I happened to have dinner at one of Dubai’s hidden gems – a Greek restaurant, known as the Wooden Cellar Greek Deli. You’ll find it at Dubai Sports City’s Canal Residence, Mediterranean tower overlooking the canal.

I have been to other Greek restaurants but I was curious about the Wooden Cellar Greek Deli since it was new and they pride themselves in everything Greek – shipped directly from Greece. And from my experience, everything was very Greek and great.

After having been sat, we were served our Greek drinks, which included a Greek cola and freshly-made orange juice (I assume the oranges were also Greek). Our waitress for the night was a beautiful Ugandan lady who was all smiles and made some small talk with us. She was also super professional, but still gave that “girl next door” feel.

The Decor

The Wooden Cellar Greek Deli is quite cozy on the inside, with outside sitting as well. The inside is rustically decorated, surrounded by shelves and shelves of Greek products, which is pretty impressive. Basically, if you choose to sit inside, you will end up getting that comfortable and warm fuzzy feeling, like you are eating from your kitchen dining table.

The sitting arrangement outdoors is flexible, you can shift or join the chairs and tables according to the size of your party. There’s a kids play area in the vicinity, meaning you can bring along your trouble-makers for a meal and some play time.

Anyway, after what seemed like an eternity since we made our main order, the food finally arrived. For the record, the food takes a bit of time to come through because they make each order from scratch, which is understandable.

What to Eat at the Wooden Cellar Greek Deli

I had “Moussaka”, which is a traditional dish comprising seasoned layers of eggplants, potatoes, and minced meat topped with béchamel. I could feel the flavors in this dish doing the dance of Zorba in my mouth. The distinct taste took me to a faraway little wooden house by the creek, over-looking the distant blue waters in the afternoon, while grandmother’s signature cooking filled the wooden abode. If I could take a picture of this, I would, but for now, you will have to just take my word for it or go to the Wooden Cellar Greek Deli itself.

My partner had “Horiatiki”, a Greek salad made with tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, kalamata olives, and Greek feta cheese. He also had a side of chicken skewers, which tasted as good as they looked. In total, we ended up paying AED 136, which I would call a fair price.

The menu has a wide range of foods, from freshly made breakfasts with Greek bread to yummy-looking desserts and slow-cooked casseroles (for those in love with slow cookers like yours truly). They also have personalized catering services for events or just a simple house party.

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So next time you crave some tastes of the past or simpler times, pop into the Wooden Cellar Greek Deli and experience traditional ingredients and recipes authentically brought together by a very traditional and passionate Greek chef (I didn’t get to meet her though). You might just be surprised where your dish of choice takes you!