Divine Greek Restaurant

So to preface the experience we had last night, I have to explain my general take on food. I grew up in a quasi-​Communist third world country and generally I’m pretty easy to satisfy. I eat what’s put in front of me without any real fuss.
Last night, Divine made me mad and I wanted to throw food back at the server. Yes, singular, server.
Since I know Vivian Peterson reads this, seriously dude get some staff for your busy nights. During the week maybe a graveyard but on Fridays and Saturday nights, at least one other person is needed. Oh and if you’re busy, sitting down to enjoy a shot of Ouzo with other patrons is unacceptable when you have people not being served.
We went to Divine because it was my friend’s birthday and she’s been there before. She had raved about it but I think the time they’d gone, it was middle of the week and they were the only ones there. So they had better service. There were six of us and we got seated pretty fast because the place was tiny. Immediately, I noticed that the room was HOT. Both my husband and my friend’s boyfriend started sweating. We ordered a carafe of sangria and that came soon enough to quench our thirst and cool us down. Then about 15 minutes passed with no other service. I had ordered a separate mixed drink and that took about 45 minutes to come.
My husband ordered appetizers because there were no bread or other items presented to chew on while we were deciding on our entrée. Those were generic and nothing really special. Now, I should say that I was just in Athens in November so I may be spoiled with what real Greek food tastes like.
We ordered entrees and those came out. for three people at the table. The remaining three of us were waiting … and waiting … and waiting. One of the other meals came out. By that time, my husband and the other two people had finished eating. Mine and another diner’s meal still hadn’t arrived. My husband kept on trying to flag down someone, but to no avail. I had ordered the special, some dinner that supposedly was cooking for 8 hours. I’m thinking, score!, if it’s been on the stove all day all they would have to do is dish it up and serve it out.
Yeah, an hour later, no dinner.
When it finally came, this was the part that made me mad. Now, I know that in any cuisine, there are regional variations and Greece is a big place. What I ate, did not taste remotely Greek. It was mushy and tasteless and just … blah.
By then, I was drunk on sangria and a drink that finally came so I didn’t care too much. Plus my friend and her sister still liked the place so I just shut my trap.
To sum this all up, don’t go on the weekends unless you don’t mind waiting. Do not expect authentic Greek food and expect to pay a ton for all of the above.
Panos Greek Taverna Kleftiko in Queen Anne does Greek oh so much better.

I really wanted to be cheesy and say that this place was divine, but I can’t. The food was good but not as heavenly as I hope it would be. I am, however, in LOVE with their spanakopita! It is probably the best I’ve had and I could eat it all day! The spicy feta and balsamic drizzle really complete the dish. Definitely 5-​star worthy.
For an entrée, I had the lamb burger. It came in a pita instead of a hamburger bun. Be forewarned that it was a bit difficult to eat. I definitely had to take a knife and fork to it. The lamb itself was nice and meaty and flavorful. The burger was accompanied by some potato chips topped with what I think was a roasted red pepper-​ish sauce. Although the chips were homemade, I could have done without them. They didn’t add anything to the dish.
Lastly, for dessert I tried the galaktobouriko: custard wrapped in phyllo and topped with citrus syrup and fruit. It was light and not too sweet. It was a nice finish to dinner.

Tried this restaurant out for the first time last night.
Service was great! We got there and the front was full, so we got a table in the back by the window alone for me and my wife-​to-​be. This was much more enjoyable for us.
Complimentary champagne to start it off. Everything we ate was new to us. Saganaki appetizer was great, very tasty. The pitas that came with it tasted a little «gas flamed» to me, so I didn’t like that.
For the main dishes, she got a vegetarian dish that was average in taste, and I had an amazing goat meat dish. The most fascinating thing for me is how often the menu changes — often enough that everything is just printed on paper.
I thought it was a little pricey, but we both were full at the end. :) The experience was great and I’ll be back again.

I have been here a couple times for brunch and once for dinner. All experiences were great. Service was spot-​on. Food had great flavor and was well-​seasoned. Cocktails are excellent and they have a nice selection of wines. Prices are reasonable. The space is charming and warm.
There is a parking lot and plenty of street parking.
I really want to try their happy hour!

This place was pretty damn good. Went with a group of people, we had one of those coupons if you spend $ 150 you get $ 75 off. So we got a bunch of appetizers and couple bottles of wine and some main dishes.
For appetizers we had lots of pita and various spreads. They were all pretty good. Also we got some nagasaki and then a spanakopita. The spanakopita was very good, I could have eaten 10 of those.
My main dish was the vegetable risotto. That was also very very good.
The only downside of the whole place was that I would not have wanted to pay full price for everything, as it was a little on the expensive side. The waiter was nice… everything was a little slow but we were not in too much of a hurry.
Highly recommended.

