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Kalamata Greek Taverna
Categories: Restaurants Greek Restaurants Mediterranean Greek, Mediterranean [Edit]
388 Broadway WVancouver, BC V5Y 1R2
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
(604) 872-7050
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11:30 am - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
23 reviews for Kalamata Greek Taverna
Review Highlights
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"and if you so desire, enjoy my chicken souvlaki as well." In 4 reviews -
"the kleftiko (lamb shoulder slow roasted) is divine, and..." In 3 reviews -
"Their kalamari is really excellent." In 4 reviews
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23 reviews in English
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Review from Brian S.
3/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Prequel: During the Olympics after a day of Volunteering we decided to go out for dinner. With all the Olympic Hype saying there be no tables restaurants we where not sure we be seated. Sadly this great restaurant had plenty of space that night. So we had nice relaxing meal after a full day of answering international guests questions.
When I want to go out for tasty traditional Greek Food in Vancouver Kalamata is my choice. They make a great a roasted artichoke appetizer. In fact I never had a bad appetizer at this restaurant. If I'm feeling really hungry that I get the Roast Lamb Shoulder really tender if your not to hungry take some home. The service is always friendly. Sometimes they get busy and the kitchen backs up a bit. No worries just order a glass of wine. The food is always worth the wait. They also do takeout, it always a hit at our home.
Tips: There is bike rack in-front of the store and it a really short walk from Cambie Canada line transit/hub. If your a Tourist from out of town staying in a downtown hotel. I recommend getting on a bus/train and checking this place out. -
Review from Robyn H.
Vancouver, BC
1/30/2012
Amazing, sooo delicious.
I've seen crowds in this restaurant for lunch andhave always been curious. Reading other reviews, I've noticed that many people loved the same dishes that I did. First of all their house wines, served by liter and half liter, are not stunning wines but perfect with the meal and wine served this way feel very authentic to proper Mediterranean restaurant experience. The tzatziki is impeccable-one of my favorite things, the calamari was perfect. I had a lamb dish that was flawless, the most tender piece of lamb I think that I have ever had. I can't recall the name but I do recall that the description on the menu compares it to "a love song" and I totally agree.
It's very affordable too!! -
Review from Jeff F.
This is probably one of my favorite Greek restaurants in the city... and thankfully it is fairly close by to me (score!).
I can't understand the flocks of people that line up at Stepho's night after night... it's ok there, but that's about it.. ok. If you want better food, there are so many other Greek places downtown, and just across the water. This is where Kalamata fits in... it's not downtown, but now with the Canada Line, it is very accessible for the non-driving peoples.
The souvlaki is very nice... the kleftiko (lamb shoulder slow roasted) is divine, and the other things like the appys and the sides are great as well... sometimes the service is hit and miss, but the food is always on the mark when I'm there.
If you're craving Greek... and you want to try some good stuff (instead of just cheap stuff....) head on over and give this place a try. -
Review from Ruby D.
Vancouver, BC
11/26/2011
I've been to so many Greek restaurants in Vancouver, and Kalamata is by far one of the best! The food is amazing. Everything is authentic and fresh. My favourites? The kalamari (It's light and fluffy) and tzatziki (the perfect combination of yogurt, cucumber & garlic)
During the busy times the food can take awhile, but it's worth the wait. Just have a glass of wine and relax.
PS - It's best to make a reservation, this place can get really busy. -
Review from Sohayl H.
Vancouver, BC
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very disappointed. Was recommended this spot by several people but after one meal I'm not sure why.
We ordered the dinner for two and right away were disappointed as the moussaka was not available, this was switched with spanikopita that was just plain bad. The tzatziki had too much garlic and the kalamari was average at best. Their chicken souvlaki and lamb chops were ok but the rest of the meal really disappointed especially given the steep price.
As for service, our server was polite but was mostly nowhere to be seen, and the food took about 45mins to come out even on a somewhat empty day.
I haven't found stellar affordable Greek food elsewhere in Vancouver (Stephos comes close) but this i would stay away from! -
Review from Laura G.
Vancouver, BC
6/30/2010
Unfortunately I can't comment on the food because we waited so long that we never got to that part!
My comments are on the customer service only. I understand they were quite busy at lunch, but that doesn't mean the waitress needs to talk down to us. We were ignored for the whole time and when we called the waitress over, she then spoke to us with quite an attitude! So we left. No need for us to stay for rude service. Unlikely I will go back. -
Review from Colene C.
