Nostos was recently named Best Mediterranean Restaurant by Gault & Millau, proving that you don’t need a big fat Greek wedding to make an impression. Modern setting, keeping the food very Greek, and nothing gets lost in translation.
The place is tucked in Bonnevoie and opened from a shared vision between three long-time friends: Dimitris (Executive Chef), Andreas, and Spiros, who lead the management and run the front-of-house service.
After years working in high-end spots in Mykonos, they brought that experience to Luxembourg with the idea of staying true to Greek flavours, but presenting them in a llittle more refined and modern way.
‘Nostos’ a.k.a. homecoming. Something warm, familiar, but still elevated – that’s what they’re going for.
Their goal, as they put it, is to create a space where guests feel “comfortable and special from the moment they walk in”. I must say that I did. I arrived quite early, and the place slowly fill up around me. By the time we left, the place was packed!
The space itself is quite spacious, and the lighting is very well done. Maybe some of you might find this funny to mention, but good lighting really does a lot for a restaurant… shrill dentist lights do not a cosy atmosphere make. Here, the lighting is discreet and gives the space a more intimate, date-friendly feel.
There’s also a terrace outside, which I can already picture being very cozy on a warm spring evening.
We started with a classic, because how can you not at a Greek restaurant?
The Greek salad (€20) with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, vinaigrette, feta mousse, olives, pickled onions, and capers. It’s a dish that seems simple, but if you get the basics right, you’re doing something right. And here, they do. Very fresh, super zesty, and the feta mousse adds a great texture to it.
I then went for the grilled octopus (€30) with baby potatoes, almond aioli, fennel, and citrus sauce and this was definitely a highlight. Super fresh, juicy, slightly tangy, everything worked together really well.
The menu, especially for mains, leans a bit more towards meaty dishes. You find things like beef cheek with celeriac purée, broccoli and sautéed carrots (€35), or Youvets, which is a lamb stew with orzo and creamy Cretan cheese (€30).
For vegetarians, mains are a bit more limited at the moment. There’s for example a penne with broccoli, cauliflower and pumpkin pesto (€26). That said, the starters offer more interesting options, like the spicy whipped cheese (Tyrokafteri) with grilled Florina peppers (€10), or baked giant white beans with herbs and red lentil purée (€16).
I must say that portions are quite generous, which is great value-wise, BUT it also meant we unfortunately had no space left for dessert… Which was a shame, because something like the Portokalopita (Greek orange cake) with white chocolate cream and lemon sorbet (€12) would have been my choice!
The menu is curated by Chef Dimitris, who builds each dish around a mix of “nostalgia and innovation”. Most ingredients are imported directly from Greece to keep the flavours authentic, while still working with fresh local products where it makes sense.
Overall, Nostos is a really nice Mediterranean spot. The kind of place that makes you feel like you’re somewhere proper, where they actually care about you having a good evening. Service is attentive without being too much.
It doesn’t feel overdone, just well executed. They were recently named Best Mediterranean Restaurant by Gault & Millau, which makes sense. You can tell they’re aiming high.
Just one thing to keep in mind: they work with seatings, so you’ve got around a two-hour window.
But honestly: good food, a nice setting, and a place that knows what it’s doing.
Food quality: 5/5
Family-friendly: 4/5
Budget-friendly: 3.5/5
Date-friendly: 5/5
Veggie-friendly: 2/5
Carolina Reinertz, former RTL Today editor turned contributor, is testing every hotspot in Luxembourg with honest reviews on whether a place is date-friendly, budget-friendly, or worth the hype – so you can spend your money wisely.