9÷9÷09 Edit: Thanks to Vivian for her reply and concern. In response to her comment, we were at Divine on Feb 15, 2009 when the stuffed french toast was featured on their menu.
********
Came here for their brunch. Wouldn’t do it again or recommend it for anyone else.
We were excited to come here because our friends said they were great (for dinner). I pass by on my bus 2x/​day and saw their signs advertising brunch. Sure, why not?
We showed up at 10am (made reservation not like we needed it), and waited for 10mins. there was maybe 2 other occupied tables but no one came out for a while and then told us to wait. Um, why? All the tables have been set you can just seat us somewhere and give us menus.
Okay fine, we got a table and then pored over the menu. I ordered the Odysseus, which is an eggs bene-​like dish. The others had a couple orders of stuffed french toast (which were not very stuffed) and Centaur’s Magic (frittata with bacon and sausage) and… a side of scrambled eggs.
The food comes out and it’s just okay, kind of. My bene’s eggs were not over-​easy but nearly solid. Our friend’s side of eggs doesn’t come out though. And he’s waiting to start eating once it does. After several minutes, we’re like: Just eat. And then when he’s almost done w/​his french toast the eggs come out. REALLY? Why did it take about 15mins for a side of scrambled eggs to come out?
Meanwhile they started receiving more customers, and we ran out of water. so I lined up all our empty glasses along the table and eventually we got some refills.
Lame. I have a $ 25 gift certificate to come back and I was so disappointed, I gave it to my friend. the one who actually likes this place (but again, only went to dinner) to use.
Although I did have their spanikopita while at the 2009 Bite of Seattle «the Alley» and it was good. But I would have not otherwise given them my patronage.

Went here last weekend for my UW graduation dinner on a whim – and I am SO glad I did! It’s hard to find a good Greek restaurant that is also worthy of spending a special occasion at, as most in Seattle are super casual (aside from Lola). Divine exceeded my expectations, which is a hard thing to do after I spent last summer in Greece sampling over 35 restaurants in Athens, Santorini, Naxos, Evia, Aegina and Hydra.
Started with the plate of hot pita bread and traditional Greek spreads: tzatziki, cilantro pesto, hummus, spicy feta, skordallia, eggplant walnut and tapenade. Also ordered the Watermelon Salad, it’s drizzled with balsamic and topped with feta and the flavors play off of each other beautifully. Also ordered the Spanakopita which apparently has won awards… perfectly flaky, also drizzled in balsamic. Perfect.
For entrees our table stuck with the chicken souvlaki with spanish orzo and rack of lamb. Again, no disappointments here. The chicken is free-​range and perfectly spiced and portioned. The rack of lamb, tender, flavorful… a must. We also ordered a few carafe’s of the house white and red. Slightly disappointed in the size, but you get about 3 (give or take) glasses worth for $ 13, so not a bad deal.
In true gluttonous fashion, we also ordered dessert. I sampled both the baklava and chocolate pan de crème. The baklava wasn’t as moist as I’m used to, but still delicious, and served with a scoop of homemade ice cream on the side. The pan de crème was sinfully delicious. Thick, rich… a chocolate lover’s dream topped with strawberries. I was in heaven. As if the taste alone wasn’t enough, the presentation of all of the dishes was art without being over-​the-​top.
Aside from the wonderful food, the service was fantastic and the atmosphere perfect for an intimate family celebration (or for small groups/​dates, etc.) We sat on the outside patio which is lovely and definitely added to our dining experience. If you’re looking for a traditional Greek restaurant, try the family owned and operated «The Continental» on University Avenue in the U-​District. However, if you’re more open-​minded and want a modern up-​scale twist on Greek food, Divine really, truly lives up to its name.

Have you ever been mad when you get full at dinner, because the food was so amazingly great? Uhhh… that would describe our dinner at Divine!
The chef must have a PhD level education in Mediterranean cuisine, and he pulls it off perfectly. If you want my advice, here we go:
1. Start with the Spanikopita or the platter of different spreads with the pita bread. The Spanikopita could be a small meal, and it is utterly amazing and unique in its taste and presentation. The selection of different spreads with the pita probably packed its bags and flew in from the Greek Islands that day.
2. Order the lamb dish… served with lentil mashed potatoes. What the??? Really? Yep… it’s likely prepared by the angels in the Greek heavens.
3. Enjoy the service; it’s…Divine.
4. Have the homemade baklava, and be mad that you’re full after all of it!
This restaurant has it figured out. Enjoy your time there!

