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What Restaurant Offers Greek Food In Melbourne?

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    The myth goes that Greek cuisine is the product of an XXXperience between European and Mediterranean cooking styles. On the contrary, it's a one-of-a-kind flavour combination that combines the finest of both worlds and never fails to satisfy. In Melbourne's finest Greek restaurants, there is pita bread, souvlaki, slow-cooked lamb, rotisserie chicken, seafood, dolmades, cheeses, and baklava.

    greek food1

    Melbourne's Greek Cuisine

    To satisfy all hunger, you need more than a dish of dips. Perhaps a few olives would be nice. To drink with the slow-cooked lamb with fried cheese, some Retsina and ouzo wouldn't hurt, either. If you've got a craving for Greek food, Melbourne has you covered for souvas.

    Elyros

    The sheep. The lamb was the most delicious lamb I've ever had. After being cooked at a low temperature for 10 hours, the flesh is tender, salty, and easy to eat with your fingers. The fat has been offered into the dark caramel chew, and the underlying smoosh of rosemary and garlic adds a pleasant note of brightness. The golden chips, toasted in olive oil, are served on the side.

    What we have here is a perfect example of the elegance of clarity. To add insult to injury, we're currently located in Camberwell. Fortunate them.

    Although Angela Giannakodakis, Guy Holder, & Nese Dimitrakakis only gave birth to Elyros less than two months ago, the neighbourhood has already taken to the younger, more culinary-focused outpost and its regional Greek fare.

    Only yesterday, Melbourne hurried out of the fake taverna serving endless pink dips. Now here we are, getting down with molluscs in the shell in stifado, a "stew" made with tomatoes and onions that is intense with aromatics and ocean-punchy pilchards which arrive with their tails and heads poking out of their rhizome leaf pillows.

    Look out the stunning Art Deco window of a former financial building across the street to a Sophia pizza mammoth and be happy that change is on the horizon for Bourke Road.

    The urns, chandeliers, and the palest blue ceiling at Elyros give the restaurant a mid-century elegant fit for Maria Callas, and the staff ensures everything runs well. Despite his French heritage, sommelier Thomas Eveno has developed a taste for and an arsenal of Greek digestives. So don't think you can leave Elyros without downing a shot of a mastic liqueur on the way out.

    The Greek Restaurant at Jim's Place

    Jim's is endearing partly because of the chaotic service and lack of a menu. You should expect to pay between $50 and $70 for each person again for dinner, with such a la carte courses costing between $10 and $30. Then, a waiter strolls over and calmly runs down the menu items: "Dips, saganaki, squid, inertial measurement units, Greek salad..." We nod our heads in agreement at each item on the list. In addition, we know from experience that grilled tiger shrimp are a must-have, so we add those to the list. The banquet is highly recommended for large groups, while smaller parties can order a la carte from the menu or the wait staff's recommendations. Although they offer house wine, customers are better off bringing their own, especially if corkage is free.

    Start with a spread of olives, stewed vegetables and beans, and chopped morsels of boiling, delicate octopus seasoned in olive oil, parsley, and lemon juice; serve with a kaleidoscope of dips such as taramasalata, tzatziki, and baba ganoush and a basket with crusty bread to sop up the juices.

    The saganaki wedge on the side is seasoned with lemon and has a nice, firm texture. We'd order more of the $6 tiger prawns, but their size and the subtle smokiness of the chargrilling put us off. So instead, we couldn't help but order a heaping serving of rotisserie-cooked lamb.

    It has the expected richness and saltiness, but there's too much of it. So, if any tables don't finish, the waiting crew is prepared with to-go boxes.

    Surprisingly, vegetarians are well-catered-to, with options such as lightly battered, deep-fried zucchini slices, thick chunks of beetroot slathered in a vinegary sauce, delicious butter beans cooked in olive oil, and the classic Greek salad with feta, olives, and tomatoes.

    Some diners who have reservations between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. stay well past their cutoff time, much to the dismay of the second wave of guests, who are not.

    Jim's Greek Tavern is a reminder that traditional Greek cuisine is cosy and unassuming and serves huge portions in a city where George Calombaris' polished and sprawling business has become shorthand for Greek food.

    The Tsindos Greek Restaurant

    Tsindos Greek Restaurant, located in the centre of Melbourne, provides a genuine taste of the Mediterranean for hungry patrons. When combined with authentic Greek cuisine and helpful staff who can communicate with customers in their native language, this creates a memorable cultural experience.

    Tsindos, which has been open since 1970, is successful because of the two banquet menus and the collection of carefully crafted meals the restaurant's dedicated staff provides for large parties. You can start with fried sardines in a cool Santorini sauce, then go on to a meat plate with chicken skewers, keftedes pork chop, Greek sausage, and lamb and chicken gyros for the main course. Warm honey balls rolled in cinnamon, icing sugar, and chopped walnuts are great for a meal.

