Popular Greek restaurant is moving into a new home in centre of Hull
ARTEMIS EYES OPERETTA SITE
A POPULAR Hull restaurant is set to relocate just yards from its current home.
Artemis Greek Taverna only opened in November last year, but its owners have already announced grand plans to move into the former Operetta Italian restaurant in Bond Street.
Operetta closed in September having been a cornerstone of the city’s dining scene, but the empty unit has provided an opportunity for Yiannis and Mata Makris who own the small venue, which is currently in Jarratt Street.
The move will represent a huge expansion for the pair with the new restaurant being able to welcome double the number of diners.
“The takeaways and deliveries are popular and will continue from the original site. At Operetta we have much more space than before. The kitchen is bigger, there’s a proper bar and more room for tables and chairs which means we can adhere to the restrictions,” Yiannis said.
“We are looking forward to welcoming back old friends and attracting new customers who are familiar with the premises and want to discover what we can do. We are still in a perfect location for people going to the theatre and there is plenty of parking nearby, which is all free after 6pm.
“We went home to Greece for part of the summer, enjoying time with family and friends and finding new ideas. Mata is planning to expand the menu and there will be some nice surprises when we open.
“She likes to create authentic dishes, not imitate, and the key ingredient that makes Mata’s food so special is her love of what she does.”
The new restaurant is on the ground floor of the K2 development, opposite Albion Street car park.
The couple both come from the same place in Greece, the town of Volos, which is renowned for its food.
They came to Hull to study in 1993, but they didn’t meet until 1995.
Mata graduated from the University of Hull in electronic engineering, but her natural passion for food led her to set up her own business cooking Greek delights for dinner parties, weddings and other events.
The couple were head-hunted by their business partners, who never forgot the quality of the dining experience from visits to their previous Hull restaurant, The Greek, and they were given free rein with the menu and the atmosphere at Artemis Greek Taverna.
Lockdown forced the closure of the restaurant in March.
When it reopened during the summer it operated as a base for takeaways and deliveries by Greek Street Food.
Work is under way now on redecorating the new premises, changing the green and red colour scheme of Italy to Greek blue and white and working towards a reopening date.