The Real Greek — Restaurant in London

The food was pretty good but unfortunately the service let this place down and ruined my experience here. One of the selling points for choosing this restaurant vs other surrounding restaurants were the numerous five star ratings for Gianni's service, but it looks like we got a different server, I believe he goes by Olaf (picture of his name on receipt also attached.) He approached our table after 5 minutes of waiting and his approach was so off -- no "hello, welcome." Or anything of the like, he simply said "are you ready?" with an impatient look on his face. So I said hello and asked for his name, then went ahead and ordered. I'm used to being warmly greeted by the wait staff, it takes a few seconds to simply say "Hi I'm X." So this already put me off from the start. The irony is that the couple seated next to us minutes later also had him as a server and his approach was drastically friendlier. Food was OK, favorite thing was the halloumi popcorn. I liked the Lamb meatballs, my mum ordered the pork kebab and said it was too hard to remove off the skewer so she had to cut it off with her knife. Olaf never visited the table again during our time there and I had to flag down another waiter for assistance. I eventually got Olaf's attention at the end of our meal and asked for the bill. As he's about to run my card I politely say to him that I would like to opt out of the optional service charge, to which he then starts mumbling under his breath in his language, rips off the receipt and walks off without saying a word, I felt so uncomfortable and couldn't wait to leave. He needs customer service training because he was unfriendly from the beginning and it dampened the start of my night before going to the theater. Unfortunately this has left a bad taste in my mouth and I wouldn't recommend this location to anyone. Not sure if I would even want to visit another The Real...

We booked for dinner in Covent Garden Real Greek to enjoy the Big Fat Greek Plate and we where totally disappointed 👎 It was a small plate definitely not for 4 people , dry overcooked small peace’s of meet and a smal amount of overcooked oily chips ! Absolutely not a greek food! It was basics pub meal with chicken wings and meat cuts with bbq sauce for 2 people ! Definitely not a greek style plate ! Nothing like Greek food! The hostess was not present at the door , it was half empty restaurant on Sunday early evening and there was only 1 waitress , the manager was eating and obviously the service was not good ,there was no properly trained staff on service !! The atmosphere is not pleasant because they have keep the interior as it was the local pub before and only have painted everything blue & white and have stuck small tables in the middle which is not working. You feel on top of each other when sitting and the waitress have problem moving around with plates and trays because is very tiny space between tables and chairs. The very old Greek music at the background didn’t help to lift up the atmosphere and it didn’t feel anything like Greek restaurant!!! More like eating in a old pub ! We can not recommend this place or the food ! Is not good value for money ! It should not be named the Real Greek because there is nothing...

We had the most wonderful lunch at The Real Greek — an absolute gem that delivered on every front: food, service, and atmosphere. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted warmly by the staff — even the chef smiled and gave us a wave from the kitchen, which set the tone for the entire experience.

The food was light, flavorful, and perfect for a summer midday meal. Each dish was beautifully presented and bursting with fresh ingredients — from the grilled halloumi to the tangy tzatziki and vibrant salads. The portions were just right, leaving us satisfied but not overly full, and every bite felt like a little Greek vacation.

The service was exceptional — friendly, attentive, and genuine without being overbearing. You could feel the team’s pride in what they do, and it made the whole meal feel relaxed yet special.

The open, airy atmosphere paired with the Mediterranean playlist and sun-dappled tables made us want to linger long after the last bite. We’ll absolutely be returning — and recommending it to anyone looking for an easy, breezy escape with fantastic food and service.

A special thank you to Giannis and Rio for making our visit so memorable — your kindness and hospitality did not go unnoticed.

5 stars...