The Surf Coast swells with visitors over summer, but Jason Gugliotti, co-owner of Torquay’s new Greek spot Ela, says his seafood-driven restaurant’s momentum isn’t about seasonal foot traffic. Instead, since opening in January, Ela has mostly drawn in locals. Gugliotti (also behind Pollo Rotisserie in Torquay and Geelong) hopes to keep them coming back by creating a refined yet approachable restaurant centred on quality seafood and meat – something he says was largely absent from the area.
“I wanted to bring back what I refer to as old-school dining, which has been lost,” says Gugliotti, who runs and co-owns the restaurant with his uncle, Gino Gugliotti. In a town dominated by casual eateries and destination dining, Ela occupies the middle ground. For the Gugliottis, that means a venue where your waiter knows your name and you feel at home.
Former Tonka chef Ricardo Galindo (who also worked in the kitchen at Ipsos in Lorne and Kritamos Hellenic Cuisine) connected with the younger Gugliotti and relocated to Torquay to lead the kitchen. His menu draws on the simplicity and freshness of Greek cuisine. Rather than reproducing classics verbatim, Ela leans into what Gugliotti describes as a more modern, flexible expression of Greek food, built around seafood and meat, with space for diners to shape their own experience.
The rotisserie-roasted lamb and charcoal-grilled octopus with smoked almond skordalia – a garlic-heavy potato puree – are cornerstones of the menu, designed to be mixed and matched with salads and sides. Gugliotti is particularly insistent on the roast potatoes, finished not just with oregano but with a bright, sweet-sour lemon jam and fresh herbs. Seafood features prominently throughout, from three types of cured seasonal fish dressed with lemon ouzo granita, extra virgin olive oil and dill, to prawn and white fish croquettes that make an ideal drinking snack.
House-made pita is designed for scooping tarama topped with bottarga crumb, spicy goat’s curd and tzatziki. If staff notice there’s still dip left on the table, the bread is replenished at no charge. “This is what we mean by European dining,” Gugliotti says. “When you go to a European’s house, it’s more, more, more.”
The wine list spans imported Greek bottles and local producers, while cocktails – mostly spritzes, G&Ts, Margaritas – lean on Mediterranean flavours like lemon, rosemary and orgeat.
Inside, the 90-seat venue (currently pared back to around 80 covers to give diners more room) incorporates terracotta tones, handmade ceramics sourced from Greece, and rope installations by local artist Adam Stanley.
Later this year, the team plans to bring the Ela concept to Melbourne and open an inner-city outpost. But for now, the focus remains on Torquay.
Ela
17 The Esplanade, Torquay
(03) 4224 9333
Hours:
Thu 5.30pm–11pm
Fri to Sun midday–11pm
elatorquay.com
Dining and Cooking