Lemonia

I went here for the first time as a birthday treat for my boyfriend’s birthday – we recently went to Greece on holiday and I wanted to find somwhere that served authentic Greek food. Lemonia looked like the perfect place and we were not disappointed.
We ordered 2 starters and 2 mains plus a bottle of wine which came to around £60 – it’s not cheap but the setting and atmosphere of the restaurant and the attentive service made this totally worth it. we had a greek sausage dish and tzatziki with bread to start and chicken souvlaki and stifado for the main and everything was delicious. We didn’t have room for dessert but the waiter bought us some Turkish delight at the end of the meal, which was a nice touch.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this place and would go back in a heartbeat. If you are looking for somewhere to go as a treat and like authentic Greek dishes with good service then this is your place. I noticed that they also do a reasonably priced set lunch menu so I’ll be checking that out very soon.

full review at www.grumblinggourmet.com

Every tribe in London has their place. The well to do theatre crowd colonise The Ivy, Sheekeys and Joe Allens and the hedge fundies have Scotts or Goodman. The smug monied media mass of Primrose Hill have Odettes and posh Greek charcoal grill Lemonia.

It's been a local fixture for years, almost certainly in existence before the arrival of the creative agency types and the minor celebs attracted by the villagey vibe and bucolic rusticity of the little street off the top of Regent's Park. Sandwiched between delis and dress shops Limonia has a reputation above and beyond a thick menu of competent Greek cuisine. Arriving late, sodden with rain and lager, we managed to slide into one of the booths in the atrium at the rear, a table overhung with flourishing greenery from the low hanging roof planters.

Mixed meze and pitta forgettably dealt with early hunger pangs. I went for a slow roast aubergine dish topped with a smooth paste of minced lamb and cheese, served on a bed of creamy spinach. Not accomplished cooking by any means but hearty fare in variance with the thin and fashionable regulars. A couple of companions, more regular habitués than I, went for lamb chops from the grill. Slim shards of perfectly crisped fat along the bone were a delight to gnaw, but the meat wasn't quite pink enough for us.. the charcoal grill giveth but it also taketh away. The accompanying chips and rice were largely and deservedly unnoticed.

Right place at the right time? It's certainly got a place in local hearts and with the crowds it gets, the management won't be bothered that I'm not a super fan. I'd be happy to eat here again, but only if someone forces me to spend time in the many nearby bars first.

I really, really wanted to like this place. But I don't. I hate it.

The location is lovely, Primrose Hill seems to get more than its fair share of sunshine, so the pavement tables are always packed.

My first experience was one of dry chicken, good meze, fresh salads, so i thought i'd give it another go. So, one fine afternoon I popped in with a friend, hoping we could share a bottle of wine and some olives at one of the many outdoor tables. Shown to a table, we declined the menu, asking just for a bottle of wine as we had other plans for dinner later that evening. Sorry, you have to leave, you can't come here just for drinks. I wouldn't mind so much if they had been polite and apologised that drinks only is not their policy, would we care to order some food, but the tone was off-putting, so we left. I don't think any restaurant in London has left me quite so annoyed and unlikely to return!

I have been here a few times and finally have the chance to write a review.
It is a great place. I had dinner twice, once I had the mezze, which is amazing and such good value for money. I also had lunch once, which was also very enjoyable.
The place was always busy which added to the atmosphere - I felt like I was in Greece!

We love coming here for the mezze, which is a steal. We are big eaters, but we've never managed to finish everything on offer (although we always save room for the turkish delight at the end).

The staff are lovely!

Reading these reviews reminds me to go back to Lemonia - I used to go at least once a month - the food is delicious, the atmosphere buzzes, and the staff are friendly, welcoming and fun. A great spot too. The simple dishes are fresh and very very tasty!

I’m Greek and this was fantastic. Very close to the original tastes. I was sure that the meats were not british (no offence guys but the meat here is not very good). However I asked and it turns out that, well, it’s all in the cooking. I had the μεζέ(meze) menu for 18.75 which was a selection of cold and hot plates, more or less like Spanish tapas -well as a concept that is. We also ordered a bottle of Moschofilero, which is a Greek white wine from Peloponnese with strong taste. This was at around 17 pounds. The service was the best that I have seen in London. At last somewhere where the tables are cleaned , not only after you leave but even when the courses are changed. They were also blazing fast at bringing our plates. One complain, which is the reason the fifth star could be missing. We were told that we had two hours to eat. Reasonable and it was in a very polite tone, still I didn’t like it.

