Optima Magazine

243 Watling Street • Radlett • WD7 7Al • 01923 855994

Reviewed by Alan Cox

Judging by the nightmare of finding a parking space, and the packed restaurants along Watling Street, Wednesday is evidently the night for eating out in Radlett.

Meze Grill was no exception. In fact, I can’t remember eating in a more upbeat and raucous environment for quite some time. It was certainly ‘happening’ here last week, with tables full of friends and families socialising. Judging by its obvious popularity, this is well respected and buzzy meeting place for all generations.

The simplicity of the casual environment – open kitchen, tiled floors and wooden tables and chairs – does nothing to absorb the sound but, once we’d adjusted our voice levels and grown accustomed to the gloomy lighting, it was all about the Cypriot cuisine and those distinctive aromas coming from the grill.

In an effort to sample a varied range from the menu, we left our choices to the staff, and so began what seemed like a never-ending parade of dishes, influenced by Greek and Arabic cuisine.

Accompanied by a generous basket of hot pitta bread we began with cold starter: little dishes of Taramasalata (one of the creamiest I’ve tasted); Houmous; Mixed Olives; Melintzanosalata (a lovely roasted aubergine, tomato and garlic dip); Fasolaki (green beans in a tomato and herb sauce) and a Greek salad with Feta Cheese.

Then arrived a huge platter of assorted hot appetisers: Spanakopitta (spinach and feta wrapped in filo pastry and deep fried); char-grilled slices of Halloumi; Grilled Asparagus Spears; Pastourma, a spicy beef sausage; Manitaria, a juicy flat mushroom grilled with lemon and oil dressing; Falafel, deep-fried chick pea, cumin and coriander rissoles typical of the Eastern Mediterranean, and Saganaki, a deep fried Kefalotiri cheese. Neither the Halloumi nor the Falafel stood out from the crowd, but the Pastourma woke up the tastebuds, and the Spanakopitta also went down well.

I was surprised not to find any wine from Cyprus on the limited drinks menu, but nevertheless more than happy with a glass of Spanish Rioja to accompany the proceedings.

After the briefest of pauses (the food comes fast and furious from the hard working kitchen staff), our main course platter arrived fresh and piping hot. This had been specifically put together for us to taste an assortment of main dishes, and was therefore rather imbalanced. I must admit I longed for some vegetables or potatoes to accompany the meat and fish. Among the vast array of grills were Lamb cutlets; Lamb Souvlakia; Mediterranean Prawns, butterflied and marinated in garlic; Spicy Chicken skewer with mixed spices, yoghurt and lemon juice; Chicken Shashlik – marinated and charcoal grilled skewers with peppers, mushroom and onions and (the star of the platter as far as were were concerned), an excellent grilled Sea Bass fillet.

I am reliably informed that food for Cypriots means a feast. That is unquestionable. We may have longed for a little more diversity occasionally in terms of texture and taste from our dining experience, but Meze Grill does deliver exactly what it says on the tin, and you can’t say fairer than that.

Price Guide:
Starters: £3.75-£7.80
Mains: £8.75-£19.45
Desserts: £2.50-£4.95
House Wine: £13.95