Zorbas

After wandering up and down Bold street to have a gander at all the recommended places to eat, we spotted Zorbas right at the top end looking out over the bombed out church. The typical blue and white exterior looked quite cute, if a little tired and the menu had a wide verity of lamb dished which the Greeks are supposed to do very well!
We were seated on a busy bank holiday Saturday without a reservation even though the place was packed. We were seated next to 3 elderly Greek gentlemen who had spent their while day in there eating all the food and drinking all the wine… so I thought that was a good sign! The restaurant itself was well presented, and I don’t mind a bit of tat now and again in the form of fake grape vines all around the ceiling!
The staff were rushed off their feet but still managed to come and check on us more than once and our wine and water glasses were never empty. From what we could gather chatting to the various members of staff, it’s a family run business and every one pitches in.
Which is why I feel a bit bad giving this place only 2 stars… as mentioned, atmosphere and service was excellent, but the food was just terrible! Other reviewers have said how large the main portions were, (it even says this on the menu) but ours were defiantly not! I had the mixed chicken and lamb kebab and my mum had the daz lamb kebab… ie lamb covered in BBQ sauce. Both of these came with a side of half chips and half rice which came out separately on a tray and we had to share. I could have eaten the side to myself, as I’m a big rice fan, so between 2 people the size of the dish was a bit stingy in my opinion. The photos I’ve added make the food look better than it was, the mixed kebab was very bland and dry, and only the chicken was edible. We sent all the lamb back, it was the worst lamb in the world, you couldn’t get your teeth through it! So they took the lamb off my plate and cooked me some pork (which was also tough and dry, I left most of it) and brought my mum chicken. So by the time we’d had one and a half meals re-​cooked, the sides were stone cold. We ordered some tzatiki and pita bread while we waited and the bread was so dry you could snap it like a popadom!
Very poor food, over priced — each kebab with its measly side was £14 — but decent wine selection. I’ll not be going back.

Excellent staff here at Zorbas in Liverpool. Even on a busy Saturday evening the service was well above par especially for here in the UK. The menu offers a good variety of Greek food, but my Lamb Kebab and Tzatziki were a little on the bland side. I’m not sure if their recipes are toned down for the British palate or maybe I’m just too use to having flavor packed into what I’d consider a good meal.
Again props to their staff. They were very kind and helpful to this cold, wet, and tired traveler from the moment I walked in.

From entering the premesis Zorbas does look like it needs to invest in some modernisation however it does have a cosy feel to it. The menu has a nice variety of food to offer. I began my meal with the traditional greek dips served with hot Greek style bread and a traditional salad. It was very enjoyable and to reiterate what Tom₇₇ said dont eat too much dips and bread if your having a main course as it cant half fill you up! For main course I picked the chicken kebab which was served with a tray of rice and chips seperate. Its a big main course, very filling and enjoyable at a reasonable price. I didnt have room for a desert after that but enjoyed another bottle of keo beer to wash it all down!

Greek food is fantastic, and it’s not because I associate it with amazing Mediterranean beach holidays. I absolutely love going to dine at a place and see the owner merrily chatting to a regular customer. It makes me feel safe and warm inside. I know right there and then in that moment that the food will be half decent. You see repeat business in any business especially restaurant business is a sure sign that the food is great. I have never ever returned to a restaurant where I found the food horrendous. Vice versa if I Love the menu and the food was fantastic you can bet you bottom dollar the owner of that restaurant will be seeing me again.
This is such a place, I can imagine over the 30 years or so this place has been open they have accumulated a host of regulars over the years. The food formula is perfect and simple. Rice and chips with all meals and the categories have been neatly split, poultry, meat, vegetarian, fish et al. The kebab lamb was just to die for despite me paying £13 for it which was a bit pricey I didn’t care too much as the portion was hefty and tasted amazing.
Zorbas is one of those places that you jut can’t go wrong with. If you have had one of those days and all you want to do is go for the safe tried and tested option, Zorbas is for you.

I have to say I have never been an expert in culinary terms and I have never really been a fan of greek cuisine, unfortunately Zorbas did not do much to change my opinion.
Inside it felt dark and uncomfortable almost cluttered due to the somewhat tacky decoration.
The staff made me feel quite pressured as they returned more than once whilst I attempted to decide on my order and I felt as though there was a real sense of urgency to order food.
The food itself was average at best and I never really felt at ease throughout the evening so I found it hard to enjoy my daz kebab pork (it was even harder to enjoy at £14).
Zorbas is in a great location but it is not a great restaurant and there are many other places I’d suggest for a good eat in Liverpool.

I think most people will agree that Greek food, while delicious, should be kept to rare occassions for the good of your health as well as being able to fully enjoy it.
Heavy, meaty, fatty and bloody delicious, Greek food is the antithesis to much of today’s health concious carb free small portion organic bollocks that can be found on every city centre corner. Saying this you can’t go often.
When I worked in a restaurant this was our destination for the staff Christmas party and the staff here — all family — would really look after us and it’s the same no matter who you are. However having the full run of the menu did often mean it would be harder for us to get drunk with stomachs fully lined for the next 2 days.
The food is like comfort food, freshly prepared and hearty and with a full choice of the Adriatics favourites. If you’re not sure what to get or new to Greek food always go for the mezze and you’ll be given a little bit of everything, can’t really go wrong. If you go on a Sunday you will probably find plenty of other Greek families there too enjoying a big family get together which is an experience in itself.

