Estia Taverna — Restaurant in Radnor Township

Estia used to be our favorite restaurant until last night – we originally went to the first Estia in Philly and then switched to the one in Radnor when it opened as it’s closer. According to OpenTable we’ve gone to Radnor nearly 100 times over the past few years. The main reason for that crazy number is that my husband is Greek - we obviously are willing to pay a huge premium to eat there just because we can’t take trips to Greece often enough. We’ve had many issues in the past with seating as have many others apparently in the reviews where we couldn’t get a nice booth or table and had to literally share a table with couples ruining their romantic dates or with parties who were obviously there on significant family occasions and have every right to be loud, ruining our experience. They always told us the better tables were reserved and even 2 hours after we’d leave, most of those tables would be free which is extremely upsetting when you’re paying a literal fortune to eat there. It’s not a bargain by any means especially as the food quality has deteriorated over the years – for instance, we were recently served cold fish which was $30/pound and the Greek Salad is a shadow of itself.

We went there last night and with Covid we chose to sit outside as we have over the summer but we had asked for a table with heating in our reservation knowing it gets cold in the evenings. When we got there, they weren’t busy and had 3 nice tables on the patio with heating from the top and with the extra full heater. We asked if we could sit there and the 3 teenagers working at the front - who over the years have been exceptionally unwelcoming and don’t even recognize us- told us we couldn’t sit at those tables and wanted us to sit in a table by the parking lot, a section that was completely empty and had no heaters. The General Manager came out and we told her how often we come to the restaurant and she told us that the 3 tables at the patio were reserved for better customers who go there every weekend as well as the restaurant’s (her) friends. We found her comments absolutely ridiculous and couldn’t believe our ears. We of course insisted on sitting at one of those tables at which point she told us flat out that if we’re not happy we should just leave. She said that repeatedly, not just once – she never thanked us for our business, even in the midst of the pandemic, and kept telling us that we’re not good enough customers to get any of the tables with the heaters and should just take the table they’re willing to give us or leave, period! We had no choice but to eat at Estia since we had already driven a long way and had no other reservations on a Saturday night, plus it was a significant family occasion that we were hoping to salvage and which she had already ruined.

When we were done with our dinner all the good tables were still available which added insult to injury as the general manager had picked a fight with one of their most loyal customers over absolutely nothing and even asked us to leave. Even with all the tables available at her disposal to make a patron happy - any other restaurant manager would have loved to be in the same situation - she had already decided to pick a fight with a patron before she came to talk to us and that says it all. We chose not to even bother talking to them as we left because she would pick another fight, not apologize. She has ruined all the sweet memories and celebrations we’ve had at Estia– there’s no quality in terms of food and service a restaurant can provide that will make up for this. We will not be returning to this restaurant unless she’s no longer part of the staff and the owner writes a heartfelt apology. We’ve read the reviews and she’s mentioned in many of them where they talk about how she ruins meals for no reason by screaming at employees. We’re extremely lucky we never saw her all this time even though she insisted she knew us – my family stood there and we were all scratching our heads, wondering who this deranged woman was as we had never spoken...

Our culinary voyage at Estia was a passport to the Mediterranean, celebrating my sisters' birthdays with flair in an ambiance where class and coziness danced a perfect sirtaki. The welcoming vibe set the stage for a night where we dined like deities, basking in unparalleled service.

The journey began with a dramatic flair as the Cheese Saganaki, doused in alcohol, promised a fiery spectacle. While the flames were a sight to behold, much of the liquor was left behind, casting an overzealous spirit on the cheese, which, while still a spectacle, left us yearning for the unadulterated sizzle of the Kefalograviera cheese.

The Spanakopita, in contrast, was a philharmonic of phyllo, each bite a crescendo of leeks, scallions, dill, spinach, and feta that sang harmonies of Grecian lands.

Our deep dive into the Aegean with Fried Calamari came next, escorted by a spicy marinara that was nothing short of a culinary triton, ruling the seas of flavor with a firm, delicious grip.

The Karavides were a nautical epic, each butterflied langoustine a sweet whisper of the sea, grilled to a succulence that had us all silently applauding Poseidon for his bounty.

Heroic Lamb Chops followed, a feast worthy of Odysseus himself, with the Greek fried potatoes and tzatziki playing loyal companions on this odyssey of taste.

The Moussaka was the zenith of our journey, a labyrinth of flavors with layers as complex and welcoming as a Greek myth, inviting us to lose ourselves in its richness.

And the sides? The grilled asparagus stood tall and proud, but the Orzo, alas, whispered too softly in a banquet of bold declarations. Sadly, the Orzo fell a bit short, its seasoning not quite reaching the Olympus of flavors we were climbing, marking it as my least favored dish of the evening.

Overall, it was a symphony of dishes, where most sang in perfect harmony, Estia showed us that even gods may stumble, yet their divinity remains undeniable. Here's to a place where every meal is an odyssey, every bite a tale worth telling. To Estia, where the spirit of the Mediterranean is alive, well, and occasionally, a bit too...

After an expensive family dinner at this location, and we have eaten numerous times at the Philadelphia location, we are so disappointed with the level of service that we received after an encounter. The waiter that night was lovely, the food was good, but my daughter was head slammed by one of the wait staff- to the point that she needed to go into the bathroom to adjust the bun on her head. She received a less than stellar apology but because she is such a class act she let it go. When she arrived home she realized her Diamond hoop earring was no longer in her lobe and immediately called the restaurant to ask if perhaps an earring was found. Eureka! It was! The person on the phone asked her not to come that evening because they were closing the restaurant shortly but that he would assure its safekeeping until the next day. My daughter followed up with a phone call to the restaurant and spoke to a hostess who agreed to bring it to the car since my infant granddaughter was sleeping in her car seat. When she arrived, she was told they did not have the earring. And no one knows where it is. My daughter explained who she spoke with and that he promised it would be returned. The owners of this fine restaurant refuse to take any responsibility for the loss of the earring. My daughter was told “when you eat here again you will be treated like royalty”. All I can say is if you want to eat here, be sure that you do not wear fine jewelry because if they cause it to become dislodged from your body, then find it later and promise to return it, that won’t be happening. Cannot convey my disappointment enough.

Update: Returned to the restaurant this evening and had another lovely meal with excellent service. Spoke with a manager concerning our lost earring and the manager shared that the owners mother accidentally threw the earring away, it was wrapped in a napkin and placed at the hostess station. Common knowledge at the restaurant but no one deemed it necessary to own up to what happened to the missing earring. The lack of integrity and honesty is truly...