essi Restaurant - (Near Hackney, london)

5 /5 Dan Zafrir: A lovely hole-in-the-wall serving stellar Greek food! We came on a rainy day just after they opened, so the restaurant was a bit quiet. That couldn’t have prepared us for the dazzling dishes we were about to eat - best souvlaki in London, scrumptious pie, excellent honey-drenched cheese and, of course - THE galaktoboureko, with a crown of shaved halva. Everything was delicious and the service lovely as well - our server was nice and helpful and the chef came over to chat, sharing the story of the restaurant and his vision for it. We had a truly great evening here - it’s gems like these that make London’s food scene really exciting.

4 /5 Fabrizio Ori: Pros - Food lived up to expectations, John Dory is highly recommended - Service is GREAT - flexible menu, each plate could feed 2 people but recommended to order 6 to share between 2 - prices are quite reasonable for this quality Cons - allow 1+ hour for a typical meal. Probably not suitable if you have a tight schedule - terrace is nice, though some tables are a bit exposed on windy days. - saganaki toastie had little cheese and very thick bread, though I loved the sweet notes - only 2 desserts available (no Cretan pies mentioned when I visited), Galaktoboureko takes longer to prepare, generous serving, very mild taste, personally I would not order again.

5 /5 Christine Kim: I was looking forward to experiencing the Aussie/Greek fusion here and it delivered. The space is great and theres a good atmosphere. All the food was very good and good value. Between the three of us, we shared the white tarama with crispy potato skins (good and they gave us extra pita to enjoy the rest of it), saganaki toastie (rich but delicious), chicken souvlaki, pork souvlaki (both very small but tasty - they did mention it was one per person), octopus (really good), rabbit pie (my favourite), lamb ribs (slightly fatty so fat could have been rendered more but the side of tzatziki helped) and the charred cabbage. For dessert we shared the Cretan pie (not bad but quite simple) and the galaktoboureko which was custard in flaky pastry (so delicious!). Kostas, the owner was very friendly and came over for a chat and all the other staff were helpful too.

5 /5 Drew Mallins: Probably the best Sunday roast in town in a fun and lively space on TT’s rooftop. The lamb is incredible, and the potato skins are crunchy AF. Kostas is a true host with so much passion for food and hosting. Can’t wait to go back. Circa £40pp with a couple of alcoholic drinks and we were well fed.

5 /5 Brendan: A friend had eaten here before and recommended we go as a group of friends. From start to finish it was a lovely experience. Firstly, the food was delicious. I had a couple of small plates. I intended to share with my friends, but it was delicious and ended up having them all myself. The wine was also good. Secondly, the staff were very friendly. Not sure if it was just because it is a pop-up, but the lady serving us was friendly and nice to speak to, but not overbearing. She made great friends with my friends (almost) three year old, and kept him entertained every time she passed by. The owner(?) Con came around and chatted to us; again very genuine and a nice experience. Thirdly, it was a lovely space. Not too big, but an interesting space, and nice heated outdoor area. Definitely want to return soon.