Restaurant Reviews
Get the party started with Australia’s best Greek food
NSW THE APOLLO
44 Macleay Street, Potts Point (02) 8354 0888 theapollo.com.au Open Friday-Sunday for lunch and seven days for dinner When The Apollo landed a few years ago, it set a new benchmark for Greek dining in Sydney. The interiors – by George Livissianis, the man behind Longrain and Cho Cho San – veer away from the usual Med-blue and whitewashed cliché to deliver a sleek palette of industrial grey and pink pastels, along with concrete floors and walls and a long marble bar. The design mimics the direction of the food: a contemporary cache that finds its roots in Greek cuisine but manifests in a modern Australian meal where simplicity rules. Honey adds a luscious note to beautifully baked saganaki cheese, while lemon, chilli and parsley partner gently grilled sardines. Greek yoghurt is drizzled over slow-roasted lamb shoulder that falls off the bone when a fork touches it. It all comes to a sweet end with the famous avgolemono pie, a concoction of lemon curd and meringue that turns the familiar egg-and-lemon soup on its head. ↓
ALPHA
238 Castlereagh Street, Sydney (02) 9098 1111 alpharestaurant.com.au Open Monday-Friday for breakfast and seven days for lunch and dinner This Neoclassical Greek restaurant honours traditional dishes as much as it reimagines them. At this glamorous eating house in the heart of the city, diners can eat al fresco on the terrace or at the marble bar in the restaurant proper. Chef Peter Conistis’s food is designed to be shared, as all good Greek should be. White cod’s roe dip (aka taramasalata) is a rich, salty delight. Macaroni kofto and cherry tomatoes support wonderfully toothsome twicecooked octopus, while Cretan-style braised lentils provide a bed for Wagyu beef souvlaki. But the real star of any meal here is the signature moussaka with eggplant and seared scallops.
1821
122 Pitt Street, Sydney (02) 8080 7070 universalhotels.com.au Open seven days for lunch and dinner For years, David Tsirekas presided over Perama in Petersham, a neighbourhood Greek eatery beloved by locals. Now he’s the emperor of a three-level colossus on Pitt Street. Named after the year the Greek Revolution began, 1821 features white walls, exposed bricks and décor that was designed and built in Athens before being shipped to Australia. Dine on the mezzanine overlooking the booths below or around the small island bar, which serves an array of Greek and local wines and beers. The food is a mix of Mediterranean mashup and traditional Greek. Pork belly is presented as baklava and san choy bow gets a Greek spin. But the Moussaka Circa 1910 – consisting of eggplant, braised lamb, orange and potato – is the real heartwarming joy.
SA MEZE-MAZI
86b Prospect Road, Prospect (08) 8269 2777 mezemazi.com Open Friday-Sunday for lunch and Tuesday-Sunday for dinner Adelaide-born Andrew Papadakis grew up in Greece and was an accountant until he saw the light and returned to his home town to open Meze-Mazi, a simple, light-filled corner restaurant that has rapidly won fans. Its menu of mostly homely family recipes from Crete – thanks to his grandmothers – includes favourites such as slow-cooked lamb shoulder glazed with honey and mustard and fall-apart beef shoulder in a rich tomato sauce. Start with a plate of crisp whitebait if it’s available and finish with crunchy Nutella-topped loukoumades (honey puffs). With Greek-born chefs and floor staff, plus bold flavours, this is as authentic as it gets. If you want more Greek than this, you’ll have to get on a plane.
THE GREEK ON HALIFAX
75-79 Halifax Street, Adelaide (08) 8223 3336 thegreek.com.au Open seven days for breakfast, lunch and dinner Overseen by second-generation Greek-Australian Mary Galantomos, the sense of tradition at “The Greek” is reflected by the many family photographs on the walls and, more to the point, its home-style Greek cooking. The dozen or so umbrella-sheltered outdoor tables beckon on a sunny day, while the series of small rooms inside – most of them light and airy – feel intimate and warm, thanks to the historic red-brick walls and landmark chimney (a remnant of the century-old building’s former incarnation as the city’s “refuse destructor”). Fire is used to much better effect these days, with chargrilled octopus, quail, gyros and souvlaki among the many classic dishes on offer, while the gargantuan seafood or meat platters are ideal for sharing at a large table.
