Greek food is true food that shines in simplicity. The well-established upscale chic Greek restaurant attempts to deliver the core of the cuisine but leaves some areas for concern.
[Our Experience]
Came in on a Wednesday night for a 7:45 reservation for two.
Valet parking was available on site and the young guy working was professional and friendly.
Checked in with the hostesses upon arrival and expectations were set high when I noticed the space and the freshness of the seafood in the front display. Luckily my beautiful date was running late and I knew she favors good cocktails so I went to sample some at the bar.
The Bar:
Full bar that is said to craft beverages to compliment the food.
Upon first impression, for an upscale restaurant, the bar seemed a bit cluttered. Most of the bar area had used napkins laying around and chairs were scattered. Didn't see any effort to clear the space. Took a moment to find a section that wasn't quite messy and sat down. The bartender came about shortly after I sat and was somewhat friendly but seemed distracted with floor staff. I looked over the bar offerings and went with the thirsty philosopher, the Morpheus, and a glass of water.
* Thirsty philosopher (5 starts +)
Flavors profile resembled that of a refreshing cucumber dill salad from my summer days in Athens but in a chilled martini glass with a touch of gin.
I still wonder about this cocktail.
* The Morpheus ( 4.8 stars)
As the name suggests the drink was indeed a flavor shifter. At first elderflower and gin notes come in followed by lavender and dried flora flavors but not for long. The lemon cuts it right after and a sweet hibiscus finish is revealed. Overall we liked this cocktail for its uniqueness.
The Atmosphere:
Once my date arrived we were welcomed into the main dining area and given a table facing the kitchen and most of the restaurant. We could see the soft touches of warm light on the Greek-style columns, the walls with the candles, and the mysterious gray glass wine cellar behind us. The table was well set for us with glasses for wine and cutlery for our meals. The overall setting of the dining room and the atmosphere was pretty nice and neat. The only thing we both didn't like was the upbeat euro music that was echoing in the restaurant. For some reason, it removed the calm out of the space and didn't resonate with all the effort they had in place.
The Waitstaff :
Our server was subtle and kept conversation to a minimal which I've noticed is common in such restaurants but most definitely could have been a bit more engaging. The same could be said with the assistant waitstaff, waterer, and runners. Greek hospitality is supposed to be vibrant.
For Starter we had:
1) Traditional Greek Spread with Kalamata olives and Wood-grilled pita bread & Chef Panos olive oil.
* (4.00/5.00 stars)
* The Kalamata olives did most of the work. Always room to cut some of the saltiness of the olives.
2) Watermelon salad & feta with garden herbs and watermelon sorbet.
* (2.00/5.00 stars)
* This dish was where the question marks and concerns kicked in. The simplicity of the dish leaves no room for imperfection. Sadly for a $13 plate of salad, it missed the mark. The watermelon wasn't cold enough and the sugary sweetness of the sorbet took over the entire dish. The feta just like the olives had done its part but together as a dish it wasn't convincing. Watermelon and a creamy, rich crumbly feta are a summertime childhood favorite of mine and this particular dish just didn't pull those memories in.
3) The Greek (Greek salad)
* (2.00/5.00 stars )
* Another disappointing dish. "Xoriatiki" or Greek salad is as simple as it gets yet trying to elevate the dish to meet the dining room's expectations has cost Kyma some points in my perspective. The Greek came in at a $14 plate with tomatoes, olives, red onions, a little seasoning, a wedge of feta, and some rough Julienne cut Holland peppers topped with olive oil. Not enough bang for the buck here!
4) Octopus - oak wood-grilled octopus served with red onions, olives, and capers.
* (4.8/5.00 stars) This dish was a hit at our table. The octopus was tender and Smokey and had a slight zesty finish. It was her first time having octopus and she was quickly convinced of how good it can be. -0.2 for presentation.
Main:
5) Grilled whole fish for two. We had ( Lavraki) Mediterranean sea bass with capers lemon and olive oil.
* (5.00 /5.00 stars)
* The Lavraki was an absolute delight. We picked the fish from the display and they had it cleaned, butterflied, and grilled to perfection for us. It came table side toped off with olive-oil vinaigrette, cappers, and lemon halves.
* at $38 a plate this was worth the buck!
6) Greek Fries - with grated kefalotiri cheese
* (4.00/5.00 stars) The potatoes were nice and rich. Perfect golden brown color. An only miss... could have used more of the cheese on there.
Thoughts... awesome cocktails and great main dishes. read more