Among the buzz and glam of the streets of Chelsea, there is a little bit of Mediterranean bliss: the restaurant Kora. Chilled and casual, Kora offers honest dishes with top ingredients from land and sea, with a strong Greek influence.
There is a reason for the Hellenistic inspiration. Both Head Chef Eleftheria and Executive Head Chef Sasha Ziverts are Greek. Eleftheria leads the kitchen, bringing Mediterranean warmth inspired by his grandmother’s cooking, while Ziverts is the executive chef who created the menu, a love song to balmy summer afternoons and evenings filled with Greek nostalgia and sun-soaked flavours.
Whether you are looking for a place to meet with friends after work for a few drinks and some light bites, a neighbourhood joint for a casual lunch or a contemporary restaurant for a chilled weekend dinner, Kora won’t disappoint you.
Cocktail lovers will be delighted with Kora’s signature creations. A couple of regulars have told me that the Helios is fabulous – prepared with tequila reposado, vermouth, oregano, lime and olive oil – and so is the Obsidia – bourbon, Islay scotch, banana liqueur, jasmine and plum bitters.
From sharers such as whipped taramasalata (possible the best I’ve ever tasted) served with charred sourdough pita bread to hearty larger plates such as charred lambed shoulder with labneh and mint (I hear it’s to die for) or the 300gr grain-fed sirloin steak with anchovy cream (a match made in heaven), the food that comes out of the kitchen will have your tastebuds dancing a Sirtaki in your mouth.
The popular trio of raw dishes at Kora. From the left: Bluefin tuna with radicchio and hazelnuts; sea bream ceviche with rainbow chard and gazpacho; and cured yellowtail with avocado cream, tigers milk and pomegranate salsa.
As I visited at lunchtime with a friend, we opted for light options. Together with the light as a mousse taramasalata, we had hummus with pumpkin seeds and Aleppo pepper, which adds a bit of heat and tangy flavour to the dip, complementing the garlic and lemon notes in it.
Kora is known for its raw plates, so we ordered bluefin tuna with radicchio and hazelnuts. The bitterness of the radicchio cuts through the natural richness of the fish, while the hazelnuts add a warm and nutty flavour that complements the deep, umami notes of the tuna. The sea bream ceviche with rainbow chard and gazpacho also proved to be a winning combination. The cured fish is fresh and sharp, which works beautifully with the earthiness of the rainbow chard. The gazpacho (this version is a clear tomato soup) provides a cool, refreshing and savory-sweet base.
The manager on duty that day, Christian, recommended we pair these dishes with a Greek white wine, Mylonas Malagousia 2024. This is a happy wine with notes of stone fruit and hints of aromatic herbs. In the mouth, it feels rich, alive with acidity and a citrus aftertaste.
Although we were already feeling quite satisfied, we could not have one of the wonderful mains on the menu. And so we decided to have a deeply classic Greek dish: prawns saganaki, cooked with a rich, spicy tomato sauce and topped with crumbled feta cheese. On a cold day, this is a culinary hug that will send your heart and palate to the Aegean Sea.
The dessert menu is short but very tempting. The options that caught my attention were the sour cherry and mascarpone gelato (I am salivating as I write the words) and the dark single origin chocolate mousse with blackberries and extra virgin oil, which I’ve been told is extraordinary. At this point I couldn’t eat anymore but I will be sure to go back very soon to try them both.
Kora by Beafourt House
354 Kings Road Chelsea London, SW3 5UZ
Reservations: +44 (0)207 352 2828 | reservations@korachelsea.co.uk
www.korachelsea.co.uk
Author: Julia Pasarón
Other restaurants in London recommended by I-M Inquisitive Minds this season include Zima Notting Hill, The Elephant in Hackney, Shanghai Me in Park Lane and Paper Moon at the OWO.
Show Comments +