Liverpool Restaurant Review; Lefteris Greek Taverna

Lefteris is great little family run restaurant that I visited numerous times, and have enjoyed every time. Situated on Allerton road, it is a firm favourite for locals looking for traditional Mediterranean flavours. Eating Greek food in Liverpool can be hit and miss, especially with the popularity for cheap ouzo and plate smashing when celebrating hen nights. This, however, is a down to earth, friendly restaurant that serves up great quality food. I have always visited the restaurant in a large group and have always been happy with the attentive staff, who wait on with a pleasant smile without being too overbearing. My latest visit was in the week running up to Christmas and I was slightly hesitant about the quality of the food, as Christmas menus can often be hit or miss. My friends and I wanted to avoid the mayhem that was surely happening in town, so decided to stay local and hope for the best. I needn't have worried as, once again, the food and service were excellent. Amongst the six of us we order the garlic mushrooms, halloumi and squid for starters, all of which were very good. Served plain and simple, it is taste rather than fancy presentation that is what team want you to be happy about. The mushrooms were particularly good, rich and creamy and not the usual deep fried balls of grease that you usually get in other places. A side order of Tzatziki was a must for me; I love the stuff. It could have been seasoned a little more but it was great for dipping our pitta in.

From our selection of main, the Stifado was without doubt the dish of the evening; simple yet strong flavours all tangled up in melt in the mouth pieces of beef and soft, sweet onions. The mouska is always great here, as are the meatballs and with a long vegetarian menu there is something for everyone. All meals come with rice and chips, which can be a little dry, but the portion sizes are very generous so you need very little extra.I realise that I am being very gushing about the place here, it could just have been the Christmas spirit ( or the reasonably good house wine) but I think it was just one of those evenings that ticked all the boxes; simple food, great flavours, good friends and reasonable prices. I do admit to liking the odd fancy restaurant here and there but, for me, simplicity is so important. Just like you can enter a house and feel that it is a happy home, some restaurants just have that welcoming atmosphere about them. Leftaris has that for me. The food may not be out of this world fantastic but it hits all the right spots for me. It was my friends first visit and they all said they would be returning.