Those of you that follow me on Instagram will know I recently paid a visit to Mythos Taverna – the latest Greek restaurant to pop up within the city centre.
A lot had questions (most notably about how much phallic food I consumed) so I figured I’d dust off my best Jessica Fletcher typing skills and get the first review since the apocalypse up. I should probably start this post with a wistful trip down memory lane regarding one of my many trips to Greece and the islands that surround it, but it’s been so long since I left Plague Island my memory is a little hazy. To be fair that could also be the week long birthday lash I’ve just completed like an Olympian booze hound. Anyway, let’s get to it…
You may have noticed that Birmingham is not Greece, and The Arcadian is not the Acropolis. We can’t have everything. At least on the day I visited Mythos Taverna for the first time the sun was shining like I was on holiday and for a few hours I forgot I was sat opposite a site currently testing people for bat flu. What a time to be alive. As well as the pretty restaurant inside, you’ll find a covered terrace that’s made of more wood than a Keanu Reeves movie marathon plus a smaller area that I assume is more suited to guzzling wine. Both are sun traps with the former almost being greenhouse-like, which is both a blessing and a curse when you’re wearing too much because spring here is a shambles.
Service from the off was friendly, attentive and enthusiastic, none of which can be said about me after a year locked in my kitchen talking to myself. We ordered the namesake bottled beers and some wine I didn’t try but didn’t last long so I assume it was nice or my friends are animals. The food offering is much as you’d expect from a Greek restaurant in England. We asked for recommendations, argued over a cod roe dip and ended up ordering about 75% of the menu anyway. Hungover people are annoying and indecisive but they order big and spend well if you just get them drunk again. Anyway, I’m not sure how we ended up ordering 4 mixed grills on top of the “rather a lot for 6 people, to be honest” mezze but we pretty much polished off everything on our groaning table.
From the small plates the tender fried squid didn’t last long, and a scuffle broke out for the last of the feta and spinach pastries. A plate of falafels offered pillowy centres and crisp casings, making a perfect dunker for the luscious tzatziki of which we seemed to have a never ending supply of. Traditional dips (we ordered all of them) come with strips of warm pita and peak at the smoky baba ghanoush but limp off at the taramasalata that lacked texture and was a bit soupy. The table consensus was the stuffed vine leaves would be better without the accompanying bland sauce. If you’re a fan of the aforementioned ‘phallic foods’ you’ll enjoy the wild boar sausages and beef meat tubes (balls) packed with warming spices and smothered in a paprika-spiked tomato sauce.
Larger plates are mainly based around meat and a brief nod to fish. The generous mixed grills offer up a little bit of all the key meaty joy, including some very tender lamb licked just enough by flames. The chicken souvlaki is best pulled apart and shoved between some pita then dipped liberally in one of the many dips you should have on your table if you’re doing this right. You’ll also find mousakka that can be ordered for carnivores or vegetarian friendly and a spit roasted lamb neck that wasn’t available on my visit but will probably be getting owned next time.
Price wise it’s reasonable. All of the small plates come in around £4-6 (you could easily just dine from this part of the menu) and larger plates are around £10-15. There’s a set menu for those that want to try a few things and eat a lot of food for not a lot of money. A few forgettable small plates but all in all a happy way to spend a few hours and we left very full. While The Arcadian isn’t my usual go-to for food (I did used to snog dodgy men there though; such memories) I have no doubt Mythos Taverna will likely do well, particularly when it’s sunny and the Hippodrome is reopen. Now, hurry up and put Greece on the green list Boris – all this chat has made me want to revisit the islands before the Kardashian’s ruin them again.
Mythos Taverna, 70 Hurst Street, Birmingham, B5 4TD
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