Cosy Guildford café named best in South East - and dishes start at £1.60

Article by Surrey Live (Image: Victoria Shipp/SurreyLive)

A Guildford café inspired by its founders’ Greek roots has built a reputation for serving authentic Mediterranean food that caters to everyone and at prices that won’t break the bank. Fresco DeliKafessen, on Friary Street, offers everything from brunch to dinner with dishes starting at just £1.60. Now, the independent eatery has been named one of the best in the South East at the Beautiful South Tourism Awards.

Since opening in 2015 the independent business has been recognised at a local and national level through Tripadvisor, the Good Food Awards, and Restaurant Guru. The journey began in 2015 when two graduates of the University of Surrey created an authentic Greek coffee house and bakery based on memory and experiences of their homeland.

Co-founder Dimitrios Lazaridis said_ he has kept prices low, and menu items range from £1.60, to £8.70. As well as this there are extensive drink options, some with their own Mediterranean twists._

When asked about his cafe’s success at award shows, Dimitrios said: “The authenticity. My city back in Greece, the second biggest city, I considered it as a big village, which is a nice thing. Even here, I wanted to recreate this. I am proud of it and I love it.

“We have good homemade batters that we can make crepes and waffles. You can choose between vegan and gluten free and normal ones. We can create a good price. The portions are big and fulfilling.

“Then we have pastries, sweet and vegan as well vegetarian and meaty. We’ll be preparing our new menu with traditional Greek dishes. Everything will be baked upstairs in the morning. Whatever we can do to give our customers an affordable option, any dietary option. Brunch , lunch and even dinner.”

Dimotrios said he first came to Surrey for university, but decided not to pursue a career in engineering. Instead he wanted to do something "where he could help more people".

Dimitrios said: “What we do we try to give the best of quality. We are family here. We still spread these vibes. We are a community here. I grew up with very nice and beautiful food from my parents from Greece."