I can’t remember if it was Divine or another place that contacted me and said they hoped I would come back again, but I’m pretty sure it was Divine.
I walked in at 12 on the dot, and was seated by 12:05. A new waitress had just started working there, but she was pleasant to talk to and answered all my questions.
The food came out in around 10 minutes, which was a lot faster than I was expecting. I had the centaur’s breakfast, which was nice, and something starting with a g that I cannot spell (on the suggestion of the waitress) that was amazing.
Service was prompt, informative and excellent. The food came out quickly, the food was very nice. The bill came quickly when I asked for it, and the price was about average. I enjoyed my second experience at Divine and would go there again.

From the name I expected much more. Party of 6, post-Valentine’s Day Brunch.
I had the Centaur’s Magic, which consisted of a Frittata with bacon, housemade sausage, artichoke hearts, tomato, and kasseri cheese.
Sounds good right? Well, how about we rename it to Centaur Tried.
Four friends ordered poached eggs with tomato, artichoke, hollandaise and homemade sausage and roasted potatoes.
One had the french toast stuffed with honey and walnut cream cheese.
I think most of us were kinda indifferent about our choices. Perhaps we were still recovering from VDay.
I was happier seeing and spending time with friends, than I was with my meal unfortunately. I left still feeling hungry, I hate when that happens.
Divine…how I wish you were. Atleast kind of.

I want to give this place more stars, so I guess I’ll have to go back and give them another shot. We had dinner for four and tried most everything on the menu. It’s all delish! Also, visually appealing and fairly plentiful. Didn’t try the drinks.
The issues were with the service, which was not bad, but just kind of amateur. Everything from getting seated to getting served seemed a bit awkward and haphazard. They had run out of a number of things by 7pm, but we didn’t find out until after we’d ordered and waited a bit. The wait on food was longer than I’d expect, especially between appetizers and main course. This is not the kind of thing I really care about, but when I’m paying $ 15 for spanokopita, I expect a little more polish in the delivery.

For the most part, I really like Divine. The food is delicious and I have never had a problem with anything I have ordered there. I especially love the French Toast for brunch or Spanikopita. I love the feel and warmth of the place, too. It’s not as small as it looks though. If you look past the kitchen there is plenty more seating.
Service tends to be on the slow side compared to big, franchised restaurants. But I don’t mind it one bit. It’s not TOO slow, but it’s certainly noticeable.
The ONLY complaint I have is that the few times I have gone, my soda always tastes funny. I’m not a soda snob, but anything I order, whether it’s Diet Coke or Sprite, has this weird syrupy taste to it. And whenever I point it out, they politely bring me a new one, but it just tastes the same. So instead I just order water

The Rubs and I got up early, well, not too early. We went out to Devine for Brunch. Rubs pretty much complained about everything. My bloody Mary sucked, but I left the whining to her.
I had the penelope and she had the biscuits and gravy with eggs over-​easy. My penelope was eggs benedict with spinach instead of ham– a veggie version. I liked it, and it came with cottage potatoes.
My Bloody Mary did suck. It’s the truff. And for 8 bucks it was a felony. I drank half of it hoping the top would get better, but it wasn’t so… it wasn’t so.
We spent 32 bucks on brunch which is a bit pricey for what we had and I blame it all on the bloody Bloody Mary.
The service was a bit slow considering there was only 9 tables, only 3 had patrons, and we were the only ones waiting for food. Oh well, the food was good and the server was friendly, so no major complain from me.
It looks like they have an outside patio they open up in the summer.

This was the worst breakfast I’ve ever had out in Seattle. There were only about 10 tables in the restaurant, and it took more than 30 min for anyone to come and even talk to us. I ordered the Eggs Benedict, which they thought it would be a good idea to put a Greek spin on. Bad idea. Overall this was a terrible experience. It’s really to bad. We live very close to this restaurant. It would have been nice if it were any good.
CDS

Wow, what happened to this place?! I had great food last time (breakfast) but this time it was really bad! It was almost empty like last time, but we waited for food for a long time, like 30 minutes! Then we were served warm scramble eggs, but potatoes were barely warm and most of them were just tiny bits like left over crunchy stuff (we went there at 9am) and toast was much thinner than last time and it’s not even cut straight. One side was thinner than the other and the thin side was really thin. And it was cold but toasted.
We waited for 30 minutes for that?! The waitress didn’t say anything like
«Sorry for the wait.» We had cups and cups of coffee when we wait. We don’t know if we go back there again. We hear loud Green day and Beasty boys music from the kitchen that wasn’t really professional, either.

