Lemonia in Primrose Hill: what to order and when to go

Lemonia, 89 Regent's Park Road, NW1 8UY. Book on 020 7586 7454. Set dinner £29.75, Monday to Thursday. Go for the mezze and the charcoal grill, and take friends.

What it is

Lemonia is a family-run Greek-Cypriot restaurant in Primrose Hill. Harden's calls it a sprawling Greek taverna and a Primrose Hill landmark, with a menu that suits all tastes. Time Out puts it at no. 6 in its list of London's best Greek restaurants, praising the vine-clad dining room, the vast mezédes, charcoal grills, stews and a good run of Greek-Cypriot wines. The Infatuation scores it 7.8 out of 10 and calls it a classic, old-school spot with lemony, herby, homely food.

It is also built for groups. The Infatuation tags it for big groups, birthdays, casual dinners and vegetarians, and says the back conservatory looks like a rainforest. Children are very welcome, according to the same site.

The short history

Lemonia dates from 1979, when owner Tony (Antonis) Evangelou started it on Regent's Park Road. In 1992 it moved to its current, larger site, a former pub, according to Harden's. Kratos Journal says Evangelou came to London from Cyprus at 14, and that his parents ran a deli near Delancey Street before Lemonia opened. The same family has run it ever since.

What to order

• Start with the dips. The Infatuation says the tyrokafteri, the spicy cheese dip, is the one to get over hummus and tahini.
• Minced lamb kofte. Good to Order says to start here.
• Charcoal grill and mezze. Good to Order advises sticking to the grill section (fish or lamb) and the mezze, ideally shared by a big group. The Infatuation also mentions soft baked lamb and pourgouri, the cracked wheat.
• Soup. The Infatuation praises generous bowls of fagges (spicy lentil soup) and avgolemono (chicken, lemon and rice broth) with warm pitta.
• Wine. Time Out singles out the Greek-Cypriot list.

Calamari and baklava also turn up in listings, if you have room.

When to go and what it costs

The restaurant's own site, lemonia.co.uk, gives last orders as follows:

• Monday to Thursday: 12:00 to 15:30 and 17:30 to 22:00
• Friday and Saturday: 12:00 to 15:30 and 17:30 to 22:30
• Sunday: 12:00 to 16:00, with no evening service

For the best value, go on a weekday. From Monday to Friday there is a Special Lunch of the Day menu that changes daily, and Time Out highlights the great-value weekday lunch specials. Ask for the lunch price when you book. Monday to Thursday evenings (17:30 to 22:00) there is a three-course set dinner at £29.75, which All Set says comes from the same kitchen as the à la carte.

For a bigger, livelier night, Friday or Saturday has the latest last orders. Sunday lunch is the only Sunday sitting, so plan to be seated well before 16:00.

Typical spend varies by how you order. SquareMeal gives an average of £30 to £49 a head, while Harden's figure of £60 to £75 includes three courses, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge and service. Harden's mentions a cover charge, so ask when you book.

Booking

Phone 020 7586 7454. The restaurant's site lists a phone number only, and DesignMyNight says it does not take bookings through that site. The Infatuation says it is always busy, even midweek, and Enprimeur recommends reserving. Expect noise: it is a lively room. Private dining is arranged on the same number.

One outside note: the Camden New Journal has reported hire bikes crowding the pavement outside at weekends, so Friday to Sunday you may have to step round a few.

For after: Primrose Hill itself

The Infatuation says you can virtually roll to Lemonia from the top of Primrose Hill, which makes the hill the obvious free follow-up, with its famous view over London. Check the hours first: Royal Parks says Primrose Hill closes from 22:00 to 06:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until 8 November, and stays open 24 hours on weekdays. After a late Friday or Saturday dinner, the walk needs to be a short one before the gates shut. Details are on the Royal Parks page.