Nostos in Hove crowned best Eat Out to Help Out restaurant

Nostos in Holland Road, Hove, was voted the winner from a shortlist of six businesses offering customers a discounted meal during the summer through the government scheme.

Kyriakos Baxevanis, who opened the Greek restaurant in August 2019 alongside co-owner and head chef Alexandros Tzimos, said he feels like a “new kid on the block” and was delighted to be shortlisted alongside popular restaurants such as Fatto a Mano in Hove and the Curry Leaf Cafe in Brighton.

He said: “We’re only 15 months up and running so we were against the heavyweights.

“We feel very privileged. It’s a lovely neighbourhood to be in around here.

“You’ve got to have good food but also good relationships with your customers.”

The government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme halved diners’ bills on orders up to £10 per person every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in August.

Mr Baxevanis praised the scheme and said he had chosen to carry on providing customers with the same discount once a week throughout September and October.

He said: “It was amazing. I think it really helped the industry as a whole.

“We invested the VAT savings we had in Eat Out To Help Out every Tuesday for the past eight weeks and we were fully booked every time.

“Just to have that experience of having people coming in and having fun was worth it. It was lovely to see the place full again after months of lockdown.”

Mr Baxevanis described the cuisine at Nostos as traditional Greek recipes with a twist, with one of the most popular dishes being the restaurant’s vegan moussaka.

The Nostos vegan moussaka

He said: “That dish is going crazy. It comes served as a little tower – the visuals are important to us.

“It’s a good example of how we’re taking authentic Greek cuisine and fusing it with something new.”

The Nostos team decided to reinvent the restaurant during the lockdown and made a conscious effort to help the community by offering deliveries of fresh produce and other ingredients through an online shop, as well as a takeaway service.

Mr Baxevanis did a lot of deliveries himself while the restaurant had to remain closed.

He said: “It was so good to be out seeing people and helping them. It kept me going to be honest.

“We grew our relationships with customers in the community really organically, and then when we reopened it went crazy as people were coming back and recognising us.

“People have been coming in every day – it’s been lovely.”

Although the country is now in lockdown for a second time, Mr Baxevanis remains optimistic and said the team is determined to make the most of the next four weeks.

He said: “Our online shop is up and running and we’re still offering takeaways.

“We’re not going to waste any time and will be finalising a new menu, so we’re trying not to be pessimistic or feel down.

“Hopefully we can reopen in December.”