Maria herself may be long gone (the restaurant opened way back in the 1950s), but the spirit of Greek hospitality is alive and well at Maria’s Greek Restaurant, finds Eat Out critic Katharine Jacobs.

A post shared by Marias on Dunkley Sq (@mariasgreekrestaurant) on Oct 24, 2014 at 5:49am PDT

Fast facts

Cost: Main courses range from R91 to R163
Serves: Greek cuisine
Best for: Sharing meze with friends and loved ones
Parking: You should be able to find a spot in Dunkley Square in front of the restaurant. Approach from Wandel Street to get into the parking lot
Star rating: Food 4, service 5, ambience 5

Food

If, like many people, you have tired of fine dining and fancy garnishes, you’ll find the antidote here. Maria’s serves hearty, flavour-packed Greek food that takes no prisoners.

 

 

A post shared by Stuart Grobbelaar (@stuartgrobbelaar) on Sep 21, 2016 at 4:55am PDT

 

The meze is the real highlight. The Kalamari Patagonica Mediterraneo comes in a tomato-based sauce that bursts with the flavours of all the best things – white wine, garlic, olives and lemon. You may find yourself eating the remaining sauce with a spoon.

Another crowd pleaser is the mucver (fritters): balls of courgette and feta, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. The crisp crumbs give way to a soft, cheesy interior. Heavenly stuff.

The hummus, as you might expect, is excellent: creamy, balanced and moreish, especially when scooped up on fresh, hot pita bread.

Assuming you still have space for mains, the signature Lamb Maria’s has a creamy, almost pudding-like sauce, and is served with lots of veggies and artichoke chunks. The moussaka is comparatively less impressive; it’s more homely but comforting all the same.

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Another classic is the yiouvetsi, served with Greek orzo noodles, tomato and cheese.

Any ordinary person might stop at this point – portions are very generous – but in the interests of science, we order the kataifi. Fine strands of phyllo soaked in lemon honey syrup lie beneath a dense Greek custard, which tastes like the English version crossed with a cheesecake batter. A winner, as the menu rightly declares.

 

 

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Breakfast is also on offer: think shakshuka in a cast-iron pan, Woodstock Bakery croissants stuffed with creamy feta and scrambled eggs with a homemade tomato relish, and bloody Marys.

Drinks

The well-considered wine list features some gems that aren’t widely available from Miles Mossop and Babylonstoren, as well as affordable bottles from Waterkloof’s False Bay range and Stellenrust. There are also a few Greek wines to try.

A post shared by Marias on Dunkley Sq (@mariasgreekrestaurant) on Oct 25, 2014 at 3:50am PDT

Ambience

Maria’s tables spill out onto the cobbles of Dunkley Square, beneath twinkling fairy lights. The presence of two popular neighbouring restaurants adds a pleasing vibe to the otherwise quiet square in the inner city. Inside, it’s moody and dark – great for a date, or a rowdy evening with friends.

Service

Staff are warm, courteous and reassuring.

And…

The resident dog, Fire, may wander past on his surveillance route. We find him to be very amenable to neck scratches.

 

 

A post shared by Marianna Wallin (@mariannawallin) on Apr 26, 2017 at 12:06pm PDT

 

Eat Out critics dine unannounced and pay their way in full. Read our editorial policy here.

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