March 27, 2026 |
Spring has, at long last, sprung. Pub goers are slowly migrating to their beloved beer gardens and humming office chitter-chatter shifts its focus from grey skies to blue. And if spring signals one thing to sun-deprived Britons, it’s that summer is also on its way. However, if you’re an impatient soul and want to embrace that balmy holiday energy earlier than the calendar permits, there is a solution nestled behind a grand gateway on Southwark Street. That solution, sun chasers, is Pyro.
A fairly new addition to London’s culinary scene, opening its doors in May 2025, Pyro is chef Yiannis Mexis‘ first restaurant. Describing itself as a place “where the fire never goes out,” it roots itself in the warmth of Greek hospitality, and you feel its glow as soon as you walk in. To mark the introduction of a new set menu, which includes an assortment of starters, a main, sides and a dessert, and boasts a series of reworked Mediterranean staples (think spanakopita pastel de natas and celeriac souvlaki skewers), me and a friend were invited down.
Crucially, my friend possesses that unfortunate affliction where her stomach cannot handle any gluten. Poor sod. Occasionally, this can make eating out slightly unpleasant for her. Many people don’t take her seriously and sometimes claim things pass the GF test and we later find they in fact, don’t. This leads me onto one of our favourite things about Pyro, which was the service. Our server – shout out Giovanni – was one of the most helpful I think I’ve ever had in my history of dining out. He marked up a menu for us that clearly showed which dishes had gluten, which could have the gluten removed, etc. On top of that, he was chatty, funny and elevated our experience tenfold. Another honourable mention goes out to our sommelier, who I regretfully didn’t manage to catch the name of. Dapperly dressed and equipped with some killer wine pairings from Attica to Amyndeon, he ensured our drinks were replaced with frequency (too right) and also suggested two very delicious cocktails – a spicy margarita and a piña colada, specifically.
The breezy and inviting attitude of each server was reflective of how Pyro holds itself in general. The tables are scattered and spaced out so nobody feels like they’re sitting on top of each other. Hanging from the ceiling are wide-brimmed lampshades made from plaited straw, reminiscent of a beach club on a sea-lapped coast, where cover ups and linen shirts reign supreme. Wooden beams hold up a pergola-style ceiling, whilst an open kitchen bustles on in the back corner. The chefs zig zag around each other, garnishing, frying and cooking over open flames, their short-sleeved khaki shirts adding to the illusion that you might actually be in a country which regularly swims above 25 degrees celsius. A meal at Pyro is like being transported to an Aegean island, where the only thing troubling you is what flavour ice cream to order… and dodgy tan lines.
The food itself however, moved away from the casual tone of its surroundings, with each dish exquisitely crafted. Despite choosing our dishes from the wider à la carte selection (slightly safer for my GF baddie), we still managed to sample a large portion of the dishes that made up the newly introduced set menu. For example, we kicked off with a sourdough potato pita, charred to perfection, and a selection of crudités that were arranged like bouquet, we wiped clean plates filled with fresh tzatziki and smoked aubergine. Next came the sea bream, where the fish itself became the plate, olives and capers chopped and mixed in to create a ceviche-like dish spritzed with lime. For mains, we switched from sharing plates to individual portions, where I opted for a juicy slab of chicken with crispy skin accompanied by a wild mushroom porridge, whilst my guest went for the chalkstream trout (a set menu hero dish) garnished with artichokes and grapefruit. In true holiday fashion, we didn’t skimp on the sides either. Crispy layered potatoes which melted in the mouth (also on the set menu) and a grilled hispi cabbage were tasty vehicles for mopping up all remaining sauces, dressings and dips. Convincing ourselves we just about had time for dessert, we sampled the citrus meringue tart and a layered trifle made of chocolate, sesame and soaked in strongly brewed Greek coffee. It was finger lickin’, lip smackin’, downright delicious. And with such strong service and a design that made you want to click your heels three times and end up in Mykonos, a trip to Pyro will make you feel you don’t have to travel too far to let the good times roll.
Photography courtesy of Pyro.
