PAREA TAVERNA

BEST FOR Dinner with friends, family celebrations and date nights. FOOD Begin with a selection of dips (hummus, taramasalata and tzatziki), warm pita breads and a selection of mezze. Vegetarian options include htipiti, a grilled feta cheese with fresh tomatoes, pepper and spices, and dolmathes stuffed with herbed rice. Meatier mezze options are chicken livers or calamari. ‘In pita’ mains include souvlaki, yiro, halloumi and falafels. Or go for the souvlakia of tender lamb cubes cooked on skewers. End with a traditional rizogala rice pudding sprinkled with cinnamon, served hot or cold. DRINKS The wine list features the usual suspects in the mid- to upper-middle range of South African wines and a small selection of Greek wines. SERVICE Wait staff handle the pressure of a busy restaurant. AMBIENCE The restaurant is exactly what comes to mind when thinking of a traditional casual Greek eatery. On Friday and Saturday nights, the party atmosphere ramps up. (SST)