"At Andy’s Greek Taverna, you’re family—no questions asked. This old-school Greek restaurant in Camden has been going strong since the ‘60s and operates as a pseudo-foster programme for sad Londoners who want to pretend they’re in Rhodes. Heartily stuffed dolmades are passed over blue and white tablecloths, Yannis Markopoulos songs blare from the speakers, and any pungent garlic breath from the truly Greek-style tzatziki is dutifully ignored. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch On those rare, perfect summer days, the pavement seating out front takes on a Mykonos mentality, complete with bottles of Mythos beer and local celebrity, the brick-sized moussaka. Queues form, retsina corks pop, and dogs silently pray for a piece of tender lamb souvlaki to fall. If the original London f*ck boy, Helios, refuses to offer up cloudless conditions, there’s still plenty of escapist charm inside courtesy of a huge mural of Santorini and Andy’s cast of charming characters. The servers will treat you to an incredibly wholesome IRL episode of This Is Your Life: Andy’s edition, sing happy birthday to you like you share DNA, and expect a no bs answer when they ask you how your day was. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Almost everything on the menu comes with a slice of squeeze-ready lemon and it’s all reliably tasty, with the slapdash presentation and giant portions favoured by good yiayias everywhere. Meaty, clove-forward grilled prawns, a standout saganaki, and that certified Camden legend, the moussaka. Every meal ends with a complimentary shot of amaretto and the sincere belief that you’ll always have a holiday home at Andy’s. Food Rundown photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Tzatziki As anyone who’s ever lived, worked, or played out a Mamma Mia fantasy in Greece knows, tzatziki is meant to be near-offensively garlicky. This masterclass in clove usage is gloriously thick, with grated flecks of refreshing cucumber, and any post-bread-mop garlic breath should be considered a badge of honour. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Grilled Prawns The garlic in Andy’s tzatziki walked so that this garlic butter could run. Another clove-forward dish that will get the roof of your mouth tingling, these chunky grilled prawns are the ultimate juicy vehicle for consuming yet more garlic—this time, rich drizzle edition. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Horiatiki Salad Andy’s isn’t always about garlic. No, sometimes it’s about oregano. And tangy, peppery feta. And slapdash slices of red onion. And proper full-sweetness Greek tomatoes that will make you say some very mean things about Tesco’s vegetable aisle. One to order and share alongside the souvlaki. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Halloumi Saganaki This grilled, crisp-skin appetiser laughs in the face of anyone who has ever taken halloumi's good name in vain. Rubbery? No. At its core, it remains soft and mild, but you’ll inevitably fork fight over the fried corners. If you believe in cheese pairings (we do), order this as a mellow, creamy consort for the pepper-heavy pastourma sausage. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Dolmades There is an epidemic of slug-like dolmades in London, but here the vine leaves retain their citrussy chew factor. Both the pork and the vegetable version are stuffed with a minty and lightly spiced rice, with a nice little lemony aftertaste. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Moussaka Never judge a book by its cover or a moussaka by its slightly sloppy presentation. The menu claims it has a soufflé-like béchamel sauce and we are pleased to report that’s absolutely correct. Everything from the hefty pieces of cinnamon-spiked aubergine to the sweet tomato richness of the mince is generous in both size and flavour. A must-order. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Andy’s Special Souvlaki Like a self-titled album full of hits, Andy’s Special Souvlaki includes the best parts of the menu’s ‘Meats’ section—the tender, marinated lamb and a medley of grilled vegetables. One for enthusiastic meat heads or big sharing situations. We prefer to save room for the starters and the moussaka." - Heidi Lauth Beasley
