Zorbaz
Contact: 87-89 Radford Road, Coventry, CV6 3BPTel: 024 7659 2112
Full restaurant guide
Best bit: Beautifully marinated chicken
Worst bit: A touch pricey ... but worth it
It may be Coventry’s only Greek restaurant but with food this good the city doesn’t need another.
When we arrived we were a bit worried that Zorbaz in Radford was going to be a mistake.
We had planned for a quiet dinner for two.
But the place was very busy and the music unusually loud for a restaurant.
Waitresses were rushed off their feet – scampering between tables, seating parties of a dozen or more, taking orders and delivering bills.
Meanwhile a musician was playing the bouzouki (a guitar like instrument) to a beat that sounded like it was coming out of the sort of subwoofer boyracers dream about.
“I think that’s really going to get on my nerves,” whispered my partner shortly before being seated in a corner.
I thought the same but we were wrong.
As we tucked into the (agreeably unsalty) £1.50 olives the music appeared to both disappear into the background and drown out nearby diners’ conversations.
We ordered a Chilean Concha Y Toro Merlot (£11.75) that appeared to have been chilled which was a bit odd.
It was exactly as its description though – ‘unoaked and bustling with red and blackberry fruits, soft warm and medium bodied’.
We skipped starters and went straight for the mains.
I ordered the Kotopoulo Souvlaki (£12.75) while my partner went for the Kleftico (£13.95).
The Souvlaki was beautifully marinated chicken breast on skewers served with chips.
The only time I have ever had chicken like it before was when I followed a Heston Blumenthal tika recipe that involved soaking the breast in brine for 24 hours.
The Kleftico – slow cooked lamb in a lemon and herb sauce - was equally well prepared but, for me, less of a treat.
The meat fell cleanly off the bone under only the slightest pressure.
It was so well cooked you probably could have eaten it without a knife.
The sauce – although undoubtedly traditional – was a little bit boring.
But then again unless a dish has very strong flavours I’m bound to think it’s dull.
As we glugged the last of the wine the focus of the attention fell to a small dance floor where waiters and waitresses had linked arms and begun a jig.
In terms of customer service it was a pretty spectacular.
I can’t remember ever being in a restaurant where the staff danced for you at the end of the night.
All in all Zorbaz is well worth a visit and although not cheap, it’s certainly value for money.
Ben Glass, February 18, 2009
Find out why Twitter users love Coventry
RSS feed
Coventry bloggers: Find out what they're saying about Coventry here