Village Tavern

Village Taverna (769 E. Passyunk Ave) is Mediterranean restaurant located in the Queen Village area. We decided to do an earlier dinner there one day. We arrived when the establishment just opened for dinner (that's how early it was). The place had modern decor. The ceilings were high and the tables were well laid out, creating a roomy and open feel. Below are the foods I indulged in it. It was more of an appetizers kind of night.

We ordered Pikelia (assortment of dips, feta, and olives). It came with Hummus(blended chickpea dip), Tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber, garlic dip), Tyrokafteri (spicy feta dip), and Melitzanosalata (pureed roasted eggplant dip) as well as pita bread. The Hummus was okay. It was comparable to store bought hummus (eg. Athenos brand). The Tzatziki was good. It was creamy and refreshing with very light seasoning. The Tyrokafteri was yummy. It tasted like semi creamy lumpy feta cheese with a kick. For the Melitzanosalata, I had to compare it to Baba Ganoush which I am actually more familiar with. The Melitzanosalata was very bland in comparison to Baba Ganoush but then again the Baba Ganoush
has more additives, especially the Tahini which is not present in Melitzanosalata. The pita was delicious, warm, and toasty. My favorite dip was the Tyrokafteri while my least favorite was the Melitxanosalata.

Pita Bread and Assorted Dips

Oddly I did not see one of my favorite stuffed grape leaves on the menu, but luckily it was a special and of course, I had to get them. They were wonderful. They were tender and had the appetizing mildly sour taste I like. For some reason, I think I can never go wrong with stuffed grape leaves. Although the stuffed grape leaves differ a bit at every restaurant, I have never been disappointed by any thus far.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Finally, for my entree, I ordered the Octopus (char-grilled, greek-style with lemon). It was firm and chewy but yet tender (if that makes sense). The light lemony seasoning also complemented the octopus well.  It was quite enjoyable. 

Octopus

Overall, I thought the food was good but not amazing. I don't think I would come back; however, I would recommend this place. That might sound contracting but I think others should have the opportunity to try good food and judge for themselves.