Brummell recommends: Suzi Tros

The Greek-inspired neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of Notting Hill offers authentic flavours and modern simplicity in relaxed surrounds

Food and Drink 3 Oct 2019

Christina Mouratoglou and Adrien Carre
Suzi Tros main dining room

The background

Suzi Tros (meaning ‘Suzi, you eat’) gets its name from the lovable character from the cult classic 1969 Greek film I Parisiana, and was opened back in June by Adrien Carre and Christina Mouratoglou – the husband and wife team behind Mazi.

The space

Occupying the ground and lower floors of a Hillgate Street townhouse, Suzi Tros’s bright Greek-blue façade and contrasting white lettering are reminiscent of Mouratoglou’s hometown Thessaloniki. Inside, bright white walls, Instagrammable floor tiles, mirrors and glass doors to a tiny courtyard garden full of greenery all create a sense of space, while the café-style seating and deep mustard banquettes nod to the bistro’s 1960s namesake. Downstairs, there is an intimate bar area with colourful tiling and an understated relaxed atmosphere.

The menu

The menu here has sustainability and seasonality at its core, and the breadth of Mouratoglou’s Greek heritage is showcased in its mouth-watering selection of small plates. To start, we munched on Greek olives, and scooped up every last trace of the moreish tarama with chunks of melt-in-the-mouth toasted bread.

The rest of the menu is divided into raw, garden, fish market, butcher and desserts. With a recommended five plates between two, we opted for the wild sea bass carpaccio from the ‘raw’ listing followed by a rich and delicious smoked aubergine, tahini and honey from the ‘garden’ section. Our next choice, also from ‘garden’, was dakos with whipped feta cream and cherry tomatoes – a cheesecake-like savoury dish so delicious, we wished we’d ordered one each. The inviting aroma of fresh fish permeating the restaurant encouraged us to order twice from the ‘fish market’ menu: the delectable prawns saganaki and the hake ‘catch of the day’ with wild greens – both satisfying and wholesome, especially when washed down with a glass of wine from the restaurant’s curated menu. If you have a sweet tooth, the cocktails here are a must. Full to the brim, we would have skipped dessert had we not already set our hearts on the armenovil (an ice cream-based dessert) with caramelized nuts and hot chocolate ganache. It pushed our stomachs to the limit, but it was well worth it!

The bill

A three-course meal with wine or cocktails is around £110 for two.

The verdict

A selection of authentic and mouth-watering dishes in a warm, welcoming and friendly neighbourhood environment. Well worth a visit.

Suzi Tros, 18 Hillgate Street, Notting Hill, W8 7SR; suzitros.com