Writing this & posting new review quickly on a ferry between North & South Island, New Zealand. Norm...
Writing this & posting new review quickly on a ferry between North & South Island, New Zealand. Normal service will be resumed upon my return! Stand by for lots of NZ info ...
Member since:23.05.2007
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INTRODUCTION
I'm still on the main square of Breda, South Netherlands, going boldly where I haven't been before in the name of consumer research (and seeing something new). Today were are at Sirtaki, a Greek restaurant I pass almost every time I am in the centre of the city, but which I knew very little about until this dining trip, except that it wasn't supposed to be as good as Rhodos, the Greek restaurant at the other end of the road. I didn't know how big it was, what it looked like inside, what was on the menu, nothing. At all. I have now put this right, as you are about to see.
THE RESTAURANT
When we arrived the restaurant looked really busy and who I think is the head waiter saw us and pointed 2 fingers at us (in a non offensive way). When we nodded, he pointed us to a table and carried on with whatever he was trying to do. So no words exchanged so far but a table obtained, fair enough. The restaurant was bustling with activity; it was very full and this was the most atmosphere I have experienced yet in Breda, although it was perhaps a little loud.
The décor was certainly nothing I've seen before round here. The walls were decorated with some sort of stone cladding with plaster, and had plates and pictures dotted around them. Wooden beams were above our heads, decorated with fake vine leaves and grapes. On top of them and on side shelves were small busts of important looking people and vases. There was even a mandolin on one shelf. And one of the bigger busts was sporting sunglasses. A blue carpet covered most of the restaurants with some wooden flooring near to the bar area.
The bar to the right of the restaurant has some sort of grand arch that was made up to look like some sort of pillared entrance to the Acropolis or something like that. The correct term completely escapes me. I noted not that many spirits in the optics. The general impression I got is that
the people were happy here; as we watched one table getting served a dessert with a sparkler in it while the table sang happy birthday, and when I later I noted the a couple of the staff having a joke with eachother.
The table were set out such that they were almost booths, with partitions separating each group of tables. I liked this as it afforded you some privacy. I also really like the seating, which wasn't chairs but very comfortable benches, with fancy patterned fabric cushioning. I saw a table of 4 easily accommodate 5 people because of this seating, which I think is really handy. There were a lot of tables of 4, a few really big tables and some tables for 2, which is what we ended up with.
On each table was a large candle and a little woven mat in the middle. There was also a notepad, which the waiters seemed to scribble on each time we asked for something, and this later turned out to be the bill, although this seems a bit of an odd way of doing it, still, I guess you don't lose track of orders that way. A large hanger which acts as a cloakroom is next to the door entrance, which itself is separated from the restaurant with a little partition.
There was quite a mix of people in the restaurant; young, old and even non yokel (I'll leave it to the reader to work out what I mean by that). Greek music piped through the restaurant at a non obtrusive volume.
THE MENU
I only saw a Dutch menu, but from that I could surmise there were lots of fish dishes such as calamari, scampi and salmon. Meat dishes "from the grill" included giros, suflaki and various meat filets with rice and chips. There were also some spaghetti dishes which was a bit incongruous but never mind. The dessert menu was heavy on ice cream and whipped cream related dishes.
THE SERVICE
The staff were friendly and helpful, although at times it was hard to get their attention. More that once a smile at them indicating a need fot service resulted in a smile or a wink back but no attention. As this has happened many places in Breda in the past, I long concluded that you have to indicate clearly that you need service. Subtlety doesn't seem to work round here. There were quite a lot of staff, I made it 7 or 8 waiters and waitresses, all sporting a smart uniform of white top and black trousers, which made them easy to find. None of them looked Dutch either so maybe it wouldn't have been that hard anyway.
THE EXPERIENCE
As we sat down we were served with a small shot glass each of Greek spirit, ouzo I presume. As we looked at the menu, I suddenly noticed that our glasses were gone and we hadn't finished drinking yet! Oops, only 5 minutes in and they dropped the ball already. I ordered a Greek beer, Mythos, to drink and this wasn't bad at all; a lagery concoction that was quite refreshing. At this point a bloke with a fag dangling from his hand sat on the table next to us, and at this point I noticed that our table had an ashtray on it. So they had failed to ask us if we wanted non smoking (we did). Oh dear oh dear oh dear. But to to fair it wasn't that smoky in the end.
I ordered a Sandonni Schotel, which was some sort of fish (babelfish tells me "baars" is in fact perch), calamari and scampi with rice and garlic sauce. My friend Barcelona Boy ordered something meaty with pork in it, so I didn't pay too much attention to that. The food arrived 15 minutes after ordering, which was pretty good considering how busy the place was. Both our dishes were served with a sauerkraut like side salad, which I liked. I like the vinegary, crispy tastes of that.
