UP CLOSE in Tooting: Smashing Plates, the new Greek stall in Tooting Market, gets a smashing review

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We will be profiling some of these businesses and organisations regularly in a feature called "Up Close in Tooting."

There's a new Greek food stall in town, under the name of Smashing Plates.

The stall has replaced where The Athenian used to be, located at Unit 3 within Tooting Market.

Smashing Plates is a fun and quirky stall serving high-quality Greek and Cypriot dishes. It has an upstairs sitting area and this is the company's fourth London shop.

Its build your own style menu boasts plenty of choices and is good value for money. You can expect to get the classic souvlaki-style wrap or opt for something a bit different such as their unorthodox fries - topped with feta, parsley and radish.

We popped into Smashing Plates to have a try of some of the food, do a quick review and also grab a word with the manager, Orlan.

'I love Tooting'

While Orlan admitted that it hasn't been the quickest start, he says that he is already loving the community vibe of Tooting and hopes they will hit full speed in no time.

He said: "I love Tooting; you have different backgrounds and different types of food as well. You get to share and it's really nice.

"It's fresh, it's brand new, we do everything from scratch. There's lovely people, lovely food and we're happy to serve.

"It's quite good, started quite slowly in terms of sales but hopefully, we will extend the brand and the name as well."

Our review

We ordered four items off the menu: chicken pita with tzatziki sauce, halloumi tray with a smokey aubergine sauce and lentil, feta salad, roasted tomato croquettes and halloumi sesame bites.

Cost: £20-25

â— As a big fan of Souvlaki wraps, the chicken pitta wrap was an easy choice. The chicken was well marinated and tender, the pitta was soft and chewy - just how it should be. A tick from me.

â— My glorious assistant opted for the halloumi tray with a feta and lentil salad and a smoky aubergine dip. Food envy is not something I regularly experience, however, it was impossible not to give it a go - and boy did it impress. The lentil and feta salad was the star of the show here - packed with herbs and texture. The best way to eat this is to grab a pitta and scoop it all up!

â— The roasted tomato croquettes were delicious balls of joy. The outside is super crunchy but when you reach the inside prepare for an oozing sensation of sweet tomato, garlic and olive.

â— The sesame halloumi bites are fun, triangle-shaped pieces that certainly pack a punch. Drizzled in maple syrup, it's almost like a Greek version of American maple syrup and bacon pancakes - the salty halloumi and syrup are a match made in heaven - sickly sweet n salty but you can't get enough.

On the whole, it's a big thumbs up and definitely worth a try. Orlan and the rest of the team were friendly and it was a great vibe - as any food stall in Tooting Market should be.

You can find out more about the company and see its menu by going to the Spinning Plates website.

Have a story in Tooting you'd like to share? Get in touch! Email [email protected], call 07557513104 or tweet @TommyJJourno [I]

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