Tucked around the corner near the Hamilton Advertiser newspaper offices, Costas in Hamilton is one of, if not thee longest serving restaurant in Lanarkshire, celebrating its 40th anniversary recently. I am ashamed to say I haven't been, and as someone who is getting fonder of Greek food by every taste, I couldn't wait to try it out.
My boyfriend and I had an early dinner here last week and, after searching for it for a while, discovered it hiding around a corner, quite inconspicuous for passers by. However, we quickly realised that this place does not rely on passing trade, but fills the tables instead by word of mouth from loyal customers, some of whom have been coming here for all of its 40 year rein.
It was empty when we arrived, and we were quickly seated in one of the stained glass booths which are quite beautiful. The décor of the restaurant is traditional, bordering on old fashioned but warm and comfortable, with an air of familiarity that made you feel right at home. We decided to order from the Early Evening menu (5pm-6.30pm), a two course starter and main for only £9.95 per person.
We ordered a bottle of house wine which was lovely and very drinkable, and got down to choosing our meal. We both went for the Bruschetta a la Greque, a large piece of toasted bread topped with peppers, rocket, feta cheese, red onion and olive oil. I have no idea why I ordered it because I don't really like tomatoes and I hate red onion, but it just sort of came out of my mouth! When it came, it was presented beautifully and topped full of ingredients. I picked the onions out, but other than that it was delicious. The rocket and feta were warmed and incredibly tasty, a delicious start to the meal!
I ordered moussaka for my main, and was surprised to see it came with a small mountain of fries and salad! I thought it would have came on its own. It was absolutely yummy, real comfort food, although I felt the bechamel sauce topping was just a little too thick for my own personal taste, which made it unnecessarily stodgy. I couldn't finish the fries either, but they were deliciously fluffy on the inside and just the right side of crispy on the outside.
Even though I was stuffed I couldn't resist a look at the sweet trolley which I absolutely loved the idea of. The waiter wheeled it round with an array of both traditional Greek and the usual deserts, and I decided to have a slice of dime bar cake, which I have tried before and absolutely loved! With a dollop of cream, it is to die for, honestly! It's a must if you get the chance to visit Costas.
We spent a while finishing our wine and chatting, before being brought the bill, which was very reasonable at just over £35.
The staff were friendly, the restaurant was lovely and the food was good, but I would love to go back and sample the full menu to get a real flavour for the place. read more