    Jimmy Grants

    Initially, he opened the Gazi, a laid-back Greek eatery and bar. The original Press Club will reopen as a kitchen in the October reopening of the smaller section. This month's featured business is the upscale souvlaki restaurant owned by Calombaris, Jimmy Grants. This is not some seedy dive bar. Instead, you can grab a bag of slow-roasted lamb, a pint of ouzo for five pounds, and two enormous fresh salads stuffed with nuts, barley, and zesty handfuls of rough-cut parsley. In addition, we now have a new standard for kebabs.

    Jimmy's is practically as affordable as its inspiration, a hot dog stand, unlike the upscale versions found in Melbourne. There are three enormous steamed dim sims for $6, and they are well worth every penny. Chicken mince, sweet sautéed cabbage, and salty capers are encased in glistening wonton wrappers.

    The double-meat combo king of our six-solid menu, the Bonegilla souvlaki, is available for $8.50.

    Kebab pricing at the Car Wash. Here, for one penny, you can purchase a charred, silky flatbread loaded with hot chips, meaty chunks of lamb shoulder, and rotisserie chicken seasoned with a jolt of mustard, parsley, and sour caramelised onions. Even while it's neither particularly large nor drenched in sweet pepper sauce, it more than makes up for it in its unabashed goodness.

    For only a buck more, you can upgrade to one with grilled prawns and cucumber. What about a meat platter, instead? A platter of lamb or chicken, plus a large serving of cucumber & yoghurt dip, will set you back $16. For an extra $5, you can get a side of flatbreads and a lemony iceberg salad.

    It's a popular place for people travelling between Northcote and the CBD to stop and rest on their way to or from the CBD, so the communal table and bar stools are always full.

    Bahari

    bahari

    MasterChef judge who knows that Greek restaurants attract significant crowds in Melbourne.

    The mixed olives are a great way to start your Greek voyage, pickled in oil and lemon with spices like mouth-numbing fennel seeds. The next course is a platter of dips served with fresh bread from Mr Pitta: tzatziki, trauma, and melitzanosalata (smoked eggplant).

    Vegetables stuffed with salty halloumi, feta, and kefalograviera (a hard cheese derived from sheep and goat's milk) are a nice change of pace from the usual saganaki, which can become monotonous after a while.

    There are feta and mizithra cheese-packed zucchini flowers sprinkled with mint and lemon zest. You could skip the curds and go straight for the pig meatballs flavoured with fennel and chilli and doused in a sauce made from green olives, tomatoes, and roasted peppers.

    Organic grass-fed lamb shoulder marinating in lemon, rosemary, and garlic for eight hours before being roasted is a testament to the fact that simplicity is key when working with high-quality ingredients.

    Alati

    If you're searching for Melbourne's best souvlaki, you must stop by Alati Greek Restaurant in Bentleigh off Centre Road. The restaurant has a pleasant outdoor seating area by the sidewalk, perfect for people watching, and a whitewashed interior, with splashes of aqua-coloured sofas and potted plants, where you can enjoy traditional Greek cuisine.

    You can get grilled lamb chops or pork gyros wrapped in pita with romaine, tomatoes, onions, chips, and a homemade mayo mustard sauce, and you can get a Marouli salad with lettuce, cucumber, mint, and dill as sides. The Melina vegan souvlaki comes with vegan "beef," caramelised onion, tomatoes, mushroom, leaf lettuce, chips, and a veg aioli that the kitchen makes from scratch.

    Artwork of a Kalimera Souvlaki

    It's not often that a souvlaki restaurant "goes viral," as the kids say these days. However, Kalimera Souvlaki Art is a humble Oakleigh eatery where the three part of the name holds the clue as to why its addition to the souva repertoire is so damn wonderful.

    Five years ago, they perfected the souvlaki art at their shop. Despite Melbourne's large Greek community, visitors have observed that locals are lukewarm on pork gyros. It's acceptable to eat lamb, but the pig is not. Suddenly, a window of opportunity in the market appeared.

    And the Kalimera Kebabs Art is the pinnacle of pig cooking. Male pigs are used for breeding, whereas females are used because of their milder flavour. Use generous oregano and lemon juice, sprinkle on some paprika and salt, and season with a little touch. Charred, succulent, and sucky.

    Unlike the more frequent Lebanese variety, which may leave the unwary with clothing like the aftermath of the D-grade slasher film, the bread is of the right, springy, sauce-sopping Greek kind that can survive the onslaught from serious condiment action. And, of course, there are chips and salad with their garlicky housemade yogurt sauce snuggled into those happy little pockets, too.

    Not everything is a gyro made of pork. Both the chicken and lamb options are delicious. You get it deconstructed on a platter with chips and salad or packed in those wonderful pita pockets. Consider ordering a Cretan salad instead, a frugal dish consisting of rough tiny barley rusks, feta, tomato, and olives.

    Stalactites

    Stalactites have been rated as Melbourne's top Greek restaurant by several diners. This restaurant has been a neighbourhood mainstay since 1978, serving up souvlaki, traditional dips, and baked items from Greece as an appetiser or dessert.

    The restaurant has various delicious dips, chicken & lamb inertial measurement units, and their moussaka will knock you out if you order it. Not to be missed is the Tsitsipas souvlaki, which features lamb gyro, tomatoes, tahini, fresh plum, fresh thyme, mint, crumbled feta, chips, and a dash of chilli.

