It’s over a month since we returned from our Greek island holiday and I am still struggling to readjust back to our old routine. I miss the slower pace, days spent on the beach, balmy nights watching the sunset over mountains with a glass of rosé in hand and, of course, delicious food. We have often tried to capture the spirit of Greece at home by eating in the garden and drinking wine only out of a carafe, but it is hard to get a real taste of Greece when you are shivering under an umbrella. So, when Angela invited me to be her guest at the opening of The Real Greek restaurant in Dulwich Village, I accepted faster than you can say Opa!
The Real Greek restaurant occupies the previous site of Café Rouge and serves dishes that are inspired by different cultures and influences of Greek cuisine. The menu was devised with Tonia Buxton, presenter of the “My Greek Kitchen’ TV series and author of ‘The Real Greek’, ‘Tonia’s Greek Kitchen’ and ‘Eat Greek for a Week’ cookbooks. Tonia was also in attendance on the night so we got to chat with her about food and my crazy Greek family.
Angela and I opted for a selection of cold and hot meze to share, including fava (green pea dip), Gigandes (giant beans in a tomato sauce), dolmades (vine leaves stuffed with rice), chicken skewers, lamb cutlets and grilled octopus, all washed down with an ice cold glass of wine. Ok, 3 glasses. The atmosphere was buzzy, the service was friendly and, most importantly, the food was divine! We had a fantastic night and both agree the restaurant is a brilliant new addition to the area!
It was a far cry from the barbecue sausages we dined on just a few days before. A class camping trip was the last thing I was in the mood for on the first weekend after our son went back to school, however, as the campsite at Dulwich Scout Centre is a mere 10 minutes from our house, we were to be there for less than 24-hours and rain was NOT forecast, I stuffed the contents of our house into the boot, back seat and roof of our car. Every spare inch was jammed with blow-up beds, sleeping bags, a stove, pots and pans, water bottles, table and chairs, fleeces, cool boxes, waterproofs, wellies and enough food for a week. Obviously, as soon as we started to put the tent up the heavens opened. Fortunately, the kids were having too much fun to notice or care.
There is a lot to look forward to around Dulwich in October. The Herne Hill Music Festival runs from 6-15th and offers the usual range of music from jazz, folk and blues to family and children’s concerts and classical music.
House of Colour is hosting an Autumn Style re-boot at EDT on Saturday 14th October, while the streets of Dulwich will get a spooky makeover when October draws to a close and a sea of ghouls, ghosts and green-faced witches will trick & treat their way from door to door.
As always, details of all local news, events and ticket information can be found on our events page. You can also find us on Facebook, and follow @arounddulwich on Instagram and Twitter.