8/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
It's been so hot in Vancouver that I can't even think about cooking! Proximity and ease have become key in figuring out where to eat. Kalamata is a short walk from my place and one of the only greek restaurants near Cambie & Broadway, so we decided to give it a try.
Unfortunately the restaurant wasn't air conditioned, but they had two large and we strategically placed ourselves underneath the ceiling fan.
After reading some other Yelpers reviews, we decided to get the hummus appy, lamb souvlaki, and chicken souvlaki. Everything was absolutely delicious just like the other reviewers said: juicy chicken, flavourful lamb, healthy rice pilaf with shreddd veggies. The only downside to this meal was the incredibly lacklustre greek salad that accompanied it. I don't know if they made it in advance and the heat may have affected the veggies, but something didn't taste right.
All in all, a solid greek restaurant worth a repeat visit. -
Review from Mike P.
10/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
My favourite local greek restaurant. My favourite dish here is the roasted lamb shoulder and that's usually what I order. Most meals come with the main + roasted potatos + greek salad + greek pita + tzaziki + veggies. The tzaziki has just the right amount of garlic and is as good or better than the tzaziki i've had in greece. The roasted potatos are always just perfectly done for my taste (crispy, not mushy, but not overdone). The greek salad tastes fresh, with a decent amount of feta (I always like to have as much feta as possible on my greek salad). The lamb is cooked just perfectly, roasted to perfection with "fall off the bone" tenderness.
My last visit was a bit of a disaster. Friday night, restaurant full (sorta). There seemed to be enough servers, but definitely not enough staff in the back. Food took over an hour (the waiter did warn us that the kitchen was busy when we ordered, he told us it would be smart to get an appetizer, but no free humus to tide us over 1+hour wait). Anyways when the food eventually arrived it was delicious as always. A couple of people walked out, and a couple complained due to the long wait. This is a four star restaurant that I will temporarily give 3 stars because of this isolated incident.
I will be back for sure, if this proves to be an isolated incident I will boost back to the 4+ star rating this place deserves. -
Review from Matthew L.
Edmonton, AB
9/19/2009
Why wait in a line outside of Stepho's when you can have better (but slightly more expensive) Greek food?
Kalamata is unassuming, but consistently serves delicious Greek food. Back when I ate land animals, I greatly enjoyed the melt-in-your-mouth Lamb Kleftiko and can highly recommend it to carnivores. The Quail is also delicious.
For vegetarians, nearly every item on the menu is delicious. The restaurant serves an abundant platter of spanakopita, grilled artichoke hearts, lemon potatoes, rice, Greek Salad, and pita for the reasonable price of $13.
As their entrees are large, I would recommend sharing one with your dining companion and ordering an appetizer.
Everything I've ever tried here has been delicious and perfectly executed.
As we haven't found a Greek place nearly as good as Kalamata on the island, we usually make at least one stop here on our visits back to the mainland. -
Review from Bandeets L.
Vancouver, BC
2/12/2012
First off, please do not even utter Stephos in the same breath as Kalamata--the food quality is night and day. The chicken souvlaki is the freshest, juiciest and most flavorful in town--the rice is fluffy and filled with fresh chunks of carrots and spinach. Best Kleftiko (and they give you the side lamb au jus), tzatziki (super rich and creamy) and Greek Salad (just the right balance of everything) in town! Having said that about the food, the service is a bit meh and it's not the wait staff's fault. I think the chef/owner has a major chip on his shoulder. Having gone there quite a few times, I have been turned away at 5:59pm on a Saturday evening at the front door bc the owner advised the wait staff not to take any more tables for the night. I don't understand why they just don't lock the front door if that's the case. Also, the long-time server there named Chris, seems to be in better spirits these days. I see he's perked up quite a bit over the years and hopefully the owner is treating him better. I also saw in a listing that they were looking to sell the business. The food is so delicious here -- I think I better visit more often before someone else takes over and ruins it.
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Review from Reena M.