    Vénus & Co. Restaurant & Bar

    Venus and Co Kitchen & Bar, located on Victoria Street in Albert Park, serves a contemporary take on traditional Greek Cypriot fare. With its whitewashed walls, brilliant aqua artwork, and trailing vegetation, this trendy restaurant transports diners to the Aegean while serving traditional and modern food.

    Start with fried zucchini blossom, goats milk cheese, halloumi, pine nuts, mint, and beet jam at the table illuminated by hanging globes; go on to slow-roasted lamb shoulder with a honey and pomegranate sauce, confit garlic, and mint yoghurt for two. Have some breathing space? Party diners can have Chef's choice banquet, which includes chocolate halva pudding, pistachio brittle, and King Island cream.

    Tsindos

    There is a wide variety of excellent dining options on Melbourne's Lonsdale Street, and Tsindos Greek Kitchen is no different. For more than 40 years, Tsindos has been providing diners with authentic Greek fare. In addition, Tsindos's relaxed vibe makes it the ideal setting for a serious conversation with close friends.

    Assorted dips, saganaki, steamed shrimp, lentil burgers, Greek salad, crab platters, meat trays, souvlakis, plus desserts are all on the menu at this third-best Greek restaurant in Melbourne. Halloumi, grilled artichokes with feta, fried zucchini, and many more are just a few delicious traditional Greek appetisers.

    Southbank Greek Restaurant Assas

    You'll find Yassas - The Greek Way at Southgate Avenue in Southbank, a restaurant serving traditional Greek fare with a modern Melbourne twist.

    This is the best of three downtown restaurants; the others are in Docklands or Eastland Shopping Mall. Sit outdoors with a glass of wine and watch the sun go down over the Yarra River. The blue and white decor inside makes you feel like you're in the Aegean while choosing options like gyros and seafood platters.

    Grilled halloumi with olive tapenade, toasted figs, and honey makes a great appetiser for a Mediterranean meal, followed by char-grilled lamb cutlets with tabouli with tomato relish, or homemade moussaka with eggplant, meat, potatoes, and bechamel sauce. Have some traditional baklava for a delicious ending.

    A Taverna in Mykonos

    The Mykonos Taverna on Portman Street near Oakleigh will transport you to the Greek Islands without the cost of a plane ticket. You'll feel like you're sitting on the shores of the Mediterranean when you dine in the newly restored dining room, thanks to the life-size mural, quirky fabrics, seashell pendant lighting, stone flooring, and comfortable chairs. Yet, the ocean comes to mind when I see an aqua colour.

    The menus on Mykonos are just as forward-thinking as the island itself, with options like Greek wine and beer to complement the local taste. Start with a mezze platter of fried calamari with garlic butter and salad, Greek meatballs, and eggplant in tomato sauce. Then, go on to the knots lamb, a memorable main dish of slow-cooked lamb chops, veggies, sauteed potatoes, and mushrooms topped with wine.

    Restaurant and Bar Venus & Co.

    For the sake of argument, let's suppose that Venus & Co is indeed a Greek restaurant in downtown Melbourne with a Cyprus touch. Cypriot cuisine combines the best of Greek with Mediterranean cooking styles.

    The restaurant serves up traditional fare and drinks made using premium ingredients. Even so, tread carefully! Their honey and pomegranate sauce on slow-roasted lamb shoulder with confit garlic & minty yoghurt is lethal. On the other hand, the Halva Sundae, which combines sesame ice cream, salted caramel, and sesame brittle, sounds delicious.

    Greek Restaurant & Taverna

    Eat like you're in the middle of the Aegean at GRK Greek Restaurant & Bar along High Street, Thornbury. Its mismatched coloured seats, exposed brick, brilliant Edison bulb lighting, and polished wooden floors provide a rustically warm and welcoming atmosphere perfect for lingering more than a meal with loved ones.

    You can begin your gastronomic journey with char-grilled octopus dressed in olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lemon; classic Cyprus pies packed with ground pork, onion, parsley, and spices; and spit-roasted chicken gyros with pure silverbeet, olive oil, and lemon. Then, for the finest experience, pair your slow-roasted lamb with a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, feta, olives, and vinegar vinaigrette; then conclude with some delicious baklava.

    Agapi

    Agapi has always been one of Melbourne's most popular restaurants for fans of authentic Greek fare. The menu is designed to be shared so you can sample various dishes.

    The best Greek restaurant in Richmond has everything a diner could want, including delicious dips and starters, grills, baked meats, a beautiful setting, and friendly service. So whether you're looking for a romantic dinner for two or a group supper to remember, this restaurant has something for everyone.

    Get To The Greek

    Go To The Greek, located on Beach Street and offering stunning views of Port Melbourne Beach, is a homage to the variety of traditional Greek fare. This restaurant, which features fresh, nutritious fare from all over Greece, has a laid-back beach vibe thanks to its kitschy timber bar, walking stick pendants, and splashes of greenery. Loukaniko, a smoked sausage with beetroot relish or herb-crusted shallow-fried sardine fillet and slaw, make a great start to an Aegean culinary experience, followed by tempting mains like a sluggish lamb, red wine, spices, pasta, and mizithra cheese. Next, mix & match gyros with bread, tahini, lemon-baked potatoes, and salad from the spit, or dig into a platter of real moussaka layered with zucchini, potatoes, ground beef, and eggplant and served by cheddar bechamel.

