If I were to mention Zucca to any of my friends that have been here, they’d tell you that the food was good but a little on the pricey side. As with most restaurants along the Holdfast Promenade, the dishes are slightly more expensive but not too pricey to deter me from going. With my high expectations, I caught up with the team from Tempting Palates to check out the modern Greek cuisine on offer.

One of the team members from Tempting Palates commented that the decor was fairly traditional, particularly with the wooden chairs and blue glasses. The dining section at the rear is a lot dimmer than the front, and in a way, creates a more intimate atmosphere. I imagine it would be fantastic during the Summer as you’d get great views of the sunset.

The Mezze dishes by themselves, on average, are around the $20 mark, and it seemed logical to get one of the Mezze Packages. For a minimum of 4 people, we could get 7 Mezze dishes of our choosing for $49 per person.

Within 10 minutes of ordering, the first two dishes came out. The SA Calamari was average in presentation as it looked like everything was just thrown onto the plate. It was lightly floured and then fried, and to my surprise, the calamari was tender and succulent. The tartare sauce that came with it wasn’t too bad either, as it gave the dish more depth.

The Kataifi wrapped Spencer Gulf Prawns was also well executed. The prawns were tender and succulent, and the kataifi provided a nice light crunch. The lime bean salsa was nice and refreshing, and the citrus mayonnaise was light and tangy.

The Chargrilled Chicken Souvlaki was nicely done but nothing special in my opinion. The chicken was well marinated, tender and succulent, and was complimented by the soft and fluffy couscous and rich yoghurty tzatziki.

The Suckling Pig Yiros is slow cooked for 12 hours and is one of their signature dishes. The pork was tender and moist, and the skin was nice and crispy. Unfortunately, we all thought the meat was a little bland and all you could taste was the natural pork flavour.

The Twice Baked Duck was the dish of the night. The duck was soft and moist, and the meat simply fell off the bone. The skin was perfectly crispy and was well complimented by the subtly sweet metaxa salsa.

The 9 Score Marbled Porterhouse reminded me of the Greek version of steak and chips. The beef was tender and succulent, although there were a few bits around the edges that were a bit firmer than they should have been. The potato wedges were nice and crunchy with soft fluffy centres.

The first dessert we had was the Loukoumades. I was informed that these were fairly authentic and well executed, although I felt a bit more honey syrup wouldn’t have gone astray. The chocolate sauce was a bit watery and out of place on this dish.

The Mezze Plate from top to bottom consisted of Baklava, Orange Semolina, Kataifi, Greek Style Almond Crescents and Turkish Delight. All were nice with the exception of the Orange Semolina which was very dry.

For the most part, the service was really good and professional. One staff member knew the menu back to front, and even made some good recommendations. He was very genuine and it was his mission to give us an enjoyable experience. Then there was an older staff member who had an issue with the flash photography. While we understand that it can be annoying to the those around us, the way it was handled was appalling. This particular staff member told us off like we were little children, and he made such a spectacle of it, I lost my appetite. The whole vibe instantly changed, and what started off as pleasant evening turned into a terrible one. I felt humiliated and embarrassed, and I couldn’t wait to leave the restaurant. Other staff members apologised about the situation but the damage was done.

The saving grace for this place was the food. It was above average and the Mezze Packages represented good value for money. It’s such a shame that one incident will never see me return to this place.

WHERE: 5 Holdfast Promenade, Glenelg