The Greek Yaletown — Restaurant in Vancouver

UPDATE (2025-09-06): I originally left a negative review because of a very disappointing experience at The Greek Yaletown. I’m updating this now because management followed up with me directly in such a genuine and considerate way. James, the General Manager, reached out personally, apologized sincerely, and went above and beyond to make things right.

It’s clear to me that they take guest feedback seriously and care about maintaining high standards. While my first visit fell short, I appreciate the effort they made afterward, and I’m looking forward to returning for the warm hospitality and great food I’ve enjoyed here in the past.

Original Review: We had been looking forward to dining here on Thursday, August 30th, before the Lion King musical, but our evening was spoiled the moment we encountered Maria, the hostess. From the very beginning, her demeanor was dismissive, unwelcoming, and disdainful.

When we walked in, it was immediately apparent that she had no interest in being warm to us, not even the basic courtesy you’d expect from someone whose job is to make guests feel comfortable. Instead, Maria gave us the impression that we were inconveniencing her simply by showing up. Her body language was closed off, her tone was clipped, and she carried herself as if she couldn’t be bothered to deal with us.

The restaurant was almost empty, yet she tried to seat us in the corner where I had a view of the freezer in the back. When we politely asked if there was another option, she responded in the most unhelpful manner possible - not by checking, not by offering alternatives, but by begrudgingly offering to move us over one table because ALL the tables in the empty restaurant were reserved by a large party. It was clear she wasn’t interested in making any effort to accommodate us, no matter how small the request might be.

What made it worse was the attitude behind it all. She wasn’t simply indifferent - she came across as though she actively didn’t want us there. Every word and gesture suggested impatience and irritation, as if providing even the most basic level of service was beneath her. There was zero attempt to problem-solve or even pretend to care about our dining experience.

Hospitality is about making guests feel welcome, and Maria did the exact opposite. Her lack of professionalism was so glaring that it overshadowed everything else about the restaurant. We didn’t feel valued, respected, or even acknowledged as customers.

In the end, we chose to leave without dining. If this is the first impression the restaurant allows its guests to experience, it speaks volumes about the standards they accept from their staff. Maria’s dismissive and unhelpful behavior ruined what should have been an enjoyable evening, and it is the sole reason we will not be returning any time soon for future events. Our previous experiences here were solid, but this has left a rather...

Although a typical Greek, I am not used to going to Greek restaurants when I am outside Greece. And the reason is that I think you can not eat better Greek food except in Greece. For no particular reason, I decided to visit a Greek restaurant. Without much searching on Google, I decided to visit this restaurant. I went relatively early, around 5 in the afternoon. I can not say that the decoration refers to a Greek tavern or restaurant. Nevertheless, the atmosphere was very warm and friendly. The maitr suggested to me if I wanted to sit at the outside tables, because inside, although it was not crowded, the tables were already reserved. So it happened. Very quickly the waitress brought me the menu and I ordered, 1 kale salad, 1 saganaki (frιed cheese), 1 hummus, a half roasted chicken with baked potatoes, rice and boiled vegetables. And I also ordered 2 beers. The hummus was quite delicious although it is not a typical Greek dish (but I am one of those who could eat hummus every day.). The saganaki for what I have tried before was indifferent I would say. But the surprise of the evening was the kale salad. It was great, incredible. Indescribable taste, I have not tried it again. I had heard that during the years of the German Occupation of Greece, the people who were starving, gathered the kale from the fields and boiled it to eat. I never expected that after 80 years it would re-enter the dishes and that it would evolve into a very special dish. It had a strong taste, without reminding me of anything I can describe, the ideal amount of grated garlic, croutons grated cheese and probably squeezed lemon. You should definitely try it. And the last main dish was the half-roasted chicken. I actually ordered it without realizing it was a portion for 2 people. So it was quite filling even though I could not eat it all. The chicken was cooked as it should be and was juicy inside and crispy skin on the outside. Ther ice was enough but indifferent. Baked potatoes although I liked their taste and reminded me of the potatoes my grandmother used to cook when I was a kid, I found them quite dry for some reason. But in the end, I ate them all. It also had some roasted or boiled vegetables. In general, the chicken was satisfactory, and the rest of the dish was mediocre as indifferent, but not bad. The bill was 82 dollars, quite expensive if I was eating Greek food in a greek taverna in Greece, right? (hahaha). But I did not regret it at all. I was full to the brim. The maitr was very helpful and friendly as I said. The waitresses were very helpful and friendly too. I think the 3-stars are not enough but without wanting to be wrong with them I believe that they have a lot of room for improvement in their dishes, which of course what I tried was far above average. Congratulations guys. Keep up the good...

Lunch - Dine Out- Vancouver - '25

We were the only ones in the restaurant. The only table. With the atmosphere being warm, welcoming and cozy with a friendly face seating us...I decided not to leave.

Usually when a restaurant is nearly empty....the food is sub par, the service absent and the vibe...well....kinda awkward...like being in someone's house without them being there.

This place is the exception to the rule.

The Vibe was comfortable. Cozy. Sincere. Welcoming. The Service was attentive. Friendly. Professional. The Food was Fresh. Tasty. Quality.

We had the Dine Out Set Lunch Menu - appetizer, Entree, Desert.

The Keftedes - A beautiful dance between the pork and beef meatball topped with homemade tomato sauce finishing it with a tang. You want some side play? There was the fresh chopped Greek Salad topped with feta.....and a little side of Taziki...and who doesn't love Taziki....

Chicken Souvlaki - I don't know how they did it but these super small cuts of chicken were perfectly bbq'd but still juicy on the inside with a smokey crisp finish. The rice not dry and not oily but delicately seasoned and live.

What do I mean by live? Well...that's when the rice still has a pulse. That happens either by it being cooked completely fresh, or if it was cooked prior they resuscitated it. Yes, you can do that if you know how.

The Avgolemono Soup really hit the spot on a cold snowy day...really well done....(see pic.)

The Hummus and Grilled Pita. Loved both. You know what's better than fresh pita bread? Grilled pita bread. Nothing beats that smokey taste....it's like its own breed of flavour.

Ok. I'm not a Baklava kinda gal..but this was good Baklava. Tasted homemade. The Ekmek desert. Vanilla custard, whipped cream and pistachio crumble. ----Do I need to say more?

The Young lady who took care of us was so friendly, genuine and approachable that she made an already great...