    Yassa’s

    Yassas is out of this world, with three sites always packed when it opens. We've taken traditional Greek street food and given it a modern Melbourne spin so that you can enjoy the lively atmosphere in Greece with such a Melbourne twist.

    Even though there's something on every menu page, don't miss out on their hallmark dishes. Skepasti is a traditional appetiser consisting of two pita sandwiches stuffed with cheese, tomato, onion, and special sauce and served without chips or salad. It's worth noting that the restaurant also sells gyro snack packs.

    Dinner at Demitri's

    Everything served at Demitri's Feast is guaranteed to be 100% authentic Greek and prepared using the freshest ingredients. Greek and other cinematic masterpieces; a variety of mezze, grilled meats, and seafood, with an interesting collection of drinks, can be found on the menu of this cosy cafe with classic breakfast items and Greek-focused mains, as well as a patio filled with plants.

    The options are broad bean meatballs stuffed with feta, yoghurt, and sluggish goat on lemon potatoes. You can enjoy your meal under the stars in the canopied courtyard at the restaurant's rear.

    Hella Good

    Stalactites, the legendary Greek restaurant, is a master of the souvlaki. They've been in business for nearly four decades and have sold over 10 million souvas; to celebrate, they've created a second restaurant that serves only the world's most popular Greek sandwich.

    Hella Good is a godsend, as it is located close to the intersection of Queen & Flinders Streets, a major road unexpectedly barren of decent food options and open till late. But alas, the small blue and white facility has only six fine dining seats, instead focusing on takeaway. The ceiling features a modern take on timber stalactites, a homage to the original eatery.

    There are just four different types of souvas, three different types of plates, and a handful of pre-prepared sides available. Stalactites' aubergine, trauma, humus, spicy feta, and roast capsicum dips, as well as their baklava and rice pudding, are all cooked from scratch every day using family recipes.

    Souvlaki is a term used in Greece to describe skewered meat (often pork) and is a staple of the country's street food culture. Now, the souvas have been made more "Melbourne-y," with names like "Arnie" and "Kotter" reminiscent of the classic 1970s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter.

    Choose from chicken and lamb (or a combination of the two) that has been marinated in over 20 herbs and spices (including, according to rumours, oregano, paprika, cumin, and cinnamon) before being grilled to juicy perfection on a spit. Fresh and flavorful ingredients like lettuce, tomato, onion, and garlicky tzatziki are crammed inside a warm pita and then wrapped up. When you add the floppy chips (seasoned with lemon, herbs, and delicious salt) and a drink, the total is a mere $15.

    Gyros Bar Mythos Gr

    On Eaton Mall, in the heart of Oakleigh's well-known Greek dining zone, you'll find Mythos Gr Gyros Bar, where the aroma of gyros will take you straight to the beaches of the Aegean.

    Whitewashed walls highlighted with azure blue, apricots mosaic tiles, repurposed timber, and banquette promise delicious Greek gastronomy like Yia-Yia prepares; relax inside while sipping an icy Mythos lager and peruse a menu providing selections from gyros skewers with kebab to lamb chops and hog ribs.

    Start with some salmon croquettes with skordalia or a falafel pita with hummus and salad, then go on to the main course of pork or chicken gyros served with Greek salad, tahini, fries, and pita bread. Follow that with succulent lamb cutlets, a glass of Shiraz, and a fresh beetroot salad featuring arugula, shallot, nuts, cheese, olives, and herb oil vinaigrette.

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    Restaurant and Bar at Theodora's

    Forewarning: The food at Theodora's Bar and Grill is not for the faint of heart. But, despite its dedication to authentic Greek cuisine, Theodora's does not top our ranking of the best Greek restaurants in Melbourne. The restaurant offers a wide variety of affordable banquet menu options, such as the Deluxe Seafood Platter (at $55 per person), the Classic Meat Platter (at $48 per person), and the Paradosiako (traditional) Banquet (at $65 per person). In addition, the Mezedes (main) menu at Theodora's includes options for vegetarians, vegans, and those avoiding gluten.

    Conclusion

    Greek food is one of a kind since it blends the best of both worlds in terms of taste. In Melbourne's top Greek restaurants, there are pita bread, souvlaki, slow-cooked lamb, rotisserie chicken, shellfish, dolmades, cheeses, and baklava. In my experience, Elyros, lamb cooked at a low temperature for 10 hours and eaten with golden chips, is the most wonderful lamb I have ever had. Elyros is a restaurant with a mid-century elegance befitting Maria Callas, with its urns, chandeliers, and palest blue ceiling. However, the locals have immediately fonded the younger, more gastronomically-oriented branch and its regional Greek dishes.

