LDNReview
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Lemonia
Included In
Lemonia is a classic old-school spot in Primrose Hill that makes lemony, herby, and homely Greek food. It’s a NW London stalwart, in fact, it’s such a go-to that, years ago, one of our team had their 16th birthday dinner here, back when plastic plants and whitewashed walls were aspirational. It was a different time.
Not much has changed since then though. Lemonia’s back conservatory still looks like the Rainforest Cafe after PETA came to save the animatronics. In the evening, every square centimetre of this big old restaurant is chocka with tables of friends, booths of families, young couples, old couples, those who have been eating the kalamari for generations, and those being introduced to the tasty (but unremarkable) mezze for the first time. Everything here errs on the ‘nice’ side of things. In that it’s cooked decently and it tastes decent, but it won’t be featured in your will.
Despite that, the food at Lemonia does still manage to be memorable. Mainly thanks to the memories that surround it. Just like that Billy Bear ham you ate for the entirety of Reading Festival ’08, you’ll fondly remember the charcoal grilled fish shashlik because you ate it celebrating your sister’s engagement (and it was also pretty nice). Or you’ll think about the spiced fagges (lentil) soup because you shared your birthday with that, an old waiter who insisted you call him dad, and way too much ouzo.
Lemonia is a popular restaurant. Even if it was midweek, raining, and London was being evacuated because the mad cows are back, Lemonia would still be heaving, tables of friends piling soft baked lamb and pourgouri onto their plates, the cows looking through the windows, mad with jealousy. It’s a restaurant you can rely on. Rely on to always have atmosphere. To fill you with food and wine without taking more than £60 quid off you. And to be there when you just want to pop in for some souvlaki, or to stay until the liqueur comes out. Lemonia isn’t going anywhere, and it will always be the same.
Food Rundown
Avgolemono
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Fagges
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Dips: Hummus, Tahini, Tyrokafteri
Kalamari
Dolmades
Kolokitho Keftedes
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Keftedakia
Soutzoukakia
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Tavvas
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Fish Shashlik
Louvia, Koukia
Pourgouri
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli