Greek Comfort Food | Moussaka at Myrtos London
As autumn arrives in London, we find ourselves drawn towards food with a little more warmth and generosity. At Myrtos, that means familiar Greek flavours, dishes made for sharing and classics worth returning to – not least our traditional lamb moussaka.
But what is it about Greek comfort food that can feel so much like home?
Part of the answer lies beyond the dishes themselves. Greek food has a close relationship with memory and hospitality: recipes and flavours we return to, food passed around the table and meals that are given time to unfold.
At Myrtos, those ideas come together in the way we cook and the way we eat. This autumn, we’re exploring the flavours we return to, the enduring comfort of a classic moussaka and why sharing a meal can be just as important as what is on the plate.
The Flavours We Return To
Comfort food is deeply personal. It might be something cooked by a parent or grandparent, a dish associated with a particular place, or simply a combination of flavours you have known for years. What these foods often share is a sense of familiarity. There is comfort in knowing a dish before it arrives and recognising the flavours and textures that make it what it is.
In Greek cooking, that familiarity is closely connected with hospitality. At Myrtos, we return to the idea of philoxenia: the warmth and generosity shown towards guests, and the understanding that sharing food is about more than simply what is on the plate.
It is why the table matters. Food is passed around, another plate is ordered, another glass poured. The meal becomes something experienced together.
It is also where food and memory meet. Certain dishes stay with us not only because of how they tasted, but because of where we were, who we shared them with and how it felt to sit around that table.
Moussaka, the Traditional Way
Few dishes capture the comfort and familiarity of Greek cooking quite like moussaka.
At Myrtos, our lamb moussaka is served the non-deconstructed, traditional way. Rich, generous and deeply familiar, it is a dish that needs little reinvention – its comfort lies in being exactly what you hope it will be. Made to be savoured slowly, it is the kind of food that invites you to settle in and enjoy the simple pleasure of a much-loved Greek classic.
Our moussaka has also attracted some memorable praise. Writing in the Financial Times, Jay Rayner said: “I doubt there’s a better moussaka to be had in London.”
For anyone searching for moussaka in London, perhaps that is part of the pleasure of finding it at Myrtos: a familiar Greek favourite, served as it should be.
Made for the Middle of the Table
That feeling of generosity extends beyond moussaka. Our menu takes inspiration from Greece, its islands, mainland, mountains and traditions, with dishes that naturally lend themselves to sharing.
Whole lobster giouvetsi brings lobster together with orzo, mussels, tomato, lemon and basil, while grilled lamb chops are served with coconut tzatziki. Both are sharing mains, made to arrive at the centre of the table rather than belong to just one person.
And there is something inherently comforting about eating this way. Passing plates, tasting from the same dishes and ordering for the table changes the rhythm of a meal. Dinner becomes less about individual courses and more about the experience of sitting down together. It is a simple kind of generosity, and one that feels distinctly Greek.
Bringing the Warmth of Greece to London
As autumn settles over London, there is a natural pull towards dishes with a little more warmth and depth.
At Myrtos, that might be poached cod with chickpeas, burned leek stew and aniseed; grilled poussin with oregano glaze, fingerling potatoes and roasted wing jus; or Greek wild greens with staka butter and lemon. They are very different dishes, but each brings something comforting to the table – from the depth of a slow-cooked stew and roasted jus to the simplicity of greens with butter and lemon.
For us, Greek comfort food is not simply about warmth or richness. It is the combination of familiar flavours, generous dishes and the people gathered around them.
At our Greek restaurant in South Kensington, we want that feeling to extend beyond the food itself: a table to settle into, dishes to pass around and an evening that never feels rushed.
Because perhaps that is why certain food feels like home. We remember the dish, but we also remember the table around it.
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