    Tomatoes and onions form the basis of the "stew" known as stifado, which is then bolstered by adding aromatics and the sea flavour of pilchards, served whole with their tails and heads peeking out of pillows of rhizome leaves. Jim's Greek Tavern's disorganised service and absence of a menu endear it to customers. Larger groups should choose for the dinner, while smaller gatherings can enjoy the food a la carte or with suggestions from the wait staff. On the table will be olives, bean and vegetable stew, and octopus chunks seasoned with olive oil, parsley, and lemon juice before being boiled. The lemon-seasoned saganaki wedge served on the side is delicious and satisfyingly firm.

    Lightly battered and deep-fried zucchini slices, thick chunks of beetroot coated in a vinegary sauce, and exquisite butter beans roasted in olive oil are just a few vegetarian alternatives. Several early diners (those with appointments between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m.) stick around long after their allotment is up, much to the chagrin of the later arrivals. The text focuses on the restaurant's two banquet menus and the variety of special dishes the attentive chefs prepare for huge gatherings. Jimmy Calombaris's fancy souvlaki restaurant is this month's featured business.

    If you're looking for cheap eats, look no further than Jimmy's, which sells three huge steamed dim sims for about $6—almost as cheap as the hot dog stand it was inspired by. Glistening wonton wrappers conceal chicken mince, sweet sautéed cabbage, and salty capers. A Bonegilla souvlaki is $8.50, while a meat platter with your choice of lamb or chicken, plus a mountain of cucumber and yoghurt dip, will run you $16.50. Charred, fluffy flatbread topped with sizzling chips, slices of lamb shoulder, and rotisserie chicken seasoned with a pinch of mustard, parsley, and sour caramelised onions set a new standard at The Car Wash.

    The three in the name of Kalimera Souvlaki Art, a modest Oakleigh restaurant, reveal why this new addition to the souva repertoire is so fantastic. First, the mixed olives are a delicious way to kick off your Greek adventure, pickled in oil and lemon with spices like mouth-numbing fennel seeds. Next, Mr Pitta's freshly baked bread is served with a trio of dips (tzatziki, trauma, and melitzanosalata) (smoked eggplant). Finally, as an alternative to the standard saganaki, try these vegetables packed with salty halloumi, feta, and kefalograviera (a hard cheese made from sheep and goat's milk). The simplicity of this recipe for organic grass-fed lamb shoulder, which was marinated in lemon, rosemary, and garlic for eight hours before being roasted, is a testament to the quality of the ingredients used.

    Caramelised onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, leaf lettuce, chips, and a homemade veg aioli complement the vegan "beef" in the Melina souvlaki. Using male pigs for breeding and female pigs for gentler flavour, the Kalimera Kebabs Art is the peak of pig cooking. The Greek bread is ideal—springy and sauce-sopping—to withstand the onslaught of heavy condiment action. The Cretan salad is an inexpensive dish made of rough little barley rusks, feta, tomato, and olives, and it pairs well with the succulent chicken and lamb selections. Stalactites are the best Greek restaurant in Melbourne, where you can have authentic Greek cuisines like souvlaki and Greek appetisers and desserts like Greek pastries.

    The Greek Cypriot cuisine of Vénus & Co. Restaurant & Bar is given a modern twist. The restaurant's whitewashed walls, vibrant aqua artwork, and trailing flora contribute to this. Tsitsipas Souvlaki is a lamb gyro with various toppings, including tomatoes, tahini, fresh plum, fresh thyme, mint, crumbled feta, chips, and a pinch of chilli. Tsindos Greek Restaurant, Assas, and Mykonos Taverna, Melbourne's top three Greek restaurants, are highlighted here. Tsindos has been serving genuine Greek cuisine for over 40 years, and its casual atmosphere makes it a great place to have a thoughtful conversation.

    The best of the three restaurants in the downtown area is Assas, which serves classic Greek dishes with a Melbourne spin. Dips, saganaki, steamed shrimp, lentil burgers, Greek salad, crab platters, meat trays, souvlaki, and desserts are all on the menu. The Portman Street Taverna, close to Oakleigh, serves authentic Greek cuisine and takes guests to the Greek Islands without the expense of airfare. Menus are as progressive as the island, with choices like Greek wine and beer to accompany the island's cuisine.

    One of Richmond's most well-liked eateries, GRK Greek Restaurant & Taverna, serves authentic Greek cuisine and cocktails produced with high-quality ingredients. On the menu, you'll find spit-roasted chicken gyros with pure silverbeet, olive oil, and lemon and a char-grilled octopus with the same dressing (plus famous Cyprus pies filled with ground pig, onion, parsley, and spices). This Halva Sundae with sesame ice cream, salted caramel, and sesame brittle is calling my name. Go To The Greek, found on Beach Street, has a laid-back beach ambience thanks to its rustic timber bar, walking stick pendants, splashes of greenery, and breathtaking views of Port Melbourne Beach. Agapi is a favourite among Melburnians who seek traditional Greek cuisine.

    There are three locations of Yassas, a Greek street cuisine restaurant, in Melbourne. An intimate cafe with a terrace full of plants, Demitri's Feast serves traditional breakfast fare and entrees with a Greek flavour. The masters of the souvlaki at the renowned Greek eatery Stalactites have opened a second location dedicated just to the dish. Finally, the restaurant Hella Good is a blessing, considering its proximity to the busy crossroads of Queen and Flinders streets; nonetheless, it only offers six upscale seats. Among the Greeks, skewered meat (often pig) is called souvlaki, a mainstay of the country's street food culture.

