The Juiciest Souvlaki For a Sizzling Get-Together With Friends

Greek food has been a big influence in my life since early childhood. My family would regularly visit our favourite Greek restaurant in town, where they knew us by name and served us the biggest platters of food you could possibly imagine. I remember mountains of delicious gyros, souvlaki, and tzatziki.

When The Greek by Anatoli, a lovely little family-run Greek taverna, opened their second location in Yaletown shortly after I moved there, I was in luck. Having tried a few other Greek places before, I knew that The Greek by Anatoli was going to be my favourite Greek restaurant in Vancouver as soon as I had my first bite.

But how did it all begin? Thomas Makris and his wife Helen Babalos met on a Greek dancing tour across North America in 1974. Soon, they had a vision of opening a restaurant where everyone is family. It didn’t take long until they opened the doors to their first restaurant, Anatoli Souvlaki, in North Vancouver. Under the couple’s success, sons Alexi and Iani took over with the ambitious plan of opening a second restaurant: The Greek by Anatoli in busy Yaletown.

What I love most about The Greek by Anatoli, besides the impeccable service and stunning homemade food, is their flair and way they serve their food: simple, authentic, and family style! Most dishes are meant for sharing and are served as they’re ready, leaving you to dig into your favourite foods throughout the evening as you enjoy the company of friends and family around the table. Pair this with wine and ouzo, and you’ll have an unforgettable evening.

My two favourite dishes at The Greek by Anatoli are the Half Roast Chicken and the Souvlaki Platter. However, the Souvlaki Platter is definitely the true representation of Greek flavours and is my recommendation for an authentic experience.

The Souvlaki Platter comes with four skewers, with your choice of chicken, pork (the original choice for all Greeks!), tiger prawns, or swordfish. The dish is served in a casserole, along with rice, seasonal vegetables, and The Greek by Anatoli’s signature potatoes. The recipe for the potatoes is a well-kept secret (I suspect it involves plenty of butter), but all you need to know is they’re to die for! The same goes for the rice, which is made with Greek herbs and butter, resulting in an incredibly soft and flavourful companion to the meat. The vegetables are cooked on point and perfectly round up the dish. Though, the stars, of course, are the skewers!

For the true Greek experience, you should order my favourite, the pork skewers. The meat is marinated with lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper before going on the grill. Because they’re cooked on the grill, the skewers have a slight smoky flavour.

The skewers come with a side of tzatziki, a dip made of Greek yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, and herbs. It’s the perfect pairing for the smoky, juicy meat.

The Souvlaki Platter is decently sized and is a good main dish for two people. It’s supposed to serve one to four people, but for more than two people, I recommend ordering some sides as well. Okay, who am I kidding? You should order some sides anyway as they have some other truly mouthwatering dishes on their menu! Some of my favourites include the Haloumi Caprese and the Spanakopita.

The service at The Greek by Anatoli is great and rounds up the overall experience perfectly. Dining here feels like eating in a big barn in the Greek countryside. This feeling is intensified by the fairy lights on the wooden roof, rough white walls, and simple furniture, accentuating the authentic dishes and flavours perfectly!

If you want to experience true Greek flavours, The Greek by Anatoli is the place to go. I promise, you won’t regret it!