Where to eat in London.... The Life Goddess in Carnaby!

Having began as a little deli on London's Store street, supplying fresh and authentic Greek delicatessen, The Life Goddess recently opened up a restaurant in Kingly Court, Carnaby. After hearing rave reviews about the place, I decided to try it out to see if it lived up to the hype....

Outside, up on the second floor of Kingly Court

Walking in, we were greeted by a friendly waiter who showed us to our table and gave us three different menus - wine, cocktails, and food. I liked this place already! After browsing the offer, my friend Pauline and I decided to share the Greek Meze Platter and Mixed Salad "Anameikti".

1 of 3 menus

Coming up top in terms of speed of service, our starters were ready in what could only have been 5 minutes after placing our order! Beautifully presented, the waiter explained the contents as he put them down on the table in front of us. The Greek Meze consisted of tzatziki, fava, spicy cream, Alonissos tuna, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, onion and olives. Whilst the 'spicy cream' was just a bit too spicy for our liking (and a bit of an odd combination with the cream and spices), the tzatziki and fava (a humous like dip made from broadbeans) were firm favourites, and the Alonissis tuna, fresh from the Greek island, was the perfect addition to top it all off!

The highlight, however, was definitely the salad .... yes, really! Forgot your boring old lettuce, this was a lovely mix of leafy greens coated in homemade balsamic vinegar and honey, topped with nuts, pomegranates are strawberries which had been marinated in a rich tsipouro -  a traditional greek brandy, for those who don’t know! (Don’t worry, I didn’t either until I tasted it, and had to ask as it was so good!)

Delicious starter

After setting the standards high with the starters, we wondered if they could live up to it with the main dishes... but they certainly didn't disappoint. Being a seafood addict, I ordered the Octopus Stifado, a fresh fish stew with sweet onions and olives in a rich tomato and red wine sauce. Meanwhile, Pauline went for the traditional Greek Moussaka.... although I did manage to get her to try some octopus too!

Octopus Stifado and Moussaka

Pauline trying the octopus!

Both dishes came served in an authentic clay pot and, although perhaps not the most 'Instagrammable' (is that a verb!?) of dishes, they tasted so incredibly amazing that this didn't matter! The shallot onions gave my stew a lovely unexpected sweetness, and the fluffy, crispy potato topping quite literally topped off Pauline's hearty Moussaka perfectly. Washed down with the Vita Vini cocktail (Vodka, white wine, lychee juice and fresh grapes) from their new cocktail menu, it couldn't have been done better.

Refreshing and light!

Next up came the deserts. Like always, we claimed to be far too full to even consider another course, so when the waitress told us the 'chocolate cake' was a MUST, I admit we were both a little bit hesitant as we pictured a heavy, rich, gooey sponge. What came, however, was a very pleasant surprise - not really a cake, but more of a tiffin like traybake cut into 5 slices, drizzled with strawberry sauce and served with glazed dates on the side. We had no trouble polishing this one off! Admittedly Pauline was good and stuck with 2 slices.... but I promise I did offer to share the 3rd piece (even if I was slightly happy she said she was too full!).

A pleasant surprise...somehow it felt lighter than real cake!

As it got to around 9PM the lights went down and a more 'party-like' vibe started, and  the remaining tables began filling up. But unlike most places in central London, we weren't rushed out as soon as possible, and were able to sit with another drink and finish our blether before finally making our way.

Finishing up

Need To Know

The recommendations!

Best Part: It would be a toss up between the lovely atmosphere and the fantastic fresh food! The restaurant had a very authentic Greek vibe, with the traditional Greek plates positioned on the wall and the specials hand written on a blackboard by the kitchen. It was also fairly quiet - just the right amount of people to have a good vibe, but without being packed in and unable to move your seat in fear of banging into someone. An extremely nice change from 99% of other restaurants in central London.

Worst Part: As their ingredients are sourced directly from the Greek islands, and come fresh to the restaurant each day, not everything on the menu is always available....meaning I didn't get the starter I had my eye on as they were out of mussels. Having said that, I'd much prefer this than for them to serve me up something pre-prepared from the freezer, and it's the freshness of the ingredients that really sets this place apart.

Best For: Called "The Life Goddess", and with a fantastic cocktail menu, I presumed it would be somewhere I'd have to go with a girly friend for a girly evening. But that certainly wasn't the case, and there were enough 'manly' options to make it a great venue for any occassion. Buffalo rib steaks, lamb chops, vegetarian stews.... I'd have no hesitation recommending it to anybody!

Price: Three courses for two people (not including drinks) would set you back around £60 - very reasonable considering the fresh ingredients, inventive recipes and authentic surroundings.

Overall: A fantastic evening with great food, amazing service, and a lovely vibe. I'd love to give their Deli on Store Street a shot next (the lunch menu looks extremely tempting!), but hopefully I'll make back at the restaurant again soon :-)

A huge thank you to the team for such a lovely evening!

Our evening at The Life Goddess Carnaby