VIC IPSOS
48 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne (03) 5289 1883 ipsosrestaurant.com.au Open Thursday-Monday for lunch and dinner (open seven days for lunch and dinner from December to March) History came full circle in 2015, when Alex and Dominic Talimanidis took up the same oceanfront site that housed their parents’ acclaimed Greek restaurant, Kosta’s, for 28 years. Now the younger generation is showing the holiday hotspot how Greek food is done, with a kitchen that deploys excellent produce – much of it local seafood – treated simply and respectfully. The taramasalata is a case in point: the creamy, silken dip embedded with the salty tang of Australian roe. Chargrilled octopus with kipfler potatoes and tomato salsa and the lamb keftethes (meatballs) with tzatziki also kick goals for excellence. Aided by smart service and an equally smart wine list, Ipsos is a beacon of hospitality that outshines the coast’s famous lighthouse.
THE PRESS CLUB
72 Flinders Street, Melbourne (03) 9677 9677 thepressclub.com.au Open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch and dinner It can be hard to know which way to turn with George Calombaris’s Neo-Grecian empire, which includes three Hellenic Republic tavernas, a modern party joint known as Gazi and six lickety-split Jimmy Grants souva shops. But heading to the pointy end of the chef’s culinary ambition means dining at The Press Club, the luxe restaurant where the décor approximates a billionaire’s yacht anchored off Corfu and the dégustation menu is set to impress. The mini Hills hoist pegged with snacks has become a signature, replete with Aussie-Greek intent, while contemporary takes on traditional flavours – charry octopus served with lemon three ways; lamb shoulder and pickled caper leaves; yoghurt sorbet with fennel flowers and caramelised olive oil – display no less wit.
KALIMERA SOUVLAKI ART
41 Chester Street, Oakleigh (03) 9939 3912 kalimerasouvlakiart.com.au Open seven days for lunch and dinner It’s cheap as chips, though the record ought to note that the chips are mighty good at this jumping joint run by an expat Greek couple in south-east Oakleigh. But, then, everything on this tight menu is mighty good. Chef Ben Shewry, from Melbourne’s globally esteemed Attica, reckons the souvlaki – with fluffy Greek pita bread, chips, tzatziki and oregano-flecked meat – is the best you’ll find anywhere. The pork gyros platter also gets his seal of approval (you can opt for chicken, lamb kebab or mixed skewers, too). Just add housemade dips, such as taramasalata, spicy cheese and eggplant, and a healthy Cretan salad with barley rusks, fetta, tomato, olives and capers. Then sit back and reflect on Melbourne, the city said to have the largest Hellenic population outside of Greece.
WA BRIKA
3/177 Stirling Street, Perth 0455 321 321 brika.com.au Open Friday-Sunday for lunch and seven days for dinner Technically, this high-energy diner is a small bar rather than a restaurant but that hasn’t stopped Brika from earning a well-deserved reputation for bold Hellenic eats. The kitchen plays it straight with favourites – such as benchmark-worthy renditions of mulletroe taramasalata, spanakopita “cigars” (cheese-and-spinach pie) and gyros stuffed with rotisserie meats and chips – but it’s also adept at less familiar takes on Greek cuisine. Keftethes come in goat and octopus iterations, while rabbit and orzo (grain-shaped pasta) star in the one-dish wonder youvetsi. Factor in a wondrous array of Grecian libations that takes in everything from wines to ouzo and it’s little wonder that the party on Stirling Street continues to rage.
LADY OF RO
345 Rokeby Road, Subiaco 0417 185 671 Open Tuesday-Saturday for dinner Although they’ve sold the place, Despina and Brian Tanner will be remembered by Perth diners as the couple behind Boucla, the Subiaco café where the spread of cakes and sweets had the potential to derail even the most iron-willed patron. The Tanners didn’t go far, though. These days, they spend their time overseeing Lady of Ro, a cosy whitewashed diner next door. Although the menu is broadly Mediterranean (gnocchi tricolore, for example, is a dish of dense housemade dumplings in a pool of tomato sugo, basil and mozzarella), many of the highlights have a Greek accent. Freo sardines are cured in-house, while marinated and charred eggplant and capsicum strips are sweet and smoky in all the right places. Dessert, as you’d expect, is non-negotiable. If Despina’s legendary soufra (a filo-and-custard pie dusted with cinnamon-spiked sugar) is on the menu, order it at once then seriously consider having a second slice.
