A GLASGOW restaurant is gearing up to bring an authentic taste of the Mediterranean to the heart of the city this summer amid the excitement of the European Championships.

Elia Greek Restaurant, on George Square, which is the “beating heart” of the event, is offering something to its customers many other Mediterranean restaurants in the city is not.

Owner George Leronymidis, and his Scots-born wife Lorna have been using olive oil made from plants they grow in their own olive groves in Crete.

The couple is so proud of the product that they’ve even started to bottle it up so their customers can take it home.

The business owner has also revealed plans to introduce a new way of dining.

George insists that the freshest of ingredients must be used in all the restaurant’s dishes and so he buys daily from the market, and enhancing flavours with his own home-grown herbs. 

Using local Scottish produce, Elia offers a choice of dishes, such as traditional moussaka, the popular kleftiko and, hot from the grill, skewers of lamb, pork or king prawns.

The entrepreneur originally ran a restaurant in the West End of Glasgow, but moved to his current address, overlooking the City Chambers, in 2010.

George has always worked in catering and, when he met Lorna, moved to Glasgow almost 30 years ago.

He said: “When I met Lorna, it was inevitable that I would open my own restaurant here in Glasgow.

“With an extensive wine list of Greek origin, starters and salads with a distinctive Greek flavour, and desserts that conjure the best of Grecian holidays, our customers can take their time enjoying the best that Greece has to offer right in the centre of Glasgow over the course of the European Championship and beyond.”

He now wants to offer his customers a new way of dining as he plans to introduce a meze menu that changes each week.

Combining a sharing experience of small dishes, similar to tapas, George explained: “Meze is the perfect way to sample a variety of different dishes while dining out with friends in the relaxed, friendly atmosphere of the taverna-style hospitality.”

Now firmly settled with Lorna and his sons Michael and Stephen in the city that has become his second home, George intends to continue to bring his clientele a taste of the Mediterranean that is uniquely, and deliciously, Hellenic.

He added: “It’s a little bit of Greece, right here in the heart of Glasgow.”

Today sees the start of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, an exciting and innovative new multi-sports event bringing together 12 sports over 11 days of thrilling international competition.

Elia customers are being reminded that George Square will have no access to vehicles, but to pedestrians only, until August 12.

Alongside the sporting endeavours, there will be lots of family-orientated music, arts and sporting attractions.