Zorba the Greek: My visit to top Derby restaurant felt like an idyllic Mediterranean holiday

If this weather has you thinking of lazy hazy holidays, we wouldn’t blame you.

A Derby restaurant serving authentic Greek food could well give you vacation vibes without all the travel pallaver. 

Zorba The Greek located on Bold Lane enjoys a central location making it easily accessible. There is also Bold Lane car park - which happens to be one of the world’s most secure car parks - a few minutes away from the restaurant. 

The first thing that hits you is the décor of cool blues, shimmering whites and iridescent aquas giving off proper coastal vibes. 

If you squinted and imagined you were in a seaside Greek resort, you could easily fool yourself into thinking you were actually dining in Greece.

Thanks to my usually overactive imagination there was no need for me to close my eyes when I visited Zorba The Greek one sunny Friday.

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Attentive service saw me seated quickly and efficiently and the only thing left to do was dive into the menu.

It is a wide-ranging menu serving traditional mains of mussaka (layered aubergine), soutzoukakia (meatballs), mezze and more.

We were served complimentary pitta bread and hummus which was a nice touch.

Warm pitta hits differently than just regular pitta, kicking off a strong start to the meal.

Generous portions of mains meant I was not going to go home hungry. 

I couldn’t quite believe how much food was served, plates came loaded with scrumptious food that I couldn’t wait to dive in to. 

I had chicken giaourtlou which is lightly seasoned chargrilled chunks topped with a tangy tomato sauce, served with a side of yoghurt, rice and pitta. 

What I loved about this dish is its versatility. 

You had the option of a lamb or pork variation plus a side of chips instead of rice, if you were really into your potatoes. 

Dining partner had chicken souvlaki served with salad and tzatziki.

The chicken was cooked in a charcoal, imparting that lovely grilled flavour with delectable, slightly charred edges. 

Again you have the option of having it served with chips or rice, which is great for those who like choices. 

We had a free extras thrown in (I don’t know if this is regular occurance or not) of baklava, which had a lovely toffee-esque chew, and portokalopita (orange cake), that was light yet moist and fragrant.

Overall I really enjoyed dining at the restaurant which is a unique experience.

I can totally understand why it’s a popular dining destination in Derby. 

It is Tripadvisor’s top rated Greek restaurant in Derby, garnering 153 Tripadvisor reviews with an average 4.5 star rating (out of 5).

Google reviewers are also pleased with the eatery, giving it an average 4.7 star rating (out of 5) gleaned from 492 reviews.

On the night we saw couples on date night and plenty of tables of large parties, which looked to be people’s work night out. 

Congratulations to the team on creating a fun, welcoming atmosphere, the great food and ace customer service is just the icing on a very tasty cake.

Peroni £3.95

Giaourtlou £17.99

Chicken souvlaki £15.90

Total £37.88 (not including service charge)

Location: Zorba The Greek, 9 - 11 Bold Lane, Derby DE1 3NT

For more information visit ZorbaTheGreekDerby.