The Cowley Road is one of my favourite culinary destinations in Oxford because of its line-up of restaurants offering so many different cuisines.

It makes eating in East Oxford feel like an international adventure, without the travel costs. My most recent journey, thanks to an invite from the Greece-Greek Taverna, was to the cradle of civilisation, beach holidays, and azure skies: beautiful Greece.   

I visited on a wet and windy evening, and the vivid green restaurant exterior was like a beacon welcoming us into the warmth of the Mediterranean. Inside, the taverna lived up to its name: an informal eating establishment where you can enjoy good food, music, and friendly company. The simple décor is enlivened by the vivid blue artwork depicting the Greek islands. And let’s not forget the Greek wine, beer, and ouzo to lubricate your appreciation of Hellenic culture.

The menu is packed with classic dishes, and we started our dinner considering the wide range of hot and cold mezze. If you go as a group, you’ll want to do things right and have your table groaning with little plates of beans, dips, seafood, cheeses, salads and more, all shared between you. There were only two of us, so we limited ourselves to a bowl of green olives followed by two starters.

The Tzatziki dip (£5.25) was well balanced, creamy, and delightful scooped up with fresh warm pita bread. I was very taken with the Feta Psiti (£6.45), oven-baked feta cheese with tomatoes, chillies, olive oil, oregano and paprika. It has some warmth without being overwhelming and goes very well with the bread. 

My advice: order plenty of pita!

For mains, we opted for the Arni Souvlaki (£15.49), which was two skewers of grilled lamb cubes marinated in lemon juice with onion, olive oil and oregano. The meat was flavourful and tender, while still having some chew. It came with a mound of thin and crispy fried potatoes that I thoroughly enjoyed, as well as a serviceable salad garnish that didn’t add much. 

Our second main came from the seafood section of the menu. After all, Greece has the longest coastline in the Mediterranean, so isn’t fish always a good idea? The Psari Scharas (£15.99) was a perfectly cooked whole sea bass with lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano. The mild and delicate flavour had a subtle sweetness, making it a great canvas for the light seasoning. There were more fried potatoes, making it a wholly satisfying experience.

The oil and herbs in both dishes had me dreaming of a Mediterranean holiday.  

We rounded out our meal with glasses of the house wine (other wines are only sold by the bottle). The description on the menu described a distinctive flavour, but I couldn’t taste it. Mostly it was just easy to drink rather than memorable in any way. 

Like many other Greek restaurants, the dessert choice is fairly limited. You can have either baklava or yoghurt with honey and fruit (each about a fiver). We chose the baklava, which turned out to be a fine idea. It was nutty and sweet with syrup, without any of the cloyingness that can sometimes ruin these little pastries. It was just the right size for sharing and a charming end to our meal. 

Overall, I had a lovely dinner at the Taverna. The restaurant has been open for a while, and I’m sorry to say that this was my first visit. However, it definitely won’t be my last.

Have you been there yet? Let us know in the comments!

Greece Greek Taverna
84 Cowley Rd, Oxford OX4 1JB
01865 236376

Bitten were invited as guests of the Taverna, all views are our own