A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of dining at Kleo’s, a new-to-town Greek restaurant on Westminster St. in Providence RI. It was not only memorable, but a delicious experience. Everything about Kleo’s beckons for a return visit. For those who don’t know Greek food, check out this article.
When you first walk in, you’re met by a light and airy interior with a very friendly staff. Once seated, you are surrounded by a multitude of light blues and white interior, along with lots of plants and light-colored wooden panels. The people at Kleo’s did a great job of bringing Greece to Providence. The whole place ties in to the light blue and white theme – from the menus, and napkins, to the seating, decor and even the front of the house staff uniforms. Walking into Kleo’s was a very nice break, from all of the harsh lines and colors of the city, an oasis if you will.
Once seated, the friendly server greeted me and promptly struck up a conversation about me being a JWU student, and then asked if I had ever had Greek food before. The answer was once. My mom came along for this adventure, and ordered a wine that happened to made and bottled in Greece, as were most of the remaining wines on the list. I just stuck to water. Once drinks were placed on the table, we got a bowl with warm rolls and olive oil, made in Greece. This was some of the best olive oil I have ever had. It has such a pure and smooth taste. The oil had some pepper flakes in it to add a little bit more flavor, and the accompanying bread was so warm that you could taste the freshness of it.
For the Entreé, my mom and I split the Mezza Platter and Greek Style Calmari. As this was my mothers first time eating Greek, she had many questions and our waiter was happy to answer them. Our two plates came out filled with delicious looking greek food, from meatballs and sausage to veggies with tazhiki sauce and greek style fries… and of course calamari. It was all so good, while very different than what I am used to, but very good. Both the sausage and the meatballs were on the sweeter side, with the meatballs having a cinnamon undertone. The Greek style fries were hand-cut and a little thicker, with oregano that added a nice layer to the flavor profile. There were spinach feta pastries, as well as rice stuffed in grape leaves, both of which were very unique. They were good, but very salty as part of the Greek style of cooking is it is a very salty tone to it. By the time my mom and I finished our meals, we were very stuffed and had no room for desert, so while my mom finished her Greek-made wine I had a cup of coffee. It was an average cup of coffee, nothing too special, but the presentation was very clean and the coffee had a smooth bold flavor.
Over all everything was great. One of my favorite parts that could be often over-looked, is the bench seating which puts you close to the other guests. This is a big thing in greek culture – being close to others and bonding over food.
We had a 6:30 reservation and our food was out in a very timely fashion, but the place filled up quickly and the other guests’ orders came out in the same manor. I suggest making a reservation if you’re going during dinner rush!
Overall Kleo’s was a great place to eat and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to try something new, or if you’re a lover of Greek food.