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Get Your Greek On: Delphi Greek Restaurant in Westwood.


By: Maren Swanson • June 7th, 2017

Delphi Greek Restaurant in Westwood, California

Tucked away in a tiny space on Westwood Boulevard, you’ll find Delphi Greek Restaurant – a legit hole in the wall. I’d actually eaten there over 10 years ago and was pleasantly surprised it was still intact. The small restaurant doesn’t appear as ostentatious as most Greek spots but that’s probably due to its limited size. But don’t let the lack of fake columns deceive you. Greece is still everywhere. Just look at the wall when you walk in; it’s covered with hard-to-find Time magazine covers and they’re everyone on them is Greek – of course.

Greek Water at Delphi Greek Restaurant
Nemea Wine at Delphi Greek Restaurant

“Everything is Greek; even the water is imported from Greece," says owner, Roozbeh Farahanipour. Well, almost everything. What’s interesting is that the owner, Farahanipour, is actually not Greek. He took over the restaurant 10 years ago, but his passion for Greek food is evident. His wife and mom work in the restaurant and they roll out some very authentic dishes.
Delphi Greek Restaurant (Westwood, CA)
Delphi Greek Restaurant (Westwood, CA)

He is also very proud of the multiple aquariums scattered throughout the space. One of them had shark eggs ready to hatch. I was mesmerized just watching them. Wait, I’m at a restaurant right now??

Saganaki on Fire at Delphi Greek Restaurant
Saganaki

One of my favorite Greek appetizers is Saganaki. I mean, how can you not like flaming fried cheese? Slice into it right after the flame extinguishes, and the gooey cheese just oozes out the crispy exterior and its pure cheese porn. Not to mention, it’s quite the show. The fire is ignited with a flammable booze and everyone yells, “Opa!” Time to eat.

Retsina at Delphi Greek Restaurant
Greek Retsina Wine


I asked someone at the table at one point if the restaurant had Restina. Retsina is a unique Greek wine made from pine resin, aka "pine wine," as I like to call it. Some may call it an acquired taste, and different bottles of Retsina wine can range from strong to mild with the pine essence. I just remember that my parents would order it all the time with their dinner when we would visit our neigborhood, family-owned Greek restaurand in Phoenix, called the Olympic Flame (now closed). Anyway, I guess I was just nostalgic for it, but at some point in the dinner, Farahanipour surprised our table with a bottle of it, and it made my night. The particular bottle he served was on the milder side (Malamatina), so I suggest giving it a try if you are curious.

Pastitsio
Cold Combo Appetizer at Delphi Greek Restaurant
Moussaka at Delphi Greek

My foodie friends and I were able to taste a bunch of the plates, including a Cold Combo appetizer plate of hummus, tzatziki, tabbouleh, Kalamata olives, dolmades and fresh pita bread. For mains, we sampled the grilled Rainbow Trout, Pork Chops, Pastitsio, Moussaka and Lamb Chops – all accompanied with rice.

After the appetizer combo plate, we cleansed our palates with Avgolemono, a lemon-egg soup; simple, yet very delicious. I would have ordered another cup of it, but I knew I would have ruined my appetite.

Lamb Chops at Delphi Greek Restaurant

The Lamb Chops were delicious and my favorite dish of the evening. The olive oil-marinated chops were cooked to medium rare perfection, and seasoned just as well with Greek herbs. Another worthy mention was the Pastitsio, a pile of meaty pasta, that took center stage during the coursing of our meal.

Baklava
Chocolate Cake at Delphi Greek in Westwood


The cheesecake is dreamy, but don’t take my word for it. Read it on Roozbeh’s tie. His wife, and award-winning pastry chef, Rana Pourarab, makes all of the desserts at Delphi Greek and they are worth ordering. They serve the traditional baklava, but they also serve a decadent layered chocolate cake and as well.

If you need your Greek fix, this is the place to get it. Since I’m not flying to Greece anytime soon, you’ll find me at Delphi Greek in Westwood. And you can bet I'm bringing my mom in to try the Retsina when she's in town from Arizona!




Delphi Greek Restaurant

1383 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024

(310) 478-2900


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