A review of Kallos Cafe & Wine Bar where small plates transport you to sunnier climes
Liv is the Tourism Writer for the Manchester Evening News. She is an NCTJ-trained senior reporter who joined the team in 2021. She previously worked as a reporter for The Bolton News.
The lamb flatbread and feta wrapped in pastry at Kallos Cafe & Wine Bar, Salford(Image: Liv Clarke)
You can’t deny it now, there’s a whiff of autumn in the air. The wind is changing, the evenings are getting darker and it felt like that hot spell over the bank holiday was probably the last hurrah of the summer.
If you find yourself craving that summer-holiday feeling, there are pockets of it to be found across Greater Manchester which take the form of bars and restaurants transporting you to distant lands.
One such place is Kallos Cafe & Wine Bar on Bankside Boulevard in Salford which opened in March this year. It’s located in the basement of the Cortland at Colliers Yard apartment complex, one of the latest developments to open up in the Blackfriars area.
This is an area that’s undergone a construction boom in recent years, rivalling Ancoats with its swish flats and city-living lifestyle. While it may still be developing, the nearby food and drinks scene already has deep roots.
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Head west down nearby Chapel Street and you’ll find popular tapas restaurant Porta, coffee and brunch spot Procaffeinated and the Italian restaurant Vero Modero, which is said to be a favourite of City footballer Erlin Haaland. Kallos is in good company then.
The flatbread with lamb shoulder(Image: Liv Clarke)
Following a short walk from Exchange Square down Greengate, we arrived early for our 7.30pm booking and half wondered if the table would be free earlier, given it was a Thursday night. How wrong we were as the restaurant was packed.
So while we waited we opted to have some drinks at the small outdoor seating area, intending to soak up the last of the summer. It didn’t quite turn out that way, sipping our drinks under the cloudy Salford sky as the wind whipped past the apartment complexes. Still, I bet it’s lovely when the sun is shining.
It did mean the welcome we had entering the restaurant once our table was ready did feel particularly warm. Descending down the steps it felt like entering a cave-like space, reminiscent of an white-washed tavern in Santorini.
It may be in the basement, but Kallos is light and airy, and avoids the fussiness some Greek restaurants play into. Instead it has a bit of Rudy’s DNA to it – think exposed concrete and visible pipes.
Yet it doesn’t feel raw or unfinished, in fact marble-topped tables, glowing candles and pale wooden chairs added a chicness to the proceedings. Staff were incredibly attentive, bringing a bottle of water to the table immediately and promptly serving us.
The feta encased in crisp fillo pastry (Image: Liv Clarke)
There’s an open kitchen where you can see the dishes being prepared, and I eagerly watched puffy flat breads being removed from the oven – one of the things I was keen to try.
We’re given the menus and informed the dishes are inspired by Greece, Turkey and Spain – a fusion of Mediterranean cuisine. The menu is divided up into bread and dips, meze, the aforementioned flatbreads and an assortment of tinned fish.
Ordering a mixture of meze and flatbreads, we were informed that everything would arrive when it’s ready, similar to tapas.
As the name would suggest, Kallos specialises in Greek wines (it even hosts Greek wine tasting nights) and I enjoyed a glass of Liatiko (£9), a red wine, as we waited, while my boyfriend had a Mythos beer (£4.50).
It wasn’t long before the first dish arrived: crispy baby potatoes served with Greek pickled chilli mayo (£4). Well, these were the crispiest potatoes I’ve ever had, their exteriors had an excellent crunch to them yet they were delightfully soft and fluffy inside.
The butter bean stew topped with hummus(Image: Liv Clarke)
Shortly after two more plates arrived: the feta wrapped filo pastry (£10.50) and the first of the flatbreads: lamb shoulder with Myzithra cheese (£11.50).
The feta was drizzled with honey and scattered with sesame seeds and cutting into it the crisp pastry gave way to the soft cheese within. This really was a plate of contrasts: a collision of textures with that tantalising combination of sweet and salty flavours. Definitely one of the standouts of the meal.
Around us the restaurant was bustling with a diverse mix of diners. Beside our table were a couple of multi-generational families sat together, while young women gossiped at tables for two. Kallos may not be located in the heart of the city but it certainly has a bustling atmosphere many central food spots lack.
More dishes soon followed. A huge plate of butter bean stew (£8) appeared topped with a generous dollop of hummus which we mopped up with the flatbread crusts. A rich tomato base yet still packing freshness, it’s the sort of thing you could eat all year round.
A second flatbread, this time a spanakopita-inspired affair with feta and spinach, topped with piles of parmesan (£8) arrived. We both preferred the lamb version but this was still delicious in its own right.
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Then there was the beef cheek stifado, a bowl of melting beef with onions and strips of pickled carrots. This was the most expensive dish we ordered at £18, and it did feel pricey for the portion (although perhaps this does reflect the tough climate the hospitality industry faces), it was worth it for the melt-in-the-mouth beef.
The baklava and Portokalopita, both served with ice cream (Image: Liv Clarke)
What’s refreshing about Kallos is that there are just two dessert options on the menu and not a brownie in sight. Even if you do have a sweet tooth you wouldn’t be disappointed by either.
The two squares of baklava (£8) in a pleasing pistachio-green shade were delightfully sticky, served with a scoop of ice cream and soon demolished. But the Portokalopita (£8) – a Greek orange cake – stole the show.
Soaked in orange syrup, every mouthful of this was a burst of sweet-sunshine, guaranteed to transport you to a sun-soaked Greek island even on the most miserable of Manchester days.
Small plates served in a trendy setting isn’t a new dining concept for the city, yet Kallos is showcasing flavours and dishes you won’t find anywhere else. The best part is it can be what you make it; whether that’s tucking into a feast of plates with your family, or sharing a bottle of wine and a couple of flatbreads with friends.
Whatever you do, just make sure you order the orange cake.
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