Restaurant REVIEW

CAFE BYZANTIUM, MONIKIE, BY DUNDEE

1 LOCATION

In a cosy stone building in much-loved local attraction, Monikie Country Park, a short drive from Dundee. Weekends-only in winter.

2 FIRST IMPRESSIONS

On sunny days you’ll be struck by the buzz of diners in the sunken courtyard, eating freshly-made pizzas, sipping lattes. In winter, the charm and warmth of the little building is hard to resist, like a gingerbread house nestled beneath the trees.

3 SERVICE

Excellent, friendly service which instantly put us at ease. It’s a family-run business which moved out of Dundee about 12 years ago to serve Mediterranean dishes to diners in the scenic park. Our waiter’s passion for the menu shines through.

4 MENU

Nice choices for a light lunch, soup, small bites, ciabatta, burgers and pizzas fresh from the oven. The dinner menu is impossible to ignore with its mouthwatering descriptions of Greek-style meze, chargrilled lamb kofta, marninated chicken, steaks, chops, pasta and garlic king prawns.

5 TASTE

We started with the sharing mezes, little starter plates, some hot and some cold, all bursting with flavour. Mini meat kebabs, aubergine creations, chickpeas, hummus, homemade bread and other spicy wee marvels, all delicious. We opted for iskanderoni – chargrilled chicken, imab kofta and minute steak topped with a divine Byzantium sauce and garlic yoghurt, served with rice and salad – and Sicilian chicken, a rich and spicy dish. Both were so tasty and moreish we wanted to ask for the recipes. It was clear real care and attention was taken on presenting a beautiful, tasty dish. The kids’ pizza and homemade chicken nuggets were far superior to kids meals they’ve had elsewhere.

6 PRICE

Fantastic quality and taste for £70-ish for five.

7 AMBIENCE

Straightforward, understated. The interior doesn’t need to shout, the food does all the talking!

8 SOMETHING SPECIAL

Location, location, location! A stroll in the woods, a walk round the reservoir or a trip to the playpark works off the calories. A great excuse to try the fantastic homemade sweet, baclava.

9 TOILETS

Compact, but very clean.

VERDICT

Superb! 18/20