    In the Melbourne suburb of Oakleigh, Theodora's Bar and Grill serves delicious traditional Greek fare. Menu items include the Deluxe Seafood Platter, Classic Meat Platter, and Paradosiako (traditional) Banquet are available at reasonable prices. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free alternatives are also available. An appetiser is a fresh beetroot salad with arugula, shallot, almonds, cheese, olives, and herb oil vinaigrette. The main course is your choice of pork or chicken gyros with Greek salad, tahini, fries, and pita bread.

    Content Summary

    • A common misconception is that Greek food is a fusion of European and Mediterranean cuisine.
    • On the contrary, it's an irresistible taste sensation that combines the best of both worlds.
    • In Melbourne's top Greek restaurants, there are pita bread, souvlaki, slow-cooked lamb, rotisserie chicken, shellfish, dolmades, cheeses, and baklava.
    • You can't eat a plate of dips and be done with your hunger problems.
    • Wouldn't mind a few olives, please.
    • Some Retsina and ouzo would go well with the slow-cooked lamb and fried cheese.
    • Melbourne has many options for satisfying Greek food hunger, especially souvas.
    • That's right, the sheep.
    • The meat is soft, salty, and easy to chew with your fingers after being slow-cooked for 10 hours.
    • The olive oil-toasted golden chips are an accompaniment.
    • In this case, simplicity and precision combine beautifully.
    • We're currently based out of Camberwell, which is a major bummer.
    • To their good fortune.
    • Elyros, the brainchild of Angela Giannakodakis, Guy Holder, and Nese Dimitrakakis, has only been open for over two months. Still, the locals have already warmed to the eatery's renewed focus on Greek cuisine.
    • Melbourne hastily left the phoney taverna the day before with the never-ending pink dips.
    • Stifado is a "stew" made with tomatoes, onions, and ocean-punchy pilchards that arrive with their tails and heads peeping out of their rhizome leaf cushions, so it's time to get down with some molluscs in the shell.
    • One might rejoice in the impending transformation of Bourke Road as one gazes out the beautiful Art Deco window of a former banking building and sees a Sophia pizza behemoth across the street.
    • Jim's has a charming, homey vibe in part due to the disorganised service and absence of a menu.
    • The average dinner cost for two people is $70, with such a la carte courses costing between $10 and $30.
    • The server then casually walks up and reads through the menu: "Dips, saganaki, squid, inertial measuring units, Greek salad..." Each item on the list is met with a unanimous nod of approval.
    • In addition, we include grilled tiger shrimp because they are, in our opinion, an absolute must.
    • Larger groups should choose for the dinner, while smaller gatherings can enjoy the food a la carte or with suggestions from the wait staff.
    • The house wine is fine, but customers should bring their own if corkage is free.
    • Spread out olives, stewed vegetables and beans, and chunks of octopus seasoned with olive oil, parsley, and lemon juice; accompany with a rainbow of dips such taramasalata, tzatziki, and baba ganoush; and set out a basket of crusty bread to soak up the juices.
    • The lemon-seasoned saganaki wedge served on the side is delicious and satisfyingly firm.
    • If not for their size and the faint smoke from the chargrilling, we might order more of the $6 tiger prawns.
    • We ended up ordering a large portion of rotisserie-cooked lamb instead.
    • It's rich and salty like you'd expect, but there's too much of it.
    • Consequently, the wait staff always has extra boxes on hand in case any tables don't clean.
    • Surprisingly, vegetarians have many wonderful options, including the classic Greek salad with feta, olives, tomatoes, and lightly battered deep-fried zucchini slices.
    • Several early diners (those with appointments between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m.) stick around long after their allotment is up, much to the chagrin of the later arrivals.
    • Tsindos, which has been around since 1970, has found success thanks to the variety of delicious banquet meals it and its hardworking crew prepare for huge groups.
    • Start with the fried sardines in Santorini sauce, then move on to the meat platter with chicken skewers, keftedes pig chop, Greek sausage, and lamb and chicken gyros.
    • Delicious mealtime treats include warm honey balls rolled in cinnamon sugar, confectioners' sugar, and chopped walnuts.
    • When the smaller half of the Press Club reopens in October, it will serve as a kitchen.
    • Jimmy Calombaris's fancy souvlaki restaurant is this month's featured business.
    • This is hardly a nasty watering hole.
    • Two big fresh salads loaded with almonds, barley, and spicy handfuls of rough-cut parsley can be purchased, as can a bag of slow-roasted lamb for five pounds.
    • In addition, the bar for kebabs has been raised.
    • In contrast to the posh Melbourne counterparts, Jimmy's is around the same price as its inspiration—a hot dog stand.
    • The $6 you'll spend on three huge steamed dim sims is well spent.
    • The Bonegilla souvlaki, with two different types of meat and two different sauces, is the most expensive item on our six-strong menu at $8.50.
    • The Car Wash's prices are like those at a Kebab shop. A burnt, silky flatbread piled high with sizzling chips, tender slices of lamb shoulder, and tangy caramelised onions, parsley, and mustard can be purchased here for a single penny.
    • You can get one with grilled prawns and cucumber for just $1 more.
    • The mixed olives are a delicious way to kick off your Greek adventure, pickled in oil and lemon with spices like mouth-numbing fennel seeds.
    • To break up the monotony of saganaki, try these vegetables filled with salty halloumi, feta, and kefalograviera (a hard cheese created from sheep and goat's milk).
    • Zucchini blossoms are stuffed with feta and mizithra cheese and garnished with mint and lemon zest.
    • The pork meatballs seasoned with fennel and chilli and covered in green olives, tomatoes, and roasted peppers are a fine substitute for the curds.
    • The simplicity of this recipe for organic grass-fed lamb shoulder, which was marinated in lemon, rosemary, and garlic for eight hours before being roasted, is a testament to the quality of the ingredients used.
    • Located in Bentleigh, just off Centre Road, Alati is a Greek restaurant serving some of the best souvlakis in Melbourne.
    • The restaurant's whitewashed interior features splashes of aqua-coloured sofas and potted plants, and it also offers a beautiful outdoor seating area along the sidewalk, excellent for people-watching.
    • You can order a Marouli salad with lettuce, cucumber, mint, and dill, or grilled lamb chops or pork gyros wrapped in pita with romaine, tomatoes, onions, chips, and a handmade mayo mustard sauce.
    • Caramelised onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, leaf lettuce, chips, and a homemade veg aioli complement the vegan "beef" in the Melina souvlaki.
    • Rarely does a souvlaki joint "go viral," as the youth say.
    • The three in the name of the modest Oakleigh restaurant Kalimera Souvlaki Art reveal why this new addition to the souva repertoire is so fantastic.
    • Generally, male pigs are utilised for breeding, while the milder-tasting females are consumed.
