Meet James Dimitri, a London-based food blogger with a passion for exploring diverse cuisines and uncovering hidden food gems. James often travels and documents his experiences with an emphasis on authenticity and local culture.
1. Where does your love of food stem from?
I'm half Greek-Cypriot so food was always very important at home growing up. My mum and grandma are both great cooks so I'm always comparing to their dishes when eating Greek or English food. Also, after university I worked at Harrods in the food orders department. My job was doing food shops for the rich and sending it out. This gave me a lot of exposure to high quality, interesting produce I didn't know about before.
2. What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?
It's a bit of an impossible question but Cervejaria Ramiro is one of my favourite restaurants. Whenever I go back to Lisbon, it's the first place I go. In terms of quality and variety of seafood for the price it's unbeatable. You've got to love the semi-chaotic atmosphere and glasses of crisp Super Bock hitting your table before you finish the one before too. The must-order dishes for me is the crab, tiger prawns, Carabineros and steak sandwich (for dessert). Locals will often say they know a better place for seafood but it doesn't exist.
3. What’s your favourite cuisine?
Also a very hard question but I'm going to have to say Greek. For the past four years I've been visiting Greece a few times a year, specifically the islands. I love how dishes change from island to island. Also if I go to France, Italy or Spain I'm not eating that healthy. French food is so rich, Italian is so carb heavy and in Spain often the only green thing you can find on a menu is padron peppers. When I come back from Greece i'm feeling healthier.
4. What’s the best spot in London for cheap eats?
It's an obvious answer but Singburi. All the dishes are amazing, especially the crispy pork belly and clams. Because it's BYOB you can have a great meal for £30. It's best to go in a group. It's a shame it's impossible to get a booking though.
5. If you could have any chef, dead or alive, cook you a private dinner, who would it be?
Keith Floyd.
6. What’s your biggest dining pet peeve?
People who chew with their mouth open. Also people who eat on the London Underground.
7. What’s the best country for food?
Kind of already answered this in the cuisine question.
8. What’s your favourite hidden gem in London?
It's hard to say because in an age of social media anything that is truly a gem isn't going to be hidden for long. One spot that I went to recently that I never see other people posting about is Ewart's Jerk in Dalston. Everything they do there is on point - jerk chicken, jerk pork, curry goat, oxtail stew. I love Caribbean spots that have the drums outside the front too. The smoke always adds to the atmosphere.
9. How has your food philosophy changed since you started blogging?
I eat a lot less "junk" food/street food these days. You can't eat as much fried chicken and burgers in your 30s as you did in your 20s. I'm also a lot less interested in any of the markets.
10. What was the turning point when you realised your blog was gaining a significant audience?
I'm not sure. I've been posting food for nearly ten years and it always has been, and still is, just a hobby to me. It's only in the past year that my following has started blowing up though. I think I had a few reels in a row that went viral and this helped. It's just whether the algorithm favours you or not.
11. What’s been the most rewarding aspect of being a food blogger?
Other than saving money because from getting free food I just like doing it for the love. I have people messaging me all the time saying that they've been using my guides when travelling and it made their trip.
12. What’s the most memorable food experience you’ve had while travelling?
Probably my first trip to Mexico. Mexican is one of my favourite cuisines and Mexico City is one of my favourite places to eat. The tacos hit completely different to anything i'd tried before when i went there.
If you want a tried and true recommendation, James Dimitri is your man. With a wide variety of travel guides, he'll tick a lot of your boxes. If you'd like to take a look at some of James' favourite spots, follow him on Appetite @jamesdimitri.
Comments