4/16/2009
This food here was quite delicious. Firstly, everything came in a timely manner and the service was very friendly. I ordered the lamb souvlaki and it was great. The last time I had this dish somewhere else it was pretty chewy but I thought that was the way it was supposed to be. Here the lamb was tender, moist, and edible. The flavour was amazing. The greek salad was fresh. The rice was deliciously flavoured with visible vegetables, making me feel like it was good for me. The potatoes were very nicely flavoured and roasted crispy, not steamed. And I loved that the tzatziki was nice and garlicky.
Everything was made to satisfaction! It was great! And the total bill came out to be $40 with tip for 2 people. -
Review from Christine K.
Vancouver, BC
7/24/2009
I have been dining here for years. I work in the area & have come to lunch many times over the years. I stopped going though when I found the food no longer warranted a return visit.
So, after a 2 year hiatus we returned for lunch...I'm happy to report that it is now great again! I generally always order moussaka when I go Greek and I did again. The waitress asked me if I had it before and I told her yes. Then she said I was lucky because they usually sell out of it everyday. Well, considering we were the first customers in at 11:30am, I think my chances should have been good! Anyway, it was delicious! A very nice portion with zucchini and a great bechamel sauce. I was very pleasantly surprised. (The awful moussaka I had on my last visit was what stopped me from returning!)
My friend ordered souvlaki & he was really happy too. While were eating he said to me, "This is really good, isn't it?" I had to agree. We were served our pita bread & greek salad first. The tzatziki was great and full of garlic. I could still taste it the next day! Lunch was approx $10 each pre-tip.
I'm very happy it's returned back to having great food and it will be placed back in my lunch repertoire.Listed in: West Broadway (Fairview/Mt.…
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Review from Yoony P.
5/25/2010
Once upon a time I came here.
It was magically delicious! I recommend the roast lamb ($16.95) and definitely eat some tzaziki it's garlicy-icious!
The service is great as the staff is friendly and courteous.
I noticed that there was a large group having dinner here--a great place for a birthday party of family dinner perhaps? Next time, and then I'll have a reason to order the appetizer platter. Yum..Listed in: I *heart* Cambie Village
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Review from Judy L.
10/22/2008
The house special, lamb neck. The meat just falls off the bone. Super tasty.
Very friendly service. -
Review from Sarah P.
Vancouver, BC
4/17/2010
Kalamata is our favorite restaurant in Vancouver. The food is always fresh and good quality, and almost all dishes are delicious and exceptionally well executed. By restaurant standards, the food is very healthful and light, with a simple quality; though they don't skimp on the olive oil, it rarely feels heavy.
The main dishes have no garlic, but many of the appetizers and dips have intense garlic. Their vegetarian fare is slightly less fantastic than the rest of their food, although their spanakopita and grilled artichoke hearts are good. Their kalamari is really excellent. We find their prices very much on the low end. Their baklava is also really, really good.
The crowd is unpredictable. I've been there on empty Saturdays; I've been there on packed Wednesdays. Sometimes you need a reservation, but it's hard to know when. There have also been infrequent occasions when the kitchen was very backed up and as a result service was slow, but this is very rare, and the rest of the time service is excellent. When this happened the staff warned us and were able to get us appetizers more quickly while we waited. -
Review from Luisa S.
Vancouver, BC
9/5/2008
With the scent of Mediterranean and Greek food wafting out its doors, it's easy to see why Kalamata continues to rank high on people's lists. The restaurant is clean, with little touches of Mediterranean flair imbued in the air. The molding is done up in that distinctive blue with plaid tablecloths floating about.
The patrons clearly adore this place. Everyone around me seemed familiar with the menu and was able to order without giving it a second glance. The mains took their glorious time so it was really hard to prevent myself from stuffing my face silly with the pita and olive starters. Glad that I did, though, cause the food was delicious and the portions huge! -
Review from sara m.
Vancouver, BC
1/18/2010
Although the food was tasty, it took over an hour and the service was almost appalling....More details later. They are apparently short a chef, so I might give them a second chance....Some day in the far far future...
Maybe not so far future. I will give them a chance to get that second chef back and go again with my brother or something. He loves that place and so does a friend who moved out of town. Two people whom I trust, can't be wrong. I think I just caught them at a really bad time. -
Review from beki L.
