Dolmades are little parcels of vine leaves wrapped around a filling, and they're one of the classic dishes on a Greek mezze table. They're on our menu at Nonòs Judd Street, our Greek Mediterranean kitchen and bar at 112 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NT, five minutes' walk from King's Cross St Pancras. Here's a short guide to what they are, and what to eat with them.
A word that means "stuffed"
Dolma is the name for a whole family of stuffed dishes linked with Ottoman cooking. The word is Turkish and means "something stuffed" or "filled". In Greece, stuffed vine leaves are called dolmades (ντολμάδες), and versions are eaten right across the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Caucasus.
Some dolmades are made with minced meat in the filling. Meat-free versions, filled with seasoned rice, have their own name in Greek: ntolmadakia gialantzi. The last word comes from the Turkish yalancı, meaning "fake", because there's no meat inside. Food historian Andrew Dalby suggests stuffed vine leaves were already being made in late Roman and early Byzantine times. Wikipedia's dolma page has the full story.
Our dolmades
The Dolmades on our à la carte menu are aromatic vine leaves filled with a mixture of rice, tomato and fresh herbs. They're marked vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free (V, VG, GF), so they suit almost everyone at the table.
A plant-based mezze spread
Dolmades are at their best as one of several small plates. These are all marked V, VG and GF on our menu, so together they make a vegan, gluten-free spread:
- Hummus Greek Style: chickpeas, tahini and lemon.
- Melitzanosalata: smoked aubergine and roasted pepper dip.
- Gigantes Beans: super-sized beans baked in a rich tomato sauce.
- Grilled Vegetables: pepper, courgette and aubergine with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze.
- Greek Olives, marinated in herbs and extra virgin olive oil.
If you're not avoiding dairy, add tzatziki or the filo triangles with spinach and feta. Our guides to Greek dips, vegetarian and vegan Greek food and eating gluten-free have more.
Siobhan's advice for a first visit was to come hungry to enjoy plenty of the mezze starters as well as mains
(Siobhan B., Google review). Tom's table did exactly that: We ordered several small plates
(Tom L., Google review), before moving on to skewers.
A glass of Greek wine
Two Greek whites on our list go well with a mezze table: the Makedonikos White, which is fresh, crisp, light and citrussy, and a Retsina made from Savatiano grapes, dry and crisp with a pine aroma. Our guide to Greek wine explains what to expect from retsina.
“Aron and Jan were the best! Immaculate food and even better vibes.”
Alyssa, Google review, October 2026
Good to know
- Address: 112 Judd Street, King's Cross, London WC1H 9NT. Phone 020 7278 9700.
- Hours: Sunday to Wednesday 08:30–22:00, Thursday to Saturday 08:30–23:00. The à la carte menu starts at noon.
- Allergies: please speak to our team about allergies and dietary requirements. Menus may vary slightly by location and season.
Order a plate of dolmades for the table and build from there. Book a table at Nonòs Judd Street or just walk in.