We went there for brunch today and I must say everything we ordered was great. We had the Spanikopita (sp?) the donuts and the eggs Benedict’s with sausage. It was all amazing. The Spanikopita was flaky and a bit on the spicy side which I am not sure is very authentic but sure was yummy. The hollandaise sauce is incredible and the eggs were perfectly poached. They come on Country toast and while I was initially wary of any substitution to my English muffin, I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The Donuts we ordered were also wonderful. They had a lightness to them not usually associated with the fried dough and the sauce of yogurt, jam and honey was a wonderful compliment and not too sweet.
While it was wonderful to see great main dishes, the thing that demonstrated their passion for fine ingredients and a dedication to good flavor were the potatoes. They were very well seasoned and you could tell they had given even this aspect of the food just as much attention as the main components. It was spiced well and even had smoked paprika, not a spice you see too often regardless of the dish, instead of the basic, flavorless paprika. That to me showed just how creative and serious they are about good food and better ingredients. It would have been easy to use regular paprika, like everyone else, and ride on the main entrees, but they chose to go with the smoked variety because it just tastes better, not just adds color. Bravo!
Furthermore, The décor was really charming, definitely «Greek» with a few classic reproductions from the famous Greek bath houses (I think that’s where the boy with the fish is from) and orthodox artwork. It was also empty save for one other table of two at 11am on a Saturday. I will definitely be going back there again and you should too!

We had brunch here, they serve it Sat/​Sun. My Sausage eggs benny was amazing. N and I split a stuffed french toast. It was filled with crème cheese and honey, mmmmmmmmmMMM!
We also enjoyed the fresh squeezed carafe of OJ.
Highly recommended for everyone in the area to give it a shot for B-​fast one weekend.

We went on a Tuesday evening and it was fairly dead until closer to 7 – 7:30 when it became quite filled. When we first got there, it was a few minutes before we saw anyone to come and seat us (I guess they were all in the kitchen?). Definitely a small staff.
They bring you a pitcher of water right away, but to be honest, I’m getting a little annoyed with how some places are doing their water. They have the lemon in there, which is fine, but it had this off-​flavor as well, and I don’t know what that was from. I tasted it another place, too – almost like soapy water.
Anyway. .. we get the menu and are trying to decide between the fixed 3 for $ 30 or the a la carte side. We decided on the a la carte side because you didn’t actually save any money with the 3 courses as they were.
We ended up ordering the prawns and the roasted pig appetizers, and the half-​meal portions of the lamb and ravioli. The lamb is very small. .. you can see the picture to know what you get. If you used the fixed menu, you would get two more and some mashed potatoes, but it still didn’t look worth $ 23. Getting the half portions was a much better deal when we compared it to the full size ones we saw.
The appetizers are definitely a good deal – lots of different ones for good prices. Next time we might just order appetizers.
We did get a dessert – Galaktobouriko which was phyllo dough with semolina custard (the b/​f didn’t think it tasted like custard, but still liked it) inside, a sugary glaze on top, and strawberries on top of that. Very sweet, but good – especially for $ 5. Don’t go by their menu online. It’s mostly accurate, but misses a few things.
The bathrooms were nice, and probably the warmest rooms of the place (it was chilly in there!). Service is slow, even though they didn’t have many tables. You do get pita bread and an oil/​vinegar dipping sauce, but the bread is burnt and you couldn’t get the vinegar part to get on the bread, only the vinegar. We preferred dipping it in the sauces from our appetizers.
I would go again – 2 people getting enough food with some interesting flavors and dessert for under $ 40 is good.

Eh. This is one of those locations that is just bad news.
I wasn’t a fan of Calypso and I’m not real hot on Divine. Their misguided take on Greek food will not be getting back in their door anytime soon.
Their spiral spanikopita was dry and tasteless. We asked from some pita bread to our mezze plate (which just a lump of mess) and 15 minutes later, we got their ‘pita bread’ — it was dry, had parmesan cheese and a sauce on it. We just wanted some pita bread, not this crud.
If you must try this place, go for HH, where they have a Firesteed Pinot Noir for $ 5. You’re going to need it.

Service was good. I had the kid goat over noodles which was tasty and packed with meat. Others had the braised leg of lamb, the best dish in my opinion. Very tender and flavorful! The grilled rack of lamb special was not bad, but way too rare for my tastes. Our server let us taste a bit of the two wines she recommended before we chose, which was nice.
edit: Ok we went back again, and while the food was still pretty good the service was horribly slow. Knocked off a star for that. The server was pretty scarce — it took about 45 minutes after we sat down before she came to take our order. An hour after that our food arrived. By the end of dinner we were ready to fall asleep! Need to hire an additional server or something!