We discovered deliciously authentic Greek cuisine in a lively Birmingham neighbourhood with a special dish covered in honey

The district of Moseley in Birmingham is no stranger to quality restaurants and bars.

It’s been a popular place for people to visit from far and wide for decades with its own summer festivals and renowned bohemian and cosmopolitan hospitality.

Recently Moseley has welcomed a number of new places to go including the charming Greek Aura restaurant on Alcester Road (not too far from the Prince of Wales).

It opened in September, not long before Dough & Fire neapolitan pizzeria on Woodbridge Road and Kennedy’s Bar which has opened on the site of the former One Trick Pony on the other side of the Alcester Road.

Greek Aura is an exciting new venture from husband-and-wife team Miri and Ola. Miri was born and raised in Rhodes, so he is definitely no stranger to authentic Greek hospitality.

And he’s given the job of head chef to his mum, who has over 30 years of experience in the industry.

As soon as we entered the bright and beautiful space we were met with a warm welcome early evening on a Wednesday.

The sky blue decor with tranquil Greek scenery with ornamental lighting - and plenty of Christmas cheer - contributed to the happy venue.

We weren’t the only people to have discovered the charming restaurant. Soon we were joined by party groups and couples ready to enjoy a meal from the Mediterranean.

The menu had so many tempting dishes at reasonable prices, it wasn’t easy to decide what to choose at first, but our waitress was so helpful and knowledgeable about options we soon made our decision.

Me and a friend shared three plates from the Tapas/ Starters section to begin - dolmades, saganaki special and chicken souvlaki.

Each dish was exceptional. The fresh ingredients and presentation were so appetising.

The generous portions of dolmades were exquisite with the creamiest tzatziki. The fresh chicken, tender meat with smokey BBQ tones with a subtle sharpness from the marinade was also divine.

But my favourite of the starters was the gorgeous saganaki - a warm cheese encased in a golden crust and smothered in honey.

It’s the first time I’ve tried this dish and I was won over immediately. The sharpness of the cheese and wholesome sweet goodness of the honey and crisp bites were a match made in heaven.

We continued our sharing theme with our mains. Again there were a wealth of options, but we were helpfully guided on our choices with our waitress, finally deciding on lamb keftiko and mousaka.

Both were amazing. The lamb was so tender and flavoursome, falling from the bone at the slighted touch of a fork. It was served with potatoes, feta cheese, oregano and a small salad.

The traditional mousaka was a triumph. So fresh. The smoked aubergines complemented the tasty beef sauce perfectly, with heartening potatoes and creamy bechamel bringing all the flavours together so well.

You may not be surprised to read that a restaurant run by a Greek family is so good at serving authentic food.

But you may be surprised at the value for money - the dishes we enjoyed really were so reasonable with the mousaka priced at £15.50 and the lamb at £20.70. Starters are priced from £4.30. 

There’s plenty of Greek wines on the menu too. We enjoyed a bottle of Tatakis Mesogios dry white wine - a light and mellow accompaniment to our meal.

It’s great to see some new bars and restaurants opening in Moseley Village in Birmingham. And if you enjoy good Greek food this could be just the spot to add some Mediterranean cheer and happy holiday memories to the festive season.