    • The bread is the appropriate Greek kind—springy and sauce-soaking—capable of withstanding the onslaught from serious condiment action, in contrast to the more common Lebanese kind, which may leave the unwary with garments like the aftermath of the D-grade slasher flick.
    • Choosing between chicken and lamb is hard because they're so tasty.
    • You can have it in convenient pita pockets or serve it with chips and salad on a platter.
    • In Melbourne, numerous patrons have voted Stalactites the best Greek restaurant.
    • Since 1978, locals have been coming for delicious souvlaki, authentic dips, and freshly baked Greek treats.
    • The restaurant serves a wide variety of tasty dips, chicken and lamb inertial measurement units, and moussaka that will leave you completely wiped out if you eat too much of it.
    • The Tsitsipas souvlaki is a must-try—it consists of lamb gyro, tomatoes, tahini, fresh plum, fresh thyme, mint, crumbled feta, chips, and a pinch of chilli.
    • This hip restaurant serves classic and contemporary fare amidst a setting that evokes the Aegean with its whitewashed walls, vibrant turquoise artwork, and trailing flora.
    • At a table lit by hanging globes, diners can start with fried zucchini blossom served with goats milk cheese, halloumi, pine nuts, mint, and beetroot jam before moving on to slow-roasted lamb shoulder with honey and pomegranate sauce, confit garlic, and mint yoghurt for two.
    • Tsindos Greek Restaurant is one of many fantastic eateries on Melbourne's Lonsdale Street.
    • Tsindos has been serving genuine Greek cuisine for almost 40 years.
    • Also, Tsindos has a chill atmosphere, perfect for in-depth discussions with good friends.
    • This third-best Greek restaurant in Melbourne has various appetisers, main courses, and desserts, including dips, saganaki, steamed shrimp, lentil burgers, Greek salad, crab platters, meat trays, souvlaki, and more.
    • Traditional Greek appetisers include halloumi, grilled artichokes with feta, fried zucchini, and many others.
    • Inside, the blue and white decor transports you to the Aegean while you feast on gyros and seafood platters.
    • For starters, at a Mediterranean meal, try grilling some halloumi and serving it with olive tapenade, toasted figs, and honey. For the main course, try char-grilling lamb cutlets and serving them with tabouli and tomato relish, or make homemade moussaka with eggplant, meat, potatoes, and bechamel sauce.
    • Have some authentic baklava as a sweet finish to your meal.
    • The newly renovated dining area features a life-size mural, whimsical fabrics, seashell pendant lighting, stone floors, and comfortable chairs that will transport you to the shores of the Mediterranean.
    • Keeping pace with the innovative spirit of the island, eateries on Mykonos offer wine and beer from Greece to match the cuisine.
    • The restaurant's classic dishes and drinks are produced with high-quality components.
    • This Halva Sundae with sesame ice cream, salted caramel, and sesame brittle is calling my name.
    • The mismatched coloured seats, exposed brick, bright Edison bulb lighting, and polished wooden floors create a rustically warm and inviting ambience.
    • Those searching for genuine Greek cuisine have long made AgapiAgapi one of Melbourne's most acclaimed eateries.
    • The foods on the menu are meant to be shared so that everyone may get a taste of everything on offer.
    • Enjoy delicious dips and starters, succulent grilled and baked meats, a picturesque location, and warm hospitality at Richmond's finest Greek restaurant.
    • Whether you're in the mood for an intimate meal for two or a lively feast for the whole gang, this eatery will not disappoint.
    • This restaurant has a beachy vibe thanks to its quirky timber bar, walking stick pendants, and splashes of greenery, and it serves fresh, wholesome meals from all across Greece.
    • As Yassas debuts, all three of its facilities are immediately swarmed by eager customers.
    • Here in Melbourne, we've taken the vibrant culture of Greece and infused it with a modern touch on traditional Greek street food so that you may experience it in a whole new light.
    • Don't skip out on their signature dishes; you can find something on every menu page.
    • Traditional sceptics are two pita sandwiches loaded with cheese, tomato, onion, and special sauce and served without chips or salad.
    • The restaurant is notable for its gyro snack packs, which are available for purchase.
    • This cosy cafe features traditional breakfast fare and Greek-focused mains, a terrace filled with plants and screens of Greek and other cinematic masterpieces. The menu also boasts a range of mezze, grilled meats, seafood, and an interesting assortment of drinks.
    • You can dine in the open air and watch the stars at the restaurant's rear, canopied courtyard.
    • To commemorate their nearly four decades in business and sale of over 10 million souvas, they opened a second location dedicated to selling the world's most popular Greek sandwich.
    • Hella Good is a blessing since it is conveniently situated at the busy intersection of Queen and Flinders Streets, a portion of the city's main thoroughfare that is surprisingly devoid of good restaurants open late.
    • Unfortunately, the blue and white space caters primarily to takeout customers and only has room for six fine diners.
    • Regarding the first restaurant, the ceiling has a contemporary take on timber stalactites.
    • Only four kinds of souvas, three kinds of plates, plus a few pre-made sides are on the menu.
    • Stalactites' signature dishes, including aubergine, trauma, humus, spicy feta, roast capsicum dips, baklava, and rice pudding, are made fresh daily following traditional family traditions.
    • Chicken and lamb (or both) marinated in over 20 herbs and spices (reportedly including oregano, paprika, cumin, and cinnamon) and cooked to juicy perfection on a spit are available for your dining pleasure.
    • On a warm pita, fresh and savoury ingredients include lettuce, tomato, onion, and spicy tzatziki.
    • Floppy chips (seasoned with lemon, herbs, and excellent salt) and a beverage cost a reasonable $15.
    • On the second level of Eaton Mall in the middle of Oakleigh's famed Greek dining zone is where you'll find Mythos Gr Gyros Bar, where the smell of cooking gyros will transport you to the shores of the Aegean.
    • Relax inside with an icy Mythos lager and peruse a menu providing options ranging from gyros skewers with kebab to lamb chops and hog ribs; the whitewashed walls accented with azure blue, apricots mosaic tiles, repurposed timber, and banquette promise delicious Greek gastronomy like Yia-Yia prepares.
    • Try the salmon croquettes with skordalia or the falafel pita with hummus and salad as an appetiser. Then, try the pork or chicken gyros with Greek salad, tahini, fries, and pita bread for the main course.
    • Then, we'll enjoy delicious lamb cutlets with a glass of Shiraz and a fresh beetroot salad with arugula, shallot, nut, cheese, olive, and herb oil vinaigrette.
    • Be forewarned: Theodora's Bar and Grill fare is not for the squeamish.
    • Theodora's is committed to serving traditional Greek food, although it is not the best Greek restaurant in Melbourne.
    • In this restaurant, you can choose from several reasonably priced banquet menus, including the Deluxe Seafood Platter ($55 per person), the Classic Meat Platter ($48 per person), and the Paradosiako (traditional) Banquet ($65 per person).
    • The Mezedes (main) menu at Theodora's also caters to people who are vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free.

