The background

This intimate and sophisticated Greek restaurant is the sister of Marylebone’s beloved Opso. Ino opened in 2021 just off Carnaby Street on buzzy Newburgh Street and offers a modern twist on Greek classics as well as a few more unusual dishes, many of which are prepared on an open grill over hot coals. The restaurant also focuses on wine, with a frequently changing all-Greek list, all of which are available by the glass.

The space

Ino has a long bar overlooking the open grill, which is perhaps the most exciting place to sit, as well as a chic room at the back with a glass roof, natural wood walls and polished marble fixtures. It’s an elegant and cozy space made for diners to linger or enjoy a glass and a plate while sitting at the counter.

The food

Ask the incredibly knowledgeable staff to guide you through the menu and make sure to order a selection of the more familiar and less expected dishes. We started with the dolmas, served with caviar and a short pasta replacing the rice. The leaves are finished over the grill to give these divine mouthfuls a wonderfully smoky finish. To follow, we selected the taramas, which is served with pearls of rich salty bottarga and an egg yolk, to make this deeply umami and indulgent dip even more delicious. The taramas is served with soft and moreish hand-stretched pitta bread that you’ll want to order again and again. Next, order the fava tartlet with yellowfin tuna tartar and capers; the silky fava purée works as the perfectly delicate partner for the salty fish and capers and crunch of the cracker base.

The spanakopita is a completely original take on the traditional pie, with fresh bouncy and buttery spinach held between two delicate crackers alongside extremely good Greek feta. And the tsouchti is a luxurious spin on a traditional Greek pasta dish hailing from Mani that is usually served with cheese, egg and butter but here is coated in black truffle, egg yolk and graviera cheese. The pasta used is also slightly charred on the grill to once again give the dish an irresistibly smoky note.

One might not expect to find a taco on a Greek restaurant menu, but at Ino it comes as a flatbread base to grilled smoky octopus, rich smoked tomatoes and onion crisps. The pork gyros may be more traditional but, at Ino, is elevated by being expertly seasoned and perfectly grilled on olive oil flatbread with tzatziki and smoked tomatoes. A dish of the charred broccoli with soft and salty galomizithra cheese made a perfectly fresh and sharp accompaniment. We also enjoyed a seasonal special of grilled fish topped with cubes of smoked eel to create an irresistibly soft, flaky and flavoursome dish.

If you have room, order the wonderful dessert of kaimaki ice cream, with sour cherry and baklava cracker. The ice cream is flavoured with mastiha, which comes from the resin of a tree and most will be familiar with for flavouring the Greek spirit of mastika. The fragrant mastiha and creaminess of the ice cream pair devastatingly well with the sour sweet cherries and deliciously brittle and sugary baklava cracker.

Each dish was paired expertly by the staff with a glass of Greek wine from the list. The restaurant uses the Coravin wine preservation system to be able to serve each wine by the glass, which is a fantastic treat for anyone who would like to explore Greek wine further. We tried a wonderfully tropical and acidic malagouzia, an intensely buttery chardonnay and a wonderfully light and flavoursome agiorgitiko red along with a rich dessert muscat from Samos, the Greek island famous for its sweet wines.

The bill

Dinner for two with wine, around £120.

The verdict

Chic, original, indulgent and exciting, Ino should be on every Londoner’s list of “must-visit” restaurants. Get a seat at the bar and watch the action and make the most of the team who really know their gastronomy – it’s Greece lightning.

inogastrobar.com