There you will almost certainly meet Maro Zaroudoukas. Except for a few days’ annual leave she is in at 6am daily, and out only at 5.30 pm. Among her many gifts is the ability to make people hungry. And then happy.
Or she will sally out between the tables to persuade a thirsty dropper-in, ordering only one of her Fresh Greens , to sip it slowly over lunch. Which – she has the unsuspecting first-timer eating out of her hand in no time – might be her five-hour-roasted, pulled lamb flatbread with all the trimmings. These include very fine tzatziki, and feta so superior you will never countenance a wodge of cheap Danish stuff again.
The 16-or-so-item array beckons seductively from a table between the inside and alfresco seating. There’s my favourite, traditional Loukatina – a base of nuts and cinnamon, layered with custard, fresh cream and roasted almonds. There are various of Maro’s own inventions, including a lush mille-feuille sort of Greek custard slice; and a modern riff on an old favourite, her baklava cheesecake. There is a splendid plain vanilla pound cake. There are three very different chocolate numbers.
Maro has had a faithful fan base for 22 years, ever since she re-invented the boerewors roll for a Durban flea market, turning it Greek overnight. She’d brown onions, make fresh tomato sauce, reduce balsamic vinegar, whip up tzatziki and hummus the night before, and serve them with the wors. Instant approval, giving her the confidence to move on to several coffee shop franchises before opening Zaras.