Lagana, Shoreditch
Image credit: courtesy of Lagana
Hyped as London’s new Greek moment, Lagana delivers the look and the buzz — but not the soul. Behind the TikTok-friendly interiors is a restaurant more interested in optics than flavour.
Perfect for
Content creators chasing aesthetics | First dates that don’t require conversation | Shoreditch trendspotters ticking boxes | Anyone still fooled by a 4.8-star Google rating
About
Lagana is the new Greek-inspired venture from the Pachamama Group, who closed their Shoreditch outpost of Pachamama East to launch this concept. The kitchen is led by Tzoulio Loulai, a Greek-born chef whose menu leans on flatbreads, skewers and sharing plates. The idea was to create a “relaxed but refined” Mediterranean restaurant for a Shoreditch crowd — a nod to Greek cooking, filtered through London dining trends.
We went in hoping it might fill the city’s gap for truly good Greek food.
Atmosphere & Service
The interior, designed by Pachamama’s MD Lunara Bramley-Fenton, is what I call Shoreditch 2.0: concrete slabs and mirror panels with primary coloured shapes dotted around that feels a little too close to A Bar With Shapes For A Name’s look. Candles are perched a little too dangerously for your sleeves, but at least there are no Japandi chairs that I see all over Shoreditch. Crayons for you to draw on the tablecloths are a playful touch and the abundance of chrome finishings is very 2025.
But that’s where the charm ends. Although my initial reaction walking in was great, once I tasted the food I could only feel the space as performative, with little substance behind it. And for a place so intentionally curated, you’d expect the staff to match the vibe — instead, it’s leaning on Zuckerberg, tech-core.
Orders are tapped on phones — fine in theory, but the lag kills the flow. Our waiter, whose wine knowledge barely stretched beyond the single Greek bottle on the list, also had less-than-ideal breath, making exchanges mercifully brief.
Service pacing was off: after 25 minutes of expecting at least the bread to show up, everything landed at once, cramping the table and rushing the meal so the waiter could squeeze in another plate. Cutlery even turned up after dessert. This is not a place to linger.
What we ate
We gave the selection of colour-led cocktails a skip. I was not in the mood for a toilet cleaner/WKD blue looking libation. I opted for one of the limited Greek wine choices. It fell pretty flat as a pairing.
Tzatziki, Cucumber Skin, Dill Oil
Dill oil promises some good depth. But it was disappointingly dull and tasted like plain yoghurt.
Spicy Feta, Red Peppers
The most solid dip of the night — smooth, balanced, versatile.
Courgette Tempura, Red Pepper Sauce
The ketchup-style sauce was a nice twist; the tempura itself was shockingly oily — my fingers were lubed up after one bite.
Bluefin tuna, Beetroot, Wakame
The low point of the night. Supermarket tuna quality that was tepid and flat.
Beef Tartare, Kokkinisto Ketchup, Lagana
The side bread (Lagana) is more memorable than the main beef. Quite fitting that they named this place after it.
Oregano and Salt Flatbread
Arrives puffed like a balloon, deflates into disappointment — no oregano, no salt.
Greek Salad, Lagana, Feta, Capers
Crunchy croutons save an otherwise standard salad.
Chicken Thigh, Yoghurt, Lemon Oil
Tender, citrussy, grilled — the bare minimum you’d expect anywhere else. Presentation was an obvious afterthought.
Confit Potatoes, Burnt Butter
Undercooked. Maybe the burnt butter was so burnt it completely evaporated?
Caramel Cheesecake
The best bite of the night, though clearly pre-made. Indulgent with a coffee-salted caramel edge — but with so many great Greek desserts out there, it felt like the safe option.
In summary
Greek food is a global heavyweight but you wouldn’t know it here.
Lagana feels like Greek cosplay: a restaurant chasing clout rather than celebrating roots. If Carbone is the finance-bro expense account dinner, Lagana is the air-head, trend-chaser night out — complete with its inexplicable 4.8-star Google rating.
London deserves Greek food with real flavour and depth. This isn’t it.
Lagana
1st Floor, 18–20 Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3NW
020 8194 2070
laganarestaurant.com
Dinner (Tue–Sat) 17:30–22:30
Small plates from ~£12; mains ~£22–£38; desserts & drinks extra; service charge included
Dress code: Smart casual