Not sure about how ‘Real’ it is, but certainly great value, and possibly the best ‘healthy’ options in St. James.
There was about a 10min queue, even thought there were plenty of tables available. Despite this apparent business, our food arrived very quickly, and service was perfectly correct.
Hummus, grilled aubergine, and pork Monastiraki are highly recommended; whereas we might have been unlucky with our chicken skewer—seemed a bit rubbery, possibly slightly overcooked.
Overall a very enjoyable experience, and we’ll probably make it our default choice whenever we’re shopping at St. James!
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Review of The Real Greek
Atmosphere 4.5/5
I was immediately charmed by the atmosphere when I stepped in--the background music was very lovely and uplifting, and the noise level was a warm buzz that adore in a restaurant.
I also like the nautical and Mediterranean decor.
Food
When i had my first bite of the halloumi popcorns, topped with a bit of the cod roe meze dip (that was ordered separately), I thought “Oh sh*t”, this is so good--and I don’t even usually swear (granted, however, I hadn’t eaten anything the whole day.)
The menu is relatively reasonably priced too.
Service 3/5
The service started out very well--the staff was very friendly and came to take my order after just the right amount of time has passed.
The food also came out very quickly.
It rather deteriorated drastically since then, however. I was left to my own devices after I finished my main. No one came to clear the plates or ask me if I want dessert/the bill. My original waitress was on her phone in a corner for a bit and never looked my way even when she was walking around. I only obtained the dessert menu by hailing a waitress who just gave the bill to the neighboring table. (And I was rather disappointed to find the menu itself sticky/oily.)
And I was left alone again after I received the dessert menu--no one came to take my order until I made eye contact with another waitress (who was at least very friendly and is very supportive of my dessert choice.)
---TLDR: Good food and atmosphere. The staff could have been more attentive.
Had dinner on my own here on Thursday night due train cancellations.
I had a friendly welcome and was given a good seat for a single diner.
Service was great, attentive and not overbearing
It was mainly families and young groups in on the Thursday night. There was a good deal of £17pp to share little dishes
I had the chicken souvlaki with tzatziki sauce and halloumi popcorn with a lovely glass of greek red wine
The halloumi popcorn was very tasty with honey and rosemary. Little bites of halloumi
The souvlaki was nice and I liked the addition of chips. Could have been warmer though
Price was also decent c £21 for the full meal
My boyfriend and I got a Groupon voucher with a menu of tapas. Everything was delicious! The waiter was very nice and helped us choose the best options. We really liked the atmosphere of the place as well. Presentation of food is great, piling up the tapas on a rack makes it look so much more interesting and it's easier to fit them all on the table. Next time we'll choose some more dishes from stsndar menu to have a full experience!
We came on a Tuesday evening before the cinema, and the restaurant was quiet. Despite this, the service was still slow and it took around 20 minutes from ordering a bottle of wine to it arriving at our table (including reminding a server we’d ordered it!). Wouldn’t
Like to see how they cope if they get busy!!
Food was good quality and tasty, even though the serving staff mixed our lamb and pork skewers up, leading to one of us missing out on some!!!
Typically slow service from a restaurant that automatically add a service charge to each bill, couldn’t be bothered asking to remove it but wouldn’t have paid any more either.
While exploring Edinburgh, we discovered this huge shopping centre called St. James's Quarter. There, on the top floor, we found a gem for all Greek food lovers - The Real Greek. The food is authentic and made with love. Just look at the picture :) You can choose from a variety of dishes, and the prices are reasonable. They also offer great vegetarian/ vegan options! And you're being served by Lina, who embodies Greek warmth and hospitality. We're sure to be back as soon as we can!
It Is a very lovely place on the top floor of the shopping centre, upon entering you immerse yourself in a completely different atmosphere from the chaos of the city.
The menu is excellent, genuine traditional Mediterranean dishes and as an Italian I was very surprised to have found such a place in Edinburgh. As for the service, nothing to say: perfect, everyone very kind and helpful.
I recommend it very much.
The service was amazing 😍 the food was just as good, I will say that the feta cheese wasn't that good, it was a little thin for my liking.
Outstanding place , the food is really good. And as a person that was raised in Greece and is forced to travel frequently. I can see that it was great blast from past to feel a bit from home. The waiters and waitresses were really awesome and super helpful with the everything.
Can definitely recommend The Real Greek. While located in a mall, the atmosphere is really nice. Food is great. They have really good Greek wines, ouzo and beer, which is not always the case from our experience. And the staff are super nice. Worth a visit!
Good Greek food, not expensive at all especially considering it's really central.
Quick service, with lunch options untill 1700 (great for a late lunch).
Quite well served wrap with a large salad and a beer.
This was to be another of our Groupon Voucher lunches. Booked for 4:00 p.m., we had Covid jabs at 1:30 & 2:30, but having arrived at 1:00 we were both done by 1:15!
So after a wander thro’ the St James Centre, I nipped in at 2:00 and explained that we were a bit early, (2 Hours!) could we eat now? That wasn’t a problem.
The Groupon meal is a choice of 10 dishes from a separate, smaller menu. Some we chose just because we had never heard of them!
Very enjoyable meal – We tend to eat sharing mezze meals anyway and our family has got into the concept, even if, for our grand-daughter, it is only one-way. (Towards her)
All the food arrived quite quickly, both hot & cold, each dish being explained.
Unfortunately, by the time we got to the desserts, A – I forgot to take any pics and B – We were full
Definitely recommended
Staff very welcoming and accommodating. Always willing to help and checking if we needed anything else. Food tastes amazing and fresh. Will definitely be back. Ben very helpful and made us feel very welcome.
Good greek food and value for money especially the groupon voucher and set menu deals. Lovely ambience in St James's in Edinburgh.The portion sizes are great , staff friendly although they seemed to forget about our dessert. All in all good Greek food and would be going again !
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