area. Every dish
is available to take out, so why not stop by
the next time you're in Earl's Court or
travelling along Old Brompton Road?
It turns out that the saying that Greeks
do eat better, really is true. As good as it
gets. ■
233 Earls Court Road, SW5 9AH
asgreekasitgets.co.uk
Tel: 020 7244 7777
Mon to Fri from 12am - 3pm and 5pm
to 11pm, Sat & Sun from 12am - 11pm
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE