Family Restaurant Shares What It Wants Everyone to Know After ‘Unfair’ Rating

A family-run restaurant that has been serving authentic Greek cuisine for half a century has changed the game with a glowing food hygiene report.

Zorbas Restaurant, on Leece Street, was given a disappointing one-star hygiene rating last year, which Liverpool City Council inspectors blamed on issues with documentation and labelling and food refrigeration. The restaurant has now bounced back after another inspection in March this year, where it was rated ‘good’ in all areas, achieving the maximum five-star rating.

Restaurant owner Louisa Michael told the ECHO: “I want people to know that my restaurant is spotless, top quality meat, top quality food. It’s all homemade.

“We don’t buy anything ready-made. Because of the red tape, we got a lower quality. Now everything is perfect. It wasn’t a question of hygiene.”

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One of Liverpool’s oldest restaurants, Zorbas opened in 1974 and remains both a dining destination and a visual landmark, with its striking blue and white exterior mimicking the style of a traditional Greek island home. It was founded by chef Haralambos Michael, who came from Cyprus to bring a taste of his own traditional cuisine to the city.

He was joined by Louisa a few years later, and the couple continue to run the family restaurant, which has seen many surrounding businesses come and go over the years.