I like Greek but admittedly it isn’t my first choice of food but then again I could eat all the nibbles and starters all night.
Zorbas is in Liverpool city centre and I’d say it’s main competition is Christiakas — which does have the belly dancing and plate smashing. I suppose it depends what sort of evening you’re after! I would definitely recommend Zorbas if you fancy a quiet meal.
The food isn’t too bad, but like the other reviews have mentioned, the mains leave much to be desired. I thought that was just my usual dislike of the main meals, but maybe not. I usually order a variety starters and sides to pick at, which can make for quite an informal meal — the way I like it.
If you want to pick at food like me, I suggest ordering the Loukanika and the Fasolaki — these are both yummy!

Greek food is one of those tricky things to judge. You’ve got to remember that in more cases than not, a love of Greek food stems from a holiday. Quite simply, when the weather is that scorchingly hot the last thing you want is a pot roast or an English breakfast, heck, even a bowl of soup would be far too stodgy and warming for such sweaty climes. Nope, the only thing remotely resembling fat you’re even craving is plump feta cheese, grilled salty halloumi, and lots of it, atop a bed of diced cucumber (the food equivalent of chewing ice cubes to get your temperature down), sharp, acidic red onion, juicy tomatoes and positively obese smooth olives.
So it’s hardly the fault of Zorbas that we just don’t feel the same eating Greek in the UK. I blame the weather and the North West’s muggy, dull excuse for a summer. Still, Zorbas deserved a fair trial, what with its eccentric Zorba the Greek-​themed décor and its tempting offers of mezze, moussaka and pitta bread. Sadly, I agree wholeheartedly with Jocelyn. The starters and nibbles are delicious, but the mains leave something to be desired. My companion’s moussaka was nothing more than a glorified shepherd’s pie, a common rookie mistake when it comes to Greek restaurants and one I really thought Zorbas would evade, given their promises. «Many people try to imitate Zorbas, but our quality & taste are so unique that the only thing they manage are poor copies». Frickenfrack, that’s a strong premise to try to live up to.
Never mind though, for a drink and a light bite this is pretty much perfect, and it hasn’t put me off because the pleasant atmosphere more than makes up for the lesser quality of the mains. Zorbas, a firm A-​OK from me. You’re alright you are.

The décor is based on Zorba the Greek, as is the name, and the vines hanging from the ceiling put my mum off somewhat as she was convinced there were bugs living in them that would drop into her food. I also got the feeling that, like a movie, when you walk in everyone stops what they’re doing and looks at you, if only for a fraction of a second. After these unsettling observations, we were shown to our table.
The service here is excellent, and the food is as traditional as you want (ie there are English options too). Also, there is no plate smashing or belly dancing, unlike Christakis, so you can enjoy a nice quiet meal. Being a fan of all things foreign, I enjoyed the food greatly, although I know traditional Greek isn’t to everyone’s taste. If I had my way, I’d eat tzatziki and bread and drink wine all night if I could!
The food is reasonably priced and the atmosphere nice, so if you want a mild Greek experience, go to Zorbas!

I was recommended this restaurant by a friend from Southport, and was really impressed when we visited it on September 12^th after a cultural visit exploring some of Liverpool’s landmarks and pubs.
The décor is definitively Greek, with pictures of Anthony Quinn dotted around, and the menu has all you could want as regards Greek food. I can heartily recommend the lamb, a most generous helping! Topped off with humous and pitta breads, and washed down with Keo beer, we all left with full stomachs and happy faces. The only downsides are the tables and the menus, I agree with the other review on this site that they could be brought up to 5-​star scratch with a little investment.
Definitely worth a visit if Greek is your wish.

If it hadn’t been for a visit from the (wealthy)in-laws, I probably would not have gone in here on my own. It was one of those places I’d wanted to try, but could never justify paying for when there’s Tokyou down the street.
It’s not really the restaurant’s fault I didn’t like the place. The décor was cute and made up for how grungy it looks from the outside. The service was great and my glass of water was never empty. For people who eat out as much as I do, you know how important that glass of water is.
The appetizers were the highlight of the meal. There were eight of us so we ordered a bunch and passed the plates around. The bread left a lot to be desired, but the olives, tahini, halloumi (goat cheese thing), and loukanika (spicy sausage) were delicious. I was sad when they were gone and kept trying to find a way to steal some off others’ plates.
As for the rest of the meal… eh… I had the moussaka which was my first major experience with lamb. I ate about three bites and started feeling a bit sick so I let it go. I tried some of the BBQ chicken someone else had ordered, but I wasn’t too impressed with that either. I went back to eating pita bread and sipped my wine while I waited for everyone else to finish.
Most of the people I was with are far too polite to ever say boo about anything, so I can’t say if they liked their food or not. Either way, I’m glad I got to try the place, but I doubt I’ll ever go back.

Me and my friends tried the Mezeses to get a variety of starters and mains as I’m new to Greek food. You get a lot food with this so make sure your hungry and don’t fill up on the bread!
The staff were friendly and knowledgeable and the food was interesting, well presented and very tasty. The dining area was clean and I would recommend this as a good place for a quiet meal.
With slight cosmetic modernisation this could easily be a 5 star dining experience however as of 09/​08/​2008 unfortunately let down by cheap looking laminated blue menus. Will defiantly go again to try other dishes as the food was very very, tasty.