Vancouver, BC
7/24/2010
when you hear the kitchen staff yelling in a foreign language with such vigour, you KNOW you are in for an authentic treat!
absolutely delicious greek food! this is my new favorite hotspot to curb my greek heavy carbolicious cravings!
i was so darn hungry after a long day i just kept walking down broadway til i saw the shining light..and it said "cometh to me child...have this pita and tzaziki and wash it down with calamari..and if you so desire, enjoy my chicken souvlaki as well.." and so i did. =)
the tzaziki is something else!! wow! thick and garlicy and fresh with cucumbers!! i wish i had asked for extra!! the small calamari was a perfect size for a starter...and the chicken souvlaki? ooohhhh yummmmmmm!!! juicy and herb-tastic!! the rice pilaf was the coolest ive ever had...it seems they cut up fresh celery, carrots and spinach to add in the mix- and it didn't leave me feeling all greased up like most pilafs do. mmmmmm..... yes, id like some mo' pleeeeaasee!! -
Review from Tae K.
Vancouver, BC
7/31/2009
I'm a big fan of this unimposing, homely Greek place. I ordered the lamb souvlaki, which was huge, filling, and absolutely delicious. The meat was tender and flavorful, and accompanied by equally great potato and rice side dishes.
I almost didn't finish my plate, since I had stuffed myself of their olives and freshly-baked bread. The bread could not have been fresher, and came out piping hot, straight from the oven.
The service was borderline unfriendly, but then again, it was sweltering hot in the city... can't blame the waiter wearing all-black long sleeves, can I? -
Review from tee a.
1/5/2011
I just dined at Kalamata Greek Taverna. Until today, I never thought of Greek food to be good or bad. This place is delicious and a must try! I ordered the scallops and prawn souvlaki, fresh tiger prawns with sweet scallops. yum! Of course I had to try the Kalamata olives.. very delish (I dined with somebody that owned a olive farm and he agreed as well! My favorite was the greek salad... with huge portions of feta cheese, I thought it would be super salty, but to my surprise, it was perfect! Dear Kalamata Greek Taverna, you win my vote!!
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Review from Benson H.
Vancouver, BC
11/16/2011
My wife works near by and raves about going for lunch there. But I didn't know if it was just a "good for lunch" place since the standards are lower for more lunch-oriented restaurants, especially since West Broadway is full of so many of them. But after finally getting to go there with her for dinner, it is most definitely the other way around - it's a great dinner place that is open for lunch and if you're lucky enough to work/live nearby, then that's just a bonus. Since it was my first time there, we got the mixer entree dish that had little bit of everything. Every item on that giant platter was to perfection: souvlaki was grilled perfectly with that hint of BBQ flavour, the roasted lamb was still so juicy, the kalamari was well battered and still fluffy, the salad was fresh, and it goes on and on. Even the rice is cooked with bits of celery and another vegetable to flavour it up. Easily the best Greek food that I can remember. Be prepared to have garlic breath for the rest of the night.
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Review from Erik T.
Vancouver, BC
2/7/2010
This place was quite nice.
The food was high quality and authentic.
The ambiance was great as well. -
Review from Mark M.
1/25/2009
We enjoyed the food, not the worst and not the best food we have had...The restaurant had good traffic and older people so that is a good sign. The absolute bitchiest waiter (stocky blonde guy) I have ever encountered. From the moment we walked in he was short, curt and for some reason, expected me to know what beer they had...I asked him do you have beer, he stated yes what would you like? I mean come on, you are going to ask your client what beer he wants, what is it too hard to disclose what you have? So if I ran down a list of beers, what are the chances you would have them? Service was balanced and timed well. We had this artichoke appetizer, it was okay, I think the artichokes were canned. I had the Chicken Souvlaki, it was tasty, I've had better. My partner had the Lamb shoulder, very tender, but tasted more like beef to me. After we finished, the bitchy, stocky, blonde waiter, who by the way, did not have a white tee shirt on under his white shirt (very tacky), then comes over and asks me, "Are you done?" Am I done? What about, "May I clear your plate?" or "Are you finished with your meal? How was it?" NO, just, Are you done? He then took my plate and proceeded to remove my partners plate, without even asking if he was finished, my partner had more food on his plate than I did, it would have been common sense to ask him...The other waiter in the back and the younger girl, who seemed to be sent home, perhaps it was not that busy for three, were both very very nice. I am just dumbfounded. It does not matter how good the food was, when the service is bad, it certainly leaves a bad taste...we showed our displeasure in the poor tip we left...if you read this, now you know why!