The main dishes were pretty big. On my plate was a langoustine, some nice looking deep fried calamari rings in a light batter and a deep fried white fish fillet in a heavier batter. Along side these were some tomatoey rice, cucumber, an olive, tomato, raw onion, lollo rosso and red pepper. Topping this off was a big splodge of garlic sauce on the side. The calamari was nice; it appeared to be fresh. Although it had perhaps a little too much oil, it wasn't gummy and was easy to chew, with a good texture. The langoustine was nice although it was a bit of a mission to get into it. It also had a light batter and as it was unpeeled I had to do this by hand, which was messier than usual thanks to the batter, and with no finger bowl to dip my hands in. Once I got access to it, it was nice though; crisp, firm and with lots of flavour. The perch was the only real slight disappointment. It was a bit greasy and had several bones in it. It reminded me of chip shop fish. It was OK though, and mixed with the delicious, rich and
Pictures of Sirtaki Restaurant, Breda
View from outside
creamy garlic sauce, was quite appetising. The rice on the side was perhaps a little tomatoey but quite tasty. It reminded me a bit of savoury rice in a packet, but as I quite like this really this isn't meant as an insult. It had some red peppers in it too and was a nice orange colour. I am informed that the meat dishes were nice. The lamb was tasty, crispy and well seasoned so no salt was required. The beef was some sort of hamburger meat with a goats cheese filling in the middle, and was tasty. The pork was OK and not dry as it can be (apparently it can be, I really wouldn't know).
We had arrived at the restaurant at just after 8.30 and by 9.30 the place was half full and a bit quieter than before. A perusal of the laminated desserts menu led me to ordering a Dame Blanche, This turned up in a high white bowl which looked like an ice cream cone. On top was lots of whipped cream and a little chocolate sauce, with a round wafer sticking out of the top. Underneath this was white chocolate ice cream and right at the bottom was more chocolate sauce. This was pretty good, very chocolaty and rich as you'd expect. Barcelona Boy got a café frappe with was also good; it had perfect sweetness, the coffee was OK and the fact he drank it very quickly says a lot to me.
When the bill appeared it came with some soft mints, which topped it all off rather well.
FUN WITH BABEL FISH
This is a classic, from their website:
"When our voorouders in brabant and limburg still with stones hatchets behind to roar ran along and stags, long for the year zero, the Greeks all who the ground was, knew. They knew already by means of schools regulated education and a good a functioning democracy. It were the Greeks who stood to the cradle of our we covetousness and science, political and art, yes even to our spending of free time. We not only thank the Olympic game to them, but our music instruments also numerous, heal - and beauty resources and of course: dancing, wines and Courts. Wine, music and dancing were inextricable part of the Greek meal. That applied already to the gods on the olympus. Zeus and are gezellen drank nectar from gouden goblets and nibbled there ambrozijn which were served on zilveren dishes, whereas Apollo and the muzen sang and danced. To nectar and ambrozijn the gods thanked their immortality and eternal youth. Immortality does not give human Greek food of course, but it keeps jon. Not only its healthy construction manner without, makes also because it consumes with as much joy must become such as goedmaaltijd. With a glass glowing wine of course. Thus the god dionysos has occurred it. But also with as much music and dancing as then on the olympus.
The family Poursanidis, owner of the chain of sirtaki restaurants in brabant and limburg, wants keep that tradition in ere, adapted to the requirements of the modern time. For this reason the name sirtaki: a modern dancing shoed on the tradition of the volksdans which symbolises the movements of the golves in the bay of Sirti. For this reason, times live music without increase of the price and lively faces at Executive Board, put as a symbol of hospitality, the permanent free glaasje ouzo at entry, on, and staff. They gladly dance as a tussengerecht a sirtaki with you. Only throw the Greek tradition of borden we have abjured. But the Executive Board requires two things of you: that you do yourself too well to salads, furnace - and whim Courts, wines and liquors and that you make her there immediately on attentive if excursion something has escaped to its attention. The family Poursanidis wants always but improves, exactly as long as to the gods of the olympus descend with you to the tabletable tables to shuffle along to lick off their fingers there at what differently cannot be called than "godenmaalijtd". Ours restaurant exists already as from 1982."
CONCLUSION
I had been told that this wasn't the best Greek food in town, and I think the other place in Breda offers slightly higher standards of food and service. However, it was much better than I was led to believe here. The food was fairly tasty if nothing spectacular, the service was good and the ambience excellent. I would certainly consider coming here again. The décor is certainly worth seeing.
exceptional by (33%):
very helpful by (67%):
