The List 2010:
"Nearly 40 years is a long time to survive in the restaurant business and anyone looking for the secret ingredient to longevity in the trade would do well to spend an evening in Greek Golden Kebab. It would be impossible to give less than full marks for hospitality: customers are not just treated as old friends, but like long-lost family members. OK, so the tables might be a little tightly packed, but that just adds to the cosiness of it all, and a private corner can still be found. All the Greek favourites are on the menu, from mezedes (selection of starters such as tzatziki, taramasalata and dolmades) and moussaka to Greek salad and a variety of kebabs. Vegetarians are not ignored either – there are plenty of options, including asparagus gratin, where the creamy cheese and white wine sauce is sublime. The salad dressing is home-made with a distinctive mint kick and, as if the main dish portions weren't generous enough, as accompaniment you can opt for perfectly crisp roast potatoes – a highlight in themselves."
High point: Warm greetings, huge portions
Low point: Claustrophobes beware
The List 2009:
"Owned and managed by the delightful Kyriacou family, The Greek Golden Kebab has been receiving diners like long lost kin since 1972. Like eating in your favourite auntie’s front room, the atmosphere is so laid back you’d be forgiven for turning up in pyjamas. Given that only 28 diners can shoehorn their way in, booking is essential. Sure, the takeaway is some consolation – certainly for the pyjama party – but to miss out on the bonhomie would be a pity. As a starter or main, the moussaka cossets the soul, an emphatic touchstone of passionately cooked Greek cuisine. Olympic-sized rings of calamari, wrapped in a shiny golden armour of puffy batter, will spirit you off to last summer’s holiday in Paphos. The lamb sis – a Herculean skewer of char-grilled lamb, peppers and onions – is eye-watering in its proportions and mouth-watering in its tenderness. Tavva is a perennial crowd-pleaser, a surreptitiously spiced lamb stew that’s comforting on a winter’s evening and the ideal partner for a bottle of red on a long, hot summer night. This is the sort of recipe that the Kyriacou family will guard under lock and key. Everything else you are most welcome to."
High point: Intimate, relaxed atmosphere. Great food and wine
Low point: Must book in advance or else it’s takeaway