All in all, highly recommended but book a table to avoid disappointment or a long queue.

Almost 9 months on and I still get Lemonia pangs and cravings. Lovely warm rustic decor, great Cypriot meze style communal eating, good service. Full marks all round.

I went to Lemonia for the first time last night and I wasn’t disappointed. We were lucky enough to get a table outside which was pure bliss on a hot summer evening in London town. The restaurant has a very lovely homely friendly vibe to it in spite of its obvious popularity. The service was warm, helpful and very fast. The food is honest and tasty and the meat is marinated and cooked just right. Perfect place for dinner before hitting Camden.

Couldn’t agree more with Konstantin, this greek restaurant is great, and you’re made to feel welcome straight away. It does get busy on the weekends, so do book a table. It has a great atmosphere, very chatty. Windows open up when the weather is warm. Great place for catching up with friends over a bottle of wine and good food.

My other half took me here and it was lovely. Very friendly staff full of character and really proud of of their food. They all made us laugh throughout the evening and the food came in no time.

The food was excellent - we had the selection of what seemed almost eveything on the menu and I was stuffed. Highly recommended.

I really like this place. Not only that it’s situated very nicely close to Primrose Hill, but the food is delicious as well. I enjoyed the starters at most. Greek feta with bacon and honey or some nice salads…

The service is very friendly as well, but stay in the background what I personally really like. If you need everything they’re right there, but in the other time you practically don’t see them!

Be sure to check out their wine’s as well as they have some real jewels on the menu!

The best Greek food outside Greece! Wonderful hearty homecooked dishes! Great atmosphere and fairly good service. Have been here of an evening and at lunchtimes - never fails to impress. Good for large groups too.

Great food in a warm, busy atmosphere, lots of families, groups of friends, not somewhere if you want a quiet romantic night out really (although their sister restaurant over the road Limani is equally good but smaller and more compact. Lovely conservatory area at the back and private rooms upstairs. A real Primrose Hill institution, reasonably price, book in advance it is very popular. Good set lunch during the week (3 courses £8.95).

This establishment is a disgrace the food is absoluteley awful .

Lemonia along with 99% of Greek and Cypriot restaurants in London are the same.

Why can the Turks and Lebanese reproduce decent quality in London whilst the Greeks/Cypriots shame their nations cuisine !

Does not deserve the star but its the minimum one can give to publish the review.

Absolutely gorgeous part of London and this Greek restaurant is in a great spot. The dishes are well prepared and having lived in Greece I can definitely say they are the next best thing to the real deal. It definitely tastes very authentic.

I recommend getting lots of little starters to dip bread into and tasting some of the wine on offer.

Whilst it is slightly expensive the very friendly staff that go out of their way to help and the nice atmosphere make this a very popular destination. If your feeling “the credit crunch” the head across the street for a slightly cheaper but equally nice version of this restaurant.

A pretty Greek restaurant, servicing delicious food in a beautiful part of London. The food is so good that it’s perennially popular.

Great place overall and a good option after walking through Primrose Hill. My uncle and aunt and I ate here the other night and were very pleased with the service, atmosphere and food. While we were waiting (for 5 minutes) they served us tasty green olives in a dish which were refilled when we got to the table. The staff were friendly and helpful with the menu.

The food was very good and of high quality and although I was feeling a bit poorly at the time I enjoyed my rice and pitta and a nibble of chicken very much. My aunt and uncle really liked their meals and I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for nice, quality greek food. The price didn’t break the bank, average plate was about £12-13 which was too bad considering it was delicious.

I’m definitely headed back here with my girlfriend!

This restaurant offers everything, perfect food every time, great service and a buzzing friendly atmosphere. I have come here for many different occasions, birthdays, family dinners, social events and every time it has always lived up to its expectations from my previous visits. Really loved it.

I went to Lemonia the other week for, oh I don't know, the millionth time in my life and I realised that it's actually probably my favourite restaurant of all time. I have never ever had a meal there that was anything less than perfect - the food always arrives hot and quickly, it's so tasty and moreish, and the price is very reasonable. The sweetest man owns the restaurant, and has done for years, and he still comes in early everyday to prepare all the food, and is there until late at night greeting and serving the clientele. All the other waiters are his brothers, brothers-in-law, cousins, sons, uncles etc, so it's definitely a family atmosphere. This restaurant is enjoyed by people of all ages, and should be experienced by everyone.
Ok, I'm salivating just thinking about it...