Dame Street may seem like an unlikely gateway to the Mediterranean but Mykonos offers many of the authentic flavours of a Greek taverna, complete with the gruff charm of authentic Greek service. And if you gaze long enough at the large wall murals of azure waters sparkling beneath a whitewashed Greek village you might convince yourself that you are on that sunny terrace after all. It would help to book ahead and avoid a table exposed to the Irish weather whipping through the front door, as would sampling some of the blood-warming Greek drinks on offer, such as tsipouro, ouzo or Metaxa 7 Stars. (On the upside, those window side tables would make for great people watching during warmer summer months.)
A great value pre-theatre option offers any four tapas from a choice of about two dozen ‘mezzedes' for just €15.95. These mezzedes feature prominently on the extensive full menu also, where they range between €5–€9, and include plenty of vegetarian choices as well as excellent seafood options (think whitebait, sardines or saganaki prawns cooked in the pan with a homemade tomato sauce, feta cheese and kefalotyri cheese, finished with ouzo and extra virgin olive oil. There’s also a half dozen dips including Greek favourites such as taramosalata (fish roe dip) and fava (lentil dip) alongside the usual suspects of hummus and tzatziki. Add in the many side orders and salads available, and about a dozen main courses, and the result is either bewildering or exciting, depending on your familiarity with Greek cuisine. Thankfully the staff - working under the direction of owner-manager, Adam Kriditis, at this wholly Greek owned and managed restaurant - know the menu inside out and can give a good steer, as can a nosy around the neighbouring tables.
Chef Maria Drami's food is filling and full of flavour, with simple but effective seasoning, and if you order well you can achieve an interesting range of textures and flavours. A dip of feta cheese and spicy peppers with yogurt and extra virgin olive oil has a nicely judged level of spice and creamy texture and comes with proper pita bread, while a house speciality of Kefalotyri Saganaki cheese (a hard, salty sheep’s milk cheese pan-fried with extra virgin olive oil and finished with a squeeze of lemon) arrives golden crusted and just melting inside. Whether or not it is flamed at your table with a drop of Sambuca, as promised, it should be excellent nevertheless. Seafood fans shouldn’t miss the grilled octopus with olive oil, oregano and fresh lemon juice, served cold and with all the juicy bite and fresh flavour you’d hope for.
Main courses are more rustic, with generous flavours such as those of the Klefliko, a hearty dish of herb-seasoned lamb slow-roasted on the bone together with peppers, mushrooms and potatoes to soak up all the lovely juices. There’s moussaka on offer, of course, and mixed grills alongside souvlaki (chicken skewers) and a flavoursome gyros platter of thinly sliced pork marinated in spices and herbs, served with potato chips, tzatziki and pita bread.
Baklava fans will want to test out the offering here, a decent if slightly dry example filled generously with honeyed nuts and served with homemade ice-cream.
If you’re lucky they may have a Greek wine available by the glass to offer, but otherwise a glass of Spanish Verdejo makes a good zesty accompaniment – or you could try out the Mythos beer on offer, and then ready yourself for reality with a drop of ouzo before leaving Greece and returning back out to Dame Street once again.
