A vegan lunch – The Real Greek

The Real Greek have coincided with Veganuary 2019 this month by creating a perfect lunch deal to keep everyone happy through this grey January with a great lunch meal deal.  Their lunchtime special deal of £8.50 will give diners the choice of either a Vegan Plate, Greek Trio, Greek Plate or a Souvlaki Wrap & Side option.

I was there to eat from the Vegan Plate option which included Flatbread, Crudites, Houmous, Spicy Walnut & Red Pepper Dip, Santorini Fava, Jackfruit Stifado, Spinach with Giganes, Pourgouri and a small healthy drink.

I had the pleasure courtesy of The Real Greek to experience and enjoy their Vegan Plate from their lunch menu this Veganuary month on a complimentary basis.

Firstly let me tell you a bit more about this Mediterranean Greek style restaurant.

The Real Greek

The Real Greek is a Mediterranean restaurant who serve a delicious and healthy diet of the Eastern Mediterranean, where people have a passion for food, family and life. All the flavours and the variety found in Greek food can be traced back to ancient times.

They have created all their dishes inspired by epic journeys from the many different cultures and influences that now shape modern Greek cuisine. The Real Greek believe that their menu and atmosphere in their restaurants will bring back the memories and the spirit of Greece to all. Anyone who has eaten in Greece will know that food times are never rushed as they like to take it halara (easy) as they believe meal time is a time to engage in discussion and share food with friends and family.

“The Greek vegan tradition is centuries old – the first philosopher to create a lasting vegan diet is Pythagoras around 550 BCE.

In the Greek tradition there is much adherence to a diet completely free of animal products for long fasting periods.

Simply the Greeks pretty much invented veganism & we at The Real Greek want to bring you a Vegan menu that celebrates that, with both traditional & modern dishes, which we are sure you will enjoy.”

Tonia

The Real Greek provide diners a choice of a healthy, fresh seasonal menu which is all always available as they love to give diners something different and exciting to tantalize their taste buds each time they visit!

Vegan dining at Spitafields

The Real Greek has 15 restaurants over the country where you can enjoy Mediterranean cuisine.  I decided to visit their one in Spitalfields for a Greek Vegan lunch extravaganza experience.

This restaurant is in an ideal location for anyone who works or lives nearby to go be it for a lunch, business meetings, dinner or even for a couple of drinks.

Upon entering Spitalfields The Real Greek I was impressed with it’s interior which blends an authentic taste of the Mediterranean with it’s edgy interior design.  Within the dining room sits a sleek bar and expansive Grecian murals or if you love sitting outside diners can even dine al fresco in their leafy garden area.

Feeling like I have just been transported to the Mediterranean it was time for me to try the Vegan lunch time set menu.  I must clear up first though I am not Vegan so this was a unique tasting experience for myself.

Time to eat

As I was here during Veganuary month I was given the Vegan Plate from the menu to eat for my lunch so I can taste many varied dishes from their Vegan range. Apart from the flat bread all the other dishes are gluten free.

Vegan Plate

Flat Bread

The flat bread was perfectly soft and slightly chewy but ever so fresh and cooked to perfection.

Crudites

These are fresh-cut carrot, celery and cucumber sticks which as you expect all had a crunch to them. Great for dipping in the three dips of Houmous, Spicy Walnut & Red Pepper Dip and Santorini Fava.

Houmous

This dish is their daily home blend of chickpeas served in rich tahini and delicately spiced with cumin and fresh chilli. Great if you love chickpeas and spice.

Spicy Walnut & Red Pepper Dip

This Spicy Walnut & Red Pepper Dip was inspired from Alexander the Great’s travels with it’s Eastern Mediterranean character as this is a spicy dip, with red peppers and walnuts. Spicy, tangy, sweet, smooth and crunchy this was my favourite dip of all.

Santorini Fava

This was a dish full of yellow lentils from Santorini which had been cooked and blended with herbs and spices, topped with Santorini capers giving it that sourness. I am not one for lentils but I must admit this dish was really good with it’s mix of flavours.

Did you know that lentils are high in protein and fibre and low in fat? They are also packed with folate, iron, phosphorus and potassium.

Jackfruit Stifado

This is a vegan version of a classic Greek dish. The jackfruit is slowly cooked along with button mushrooms, shallots & aniseed giving you all sorts of flavours and textures throughout this dish. Unusually the jackfruit tastes a bit little like kimchi and pineapple.

However you might be wondering what a jackfruit is? well it is a massive spiky fruit which is grown on trees in tropical hemispheres. It is a good source for protein.

Spinach with Gigantes

This is a dish full of chunky white giant beans which are cooked in a tomato and garlic sauce. The beans were tender and the sauce was fresh and delicious and obviously full of tomato flavour.

It is said that white beans are a good source for cancer-fighting as they are fibre rich and can reduce the risk of many cancers and other potential killers, including brain aneurysms.

The spinach within this dish is great for vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, iron and calcium.

Pourgouri – Bulgur Wheat

This is Tonia’s mother’s recipe of cracked wheat, with tomatoes and onion which tasted really good. Pourgouri is a delicious accompaniment made from bulgur wheat and vermicelli noodles which is full flavoured and literally can go with anything.

Bulgur wheat is full of vitamins, minerals, fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients and is low in fat, high in minerals like manganese, magnesium and iron, plus it’s good source of plant-based protein.

All the dishes within the Vegan Plate can be purchased on their own from their normal Vegan menu but as larger size portions. So if you wanted to taste all the above vegan dishes the Vegan Plate from their lunch menu this month is a great way to do just that.

To see the vast range of other dishes which are non-vegan and vegan which they sell throughout the day click here.

Telia (perfect)

The whole experience at The Real Greek was a lovely one from the atmosphere within the restaurant through to the food. 

So if you are looking for a taste of the Mediterranean in busy London and would like to try a variety of different dishes then I highly recommend The Real Greek as you will leave happy.

Discover The Real Greek

The Real Greek in Spitalfields is at:
6 Horner Square,
Old Spitalfields Market,
London
E1 6EW

Their opening hours are:
Mon to Sat: 12:00pm – 10:30pm
Sun: 12:00pm – 9:00pm

They also have a Deli outside:
Mon – Fri: 12.00 – 14.30pm
if you are looking to grab & go!

To discover all their other restaurant click here.

Yamas (cheers) The Real Greek for the invite to experience what a vegan Greek lunch is like. This was given to me on a complimentary basis. All views written are of my own honest opinion.