    FAQs About Greek Food

    “The Greek influence on Australia’s dining scene today is clear. Dishes such as souvlaki, taramasalata, loukoumades, saganaki, moussaka, spanakopita and more are part of the national diet, and the restaurant scene offers all manner of Greek food experiences from street food to high-end fine-diners.”.

    From some of the best lamb dishes on earth to fresh seafood, vegetables, beans, pulses and, of course, good olive oil, Greek food is simple, colourful and incredibly nutritious. Like other Mediterranean cuisines, Greek food has a reputation for being heart healthy with its heavy use of olive oil, fish, lean meats, and vegetables.

    The Paragon Café was probably the first to start selling traditional Greek food when it offered baklava and kataifi in the 1930s, writes in The 200 years History of Australian Cooking.

    The truth is, Greek food is full of diversity and options. Thanks to Greece's unique history, the food is a mash-up of different cultures. A delicious blend of citrus, cheeses, herbs, oils, and grilled meat help set Greek food apart.

    Many Greek dishes are inherited from Ottoman cuisine, which combined influences from Persian, Levantine-Arabic, Turkish and Byzantine cuisines: phyllo, tzatziki, yuvarlakia, eggplant papoutsaki, boureki, meze, dolma, hummus, pita bread, papoutsakia, baklava, kadaifi, halva, loukoumi, and more.

     

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