Bouzoukia On the Hill

One of my complaints about Greek food is that it is always badly presented and portions are far too large for ladies. Not so at Bouzoukia. all the food is deliciously presented and just the right size for ladies.

Last year I made an enquiry to Bouzoukia on the hill about booking a meal for a Sunday but they don’t open on Sundays so it never happened. However 9 months later I still receive an occasional text from them to offer me specials on their food. Last week we decided to invite some friend to join us on a saturday night to take advantage of their ‘valentines special’ of live music, belly dancing and a 4 course meze costing £30 per couple.
When we arrived we decided to move seats as the table we had been sat on was next to the window which was cold. Our friends with a baby had to leave as the music was very loud with no breaks longer than 2 minutes between songs so it was quite difficult to have conversations and enjoy the evening.
Apart from this, when we got settled the doorman had to remind the waitresses of our presence and we felt throughout the evening we were being ignored or overlooked. There was no red wine so we went for the white wine which was fine by us. The wine that arrived was a tesco finest white wine, probably purchased from the Tesco petrol station shop a minute down the road. We were told there was a meze meal this night but were not offered a menu of drinks or food. The cold starters took 20 minutes to arrive and the hot starter consisted of halomi and lountza. The fish course was unbattered squid and it wasn’t very appetising. The place of meat that arrived after was so dry that we complained. When we were told that that we could pay for the food and not the 2 beers and tesco bottle of wine, we asked how much the wine was and were swiftly told it was £17, a mark up of £11 according to our search for the wine on tesco’s website. We ended up paying £50 for the 4 of us although we still felt cheated as the food and service were both extremely poor and we didn’t enjoy eating our food. There was no belly dancer as promised and I would feel bad for any couple going for a romantic valentine meal in this venue. Altogether we had a horrible experience in this restaurant and I would deter anyone from going there in the future. Also there seems to be some confusion on their website as the images on their website are of the restaurant in Muswell hill not oakwood, so not a true reflection of what to expect. To think that they have won awards is hard to believe. I would avoid this restaurant at all costs.

Bouzoukia on The Hill is a combination of both a pub and a Greek restaurant.
It is a pretty chic and stylish bar and restaurant which offers an a true Greek dining experience with a fantastic menu of Greek dishes and a traditional live band playing on certain nights.
The food is surprisingly good for a pub with a very versatile menu offering the traditional Greek with some other British choices. I ordered the Sovlaki and it was really enjoyable and came on a large plate served with rice and pitta bread.
You can either enjoy this place as a pub or go ahead and order some pretty good Greek food. Prices are reflective of the area and perhaps a little over priced, hence the 3 stars.