Harden's survey result
Summary
“The miracle is that it doesn’t change”, say fans of this veteran Primrose Hill taverna: a “big, bustling, cheerful, noisy, Greek family-style restaurant that’s been around forever”, with particularly “warm” staff of decades’ standing, who “don’t just tolerate children, they positively welcome them.” Never exactly a foodie hotspot, “it’s time to revamp the menu…”, according to one fan, who then goes on to admit “…but I’ve been saying that since 1978!” In truth, though, the experience here is finally starting to show its age: there have always been one or two sceptics who “wonder why everyone makes such a fuss about the place”, but their number grows more numerous with each passing year.
Summary
“The miracle is that it doesn’t change”, say fans of this veteran Primrose Hill taverna: a “big, bustling, cheerful, noisy, Greek family-style restaurant that’s been around forever”, with particularly “warm” staff of decades’ standing, who “don’t just tolerate children, they positively welcome them.” Never exactly a foodie hotspot, “it’s time to revamp the menu…”, according to one fan, who then goes on to admit “…but I’ve been saying that since 1978!” In truth, though, the experience here is finally starting to show its age: there have always been one or two sceptics who “wonder why everyone makes such a fuss about the place”, but their number grows more numerous with each passing year.
Summary
“Always packed to the rafters” and “buzzing, buzzing, buzzing” – this “busy cheerful hub of Primrose Hill” – a sprawling mega-taverna – has been a “warm and comforting” north London phenomenon for about as long as most folks remember. Even many fans accept the food is “tired and boring” yet “still we all love it and come back every chance we get!” The secret to its enduring (to a few sceptics “mysterious”) success is that “Tony and the staff have been here for decades and a genuinely warm welcome is assured”. “Our newborn son had his first restaurant experience here, followed thirty four years later by our newborn grandson’s. The whole restaurant recently joined in with Happy Birthday to a 104 year old! This is a family run restaurant with a loyal family clientele.”
Summary
This “vast Greek taverna” has become a landmark after 40 years on Primrose Hill, and is “extraordinarily busy” due to the “unique experience and family atmosphere” it offers. But the cooking “is average at best, and less-than-average of late”; “I’ve been coming here for 25 years and the food is nothing like it used to be, which is very sad because it’s a fun place”.
For 31 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Lemonia?
Restaurant details
Lemonia Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Very average food but still v popular - not sure why."
"Completely chaotic local restaurant that hasn’t changed anything (menu, decor, waiters) in 20 years. Can’t understand why it’s popular with locals, unless it’s a love of chaos. "
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | £15.75 |  |
|
|
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Veggies | Pudding |
|---|---|---|---|
| £3.80 | £22.50 | £3.75 | £5.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £25.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £2.25 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.60 |
| Service | 12.50% |
89 Regent’s Park Rd, London, NW1 8UY
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑4:30 pm |
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