If you’ve been to Greece, you probably miss the fresh yoghurt. The carafe of raki that appears when you think your meal is over. The bill that doesn’t come too quickly because you’re never being rushed out.
You’ll find these familiar touches and more the new Muses Wine Bar, a relaxed day-to-night venue in the former Pinotta space. Yianni Malindretos (former manager of Kafeneion) co-owns the venue, while the kitchen is run by Fellipe Mezzavilla (Kafeneion’s former executive chef and currently head chef at Curtis Stone Events). Muses is their attempt to re-create the ease and conviviality of a Greek meal, whether it be quick coffee or a feast with friends.
“In Greece, when you go out, you are completely relaxed. You might have some ouzo with seafood, then order more meze. You might see your friend out walking and they join the table,” says Malindretos, who grew up on Crete. “You might go for one drink and stay until the morning.”
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With this ethos in mind, Malindretos wants people to, “stay longer, relax” when they visit Muses. He doesn’t mind if guests want to walk in and only order a glass of wine or cup of coffee.
With a small bar at the front and dining room at the back, the space lends itself to different moods. There are small plates and nibbles to enjoy with wine or coffee, as well as the more substantial dishes. “You don’t have to eat,” Malindretos says, but you’d be silly not to.
Mezzavilla’s menu includes the classics: saganaki, Greek salad and warm feta crusted with honey and sesame seeds. But there are also more distinctive dishes including an extra herby spanakopita and the baklamisu, a combination of baklava and tiramisu, which sees a nest of soft biscuits layered with honey, pistachios and mascarpone cream.
Yoghurt is made from scratch for beetroot tzatziki, and Mezzavilla serves generous portions of traditional Greek dishes such as youvarlakia avgolemono (meatball soup in lemon sauce) and soutzoukakia (meatballs in tomato sauce).
Muses is the latest in a growing list of new Greek venues including Tzaki in Yarraville, Angie Giannakodakis’s Hot-Listed Taverna and the soon-to-open Pontian Club that bring a more contemporary version of the country’s dining scene to Melbourne.
The Muses – nine inspirational goddesses in ancient Greek mythology – have inspired more than just the venue’s name.
Malindretos plans to create a signature cocktail for each Muse, periodically changing which drink is available. For now, it’s Erato. Named for the Muse of lyric and erotic poetry, it combines amaro, raki (a favourite on Crete), Greek rakomelo (a liqueur flavoured with honey, cinnamon and cloves) and an orange twist. “I had to have something from Crete,” Malindretos says with a wink.
Muses Wine Bar
32 Best Street, Fitzroy North
0394813393
Hours:
Wed to Sun midday–11pm
@muses_fitzroynorth
museswinebar.com.au