Newcastle's first Greek bakery Kalimera is bringing Mediterranean vibes to Gosforth
With the winter chill seeping in, looking for a nice café to get out of the cold close to home is a priority of mine and I have definitely found my new favourite spot at Kalimera Bakery. The Greek bakery boasts to be the first in Newcastle, and with Greek cuisine becoming more popular around Newcastle, it is a great addition to Gosforth High Street.
Kalimera opened five months ago just down from Bake One Gosforth and has already added a unique Mediterranean experience, particularly as winter sets in. Despite its short opening period, the café has proven so popular that last month they expanded to seating upstairs to entertain more visitors to this little piece of Greece on Gosforth.
I have been once before in the summer with a friend but it was so busy we had to take our cakes to go. Since the baklava I had has been haunting my tastebuds so I have been eager to return and enjoy the full seated experience.
The warmth hits you as soon as you arrive, not just from the heating, but from the welcoming atmosphere staff give. Having been to Greece before, I was transported straight back to Crete and walked into the scent of cinnamon and coffee and the relaxed and welcoming vibe.
The light green olive walls make the small space seem much bigger than it is downstairs but despite most chairs being full, no one felt on top of one another, which was great. I could get a good view for people watching or in my case, dog watching as four legged friends are welcome in the café but that is not the main reason I will be making Kalimera my new favourite café.
With a wide variety of different options from Greek salads, feta and spinach pies and baguettes and for those with a sweet tooth amongst us there are loads of tradition Greek deserts to choose from including orange cake, galaktoboureko nests and biscotti biscuits in a range of flavours. There is definitely something for everyone and gives a little taste of the Mediterranean to Newcastle. For £12.10 I got a chicken pie, spinach mini pie, a slice of baklava and a coke zero, all of which made a very tasty and filling lunch.
Filo pastry, known as the treasure of Greek cuisine, is certainly the star of many items on the menu but the thin crispy pastry is brilliant for soaking in flavours whilst not feeling too heavy to eat like our short crust or rough puff pastry. As all my dishes were filo based I was worried I would be full before I got to my long dreamt of baklava but thankfully there was no such problem and I very much had to stop myself getting another one to takeaway.
The mini pies were hard to choose from ranging from leek, feta and spinach and all for just 90p, I chose the spinach and the light bite was gone much quicker than I would have liked and I will be definitely going back to grab more to try in the future. The chicken pie looked huge and filling, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the pastry just melted in my mouth, soaking in the flavours of chicken and red peppers, which were a pleasant and unexpected surprise.
But the star of my lunch was definitely the baklava, though with my sweet tooth I may be a bit biased. Soaked in honey, stuffed with nuts and with a festive hint of cinnamon running through it the decadent cake is my absolute must try.
The café also offers deli products such as olive oil, a basic of the Greek diet and is open from 8am until 5pm on weekdays and 8am until 4pm on weekends. It will certainly be one of my favourite stops on the high street and I thoroughly recommend it be your next stop on your Greek cuisine journey.