A famous Greek restaurant hidden in Notting Hill that closed down their brand new sister site during lockdown has finally reopened again.
Suzi Tros was only open for seven months before the first lockdown forced them to close their doors, and do what they could to survive.
Original restaurant Mazi on Hillgate Street was opened in June 2012 by husband and wife team, Adrien Carre and Christina Mouratoglou, and pledged to serve modern Greek cuisine.
With almost daily discreet visits from Hollywood stars, a steady stream of West London regulars and a published cookbook, their newest London restaurant, Suzi Tros, is set to follow the same success now that it can finally reopen.
Mouratoglou said: “When we opened Mazi it was at a time in London where modern Greek food I would say was non-existent.
“They were very dated, very old school, very touristic, nothing out of the ordinary.
“Back home in Greece there had been a movement of reimagined modern Greek food.
“I thought there was a huge gap in the market, people would love this, let’s bring it to London and show them what real Greek food is about and what you can do with Greek food as opposed to dated misconceptions.”
Mouratoglou added that she brings fond memories of her family based in Greece to every taste bud of each dish they serve.
Suzi Tros, meaning, “Suzi, you eat,” is named after a character from I Pariziana, a Greek film from the 1960s.
Moments from Notting Hill Gate you will find the new bistro and cocktail bar spread over two airy floors setting the modernist mood with minimalist design, sun drenched cooling whitewashed walls and statement Grecian tiling drawing your eye warmly around the room.
Mouratoglou said: “I would say we’re trying to bring that vibe that you find on the Cyclades or Mykonos, to Notting Hill, and it’s a different take on Greek food from Mazi.”
With the new restaurant the pair wanted to create a refreshed version of their new modern Greek menu.
Following along the same lines as Mazi by using the best ingredients to produce a quality seasonal menu, Suzi Tros balances between the tradition and the theatrical.
Mouratoglou explained: “The inspiration came from what you would find in a modern taverna in Greece.
“We never go far away the original concept, which is Greek, so when you have a bite, you still feel that’s a Greek food in my mouth, but then you have that little extra kick.
“We have dishes for example like grilled calamari, which is very classic Greek concept, but then the modern twist comes because we serve it with the yuzu and jalapeno broth.”
The restaurant has a heavy selection of fresh fish dishes such as raw sea bream carpaccio with yellow chilli, grilled wild seabass and handpicked white crab.
Garden based menu highlights include smoked aubergine with tahini and thyme honey, flamed asparagus with garlic chips and tempura courgette flowers stuffed with goat cheese.
Mouratoglou said they used the opportunity while they were closed to adapt and rethink everything, making them come back stronger than ever.
When talking of the future, she was positive. She added: “The West London restaurant scene is going from strength to strength, I think it’s becoming a hub.
“I think that the offer now has become a lot more interesting and more diverse; and it’s growing and growing.
“I think we are the Greek representatives in this hub, and I’m glad we were there nine years ago when it was restarting.
“Sometimes you think how customers could even know about us because we are this little restaurant, tucked away, sometimes it’s a bit surreal, but I’m proud that a Greek restaurant has managed to do that because usually we are the underdog.”
Featured image credit: Lateef Okunnu
