Dimitri's - Tapas Meze Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Manchester

Fresh ingredients, strong flavors, and nutritious dishes are hallmarks of Greek cuisine, a Mediterranean culinary tradition. Olive oil, fresh vegetables, herbs, cereals, fish, and meats are among its main ingredients; cheeses like feta and yogurt are sometimes included as accompaniments. Souvlaki (grilled meat skewers), tzatziki (yogurt and cucumber dip), spanakopita (spinach and feta pastry), and moussaka (layered eggplant and meat casserole) are among well-liked foods. Greek food also places a strong emphasis on desserts like baklava (phyllo pastry with honey and nuts) and meze (small appetizer dishes). It offers a harmony of taste and nourishment and has strong historical and geographical roots. With this we marked 6 months of our @foodhuntmanchester group.

Let's see what all we tried and would recommend:

Falafels Me Hummus Chickpea and broad bean fritters with hummus and a red pepper tapenade.

Blue Funghi Mushrooms pan fried in a blue cheese and cream sauce.

Gameroni King prawns cooked with peppers and onions in a cream and white wine sauce. Served with a choice of pasta, pilaf rice or fries.

Med Bread with butter, olive oil and balsamic glaze.

Spanakopita Greek hot spinach pastry rolls with a tomato and coriander salsa.

Tagine Moroccan spiced vegetables, chickpeas, spinach, dried fruits served with couscous and hummus.

Papoutsakia Aubergine baked with a mozzarella and parmesan topping.

Glyka An assortment of Greek desserts, fruits and other delights to share, served with Greek yogurt, honey, mixed nuts and raisins. Which had Baklava - it was layers of filo pastry filled with nuts drenched in Mediterranean honey and nuts, Kataifi - rolled pastry strands with almond and pistachio centre, soaked in honey. Chocolate Brownie.

Portokalopita A traditional Greek syrup cake made with phyllo and infused with orange flavor.

Calamarakia Traditional deep fried small squid with lemon and dill mayonnaise.

Fried Halloumi Cypriot cheese drizzled with a sweet chilly dipping sauce

Gigantes Me Feta Giant butter beans in tomato sauce topped with crumbly feta

Tabouleh Salad Couscous salad goats cheese, sun-dried tomatoes with...

Bit of a mixed experience here recently. The food is generally good quality (although expensive for what it is) and the service was fine, but generally lacking warmth. A couple of small niggles might have made this a 4-star review. The first was the tabouleh salad. This was a bowl of lettuce, cucumber and tomato with a couple of spoons of tabouleh on top + a slice of goat’s cheese. This is not tabouleh salad. It was described on the menu as “Couscous salad, goat’s cheese, sundried tomatoes with House Dressing”. This does not mention that 80% of it is not couscous salad. The second was the cheesecake. This was described in the menu as a New York style baked cheesecake. I asked the waiter to confirm if it was a proper baked cheesecake before I ordered it (I love baked cheesecake, I do not love Sara Lee cheesecake). “Yes sir, it is a baked cheesecake”. It was not a baked cheesecake. It was a light, fluffy Sara Lee style cheesecake, not the dense, “sticks to your teeth” cheesecake you expect from the term “New York baked”. These aren’t big issues, but I find it annoying when restaurants use well-known names for things and don't describe them accurately in the menu. I would not have ordered these things if I knew what they were going to be like.

The thing that made this a 2-star review, and turned my stomach, was the state of the men’s toilets. There are two cubicles in the men’s toilets. When I visited, the first had excrement smeared on the toilet seat. The second had a small lump of excrement on the floor next to the toilet and some more excrement smeared on the wall. The hand dryer didn’t work and so people had left used hand towels in the corner behind one of the sinks. There was a very large pile of sodden towels on one of side of the sink with water pooled around them and dripping on the floor. It looked like the toilet had not been inspected or cleaned for some time. You can only hope that the kitchen staff do not use this toilet, but I imagine they probably do. This is an unacceptable standard of hygiene in a restaurant, hence...

Today, I had the opportunity to visit this traditional Greek tapas bar, which I’ve often come across on social media. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed and guided to our reserved table. The staff’s professionalism and attentiveness were evident from the outset, creating a pleasant and inviting atmosphere. The service was seamless, with the team demonstrating a deep knowledge of the menu and offering helpful recommendations.

The selection of tapas we ordered reflected the authentic flavours of Greek cuisine. Each dish was thoughtfully presented, and the freshness of the ingredients was noticeable. Overall, the flavours were well-balanced and met our expectations. The only minor drawback was that the calamari was slightly saltier than I would have preferred, but this did not significantly detract from the overall experience. The quality of the ingredients, the cooking techniques, and the attention to detail in the seasoning were all impressive.

By Manchester standards, this restaurant delivers a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience, both in terms of taste and service. With its warm atmosphere and well-executed menu, it’s an excellent choice for those looking to enjoy an evening out with friends or simply indulge in authentic Greek flavours. I would highly recommend it to anyone...