TAS URBAN GREEK
103 Murray Street, Hobart (03) 6109 4712 urbangreekhobart.com Open Friday and Sunday for lunch and seven days for dinner When the Kakkos family took over the beautiful site that was home to Garagistes restaurant in central Hobart, they decided to share generations of recipes from their homeland, the island of Crete. The walls have been painted with bold imagery from Greek mythology by local street artist Jamin Kluss, the atmosphere is social and share plates are the way to go (there are seats at the bar if you’re dining solo). The saganaki cheese (grilled kefalotiri with lemon, oregano and housemade fig jam) is a perfect combination of salty, sour and sweet. Pair it with a Volkan Santorini Blonde pilsner and from there, move onto the tsigariasta (sautéed spinach, silverbeet, leek and fennel with egg) or Pirates Bay octopus cooked over charcoal then dressed with olive oil and vinegar. The indecisive should take the banquet path; the Minotaur offers seven share plates or, for eight, see the good doctor Hippocrates.
QLD HELLENIKA GREEK EATERY
2235 Gold Coast Highway, Nobby Beach (07) 5572 8009 hellenika.com.au Open Sunday for lunch and seven days for dinner Hellenika takes the heart and soul of the taverna experience and adds a slick, contemporary edge. Everything moves at a frantic pace in the sprawling dining room as efficient staff dart around to get the food out fast, keeping pace with a lively Greek soundtrack. The first bite of crisp, flash-fried zucchini chips with a generous scattering of sheep’s cheese makes it clear why demand for tables is high. Octopus and baby calamari are tender and perfectly charred from the wood fire, unadorned but for a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil and scattered herbs. It’s best to get a group together and share because no-one should have to decide between the aged loukanika (spicy sausage) and the classic baked lamb. The bougatsa – a golden, flaky pastry filled with creamy custard – is our pick of the desserts.
LITTLE GREEK TAVERNA
Shop 5, 1 Browning Street, West End (07) 3255 2215 littlegreektaverna.com.au Open Tuesday-Sunday for lunch and dinner This friendly, family-run eatery is hard to beat when it comes to home-style Greek fare. Select from a list of meze that includes housemade dips, classic fried zucchini with tzatziki and tiropita (crisp, golden pastries stuffed with a decadent mixture of warm fetta and ricotta). Check the specials board for moussaka or opt for the generous serve of souvlaki, which comes with a choice of salad or chips. In addition to the traditional gyros, there’s grilled seafood such as octopus, prawns, calamari and scallops. You can bring your own beer and wine and they’ll throw in the party atmosphere (come on a Friday night for live bouzouki music). This casual little taverna occupies the corner position at a busy intersection in eclectic West End. With tables spilling onto the footpath on two streets, it’s a great spot for people-watching.
ACT FILLOS TAVERNA + BAR
Matilda Street, Woden (02) 6281 1466 hellenicclub.com.au Open seven days for lunch and dinner Canberra’s CBD dwellers might baulk at an odyssey to the ’burbs but it’s worth the trip to this restaurant at The Hellenic Club, where succulent wood-fired lamb shoulder with lemon patates (roast potatoes) and dreamy moussaka topped with creamy nutmeg béchamel await. Turquoise walls and white rattan chairs offer a casual Med vibe in which to savour fava bean or white taramasalata dips, pan-fried calamari (only available if it’s guaranteed to be fresh from the sea) and heavenly spanakopita – all housemade by the Moustakas family – before diving into the epic mains.
NT MANOLI’S GREEK TAVERNA
Shop 4, 64 Smith Street, Darwin (08) 8981 9120 manolisgreektaverna.com.au Open Tuesday-Friday for lunch and Tuesday-Saturday for dinner When Darwin’s Greek families can’t be bothered with the backyard souvla, chances are you’ll find them at Manoli’s. The menus are laminated, the blue-checked tablecloths are topped with plastic and the food would do any yiayia and papou proud. Small plates emerge from the kitchen, bearing dips, pita, briefly fried chicken livers, tender little lamb chops, calamari and zucchini with garlicky skordalia. Of course, there’s also souvlaki and moussaka. It’s an aromatic parade of Greek culinary hits and explains why Manoli’s is often full. It’s best to book (or take away) but the hospitable staff can usually squeeze you in.