The grilled octopus was fabulous with a glass of retsina. Photo: Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Moussaka to mastika, saganaki to souvlaki, baklava to loukoumades: Greek dishes are as varied, beautiful, and numerous as the islands that make up this Mediterranean nation.
Luckily in Canberra we have plenty of choice to taste a whole range of gorgeous Greek food, whether you’re looking for a casual coffee and slice of cake or a meal that will leave you wishing you wore stretchy pants.
Here are a handful of our favourite local Greek establishments.
Newcomer Asteri is as delicious as it is gregarious. Named after the village where owner and chef Tim ‘Digger’ Moustakas’s mother was born, Asteri has a family-style ease to its comfortable hospitality. Comfort dishes like moussaka and Greek-style meatballs called keftedes are fabulously filling main meals, and don’t miss the charred octopus served on a bean puree. The meat is tender, perfectly charred and pairs beautifully with a glass of ‘love it or hate it’ retsina.
Save space for rice pudding: listed on the menu as Yiayia’s delight. Creamy, moreish and the perfect way to round out the meal.
Aegean Pantry stocks a huge range of specialty Greek goods. Photo: Aegean Pantry/Facebook.
Drop in for a morning coffee at this cafe/deli combo, and you might leave with armfuls of Greek delicacies. Peruse the shelves for jarred olives, dried herbs, and endless bottles of premium olive oil. The deli offers dine-in dishes and take-home meals: Cypriot salads, sandwiches, and juicy baked chicken. Their range of Greek sweets is also exceptional and pairs perfectly with a cup of strong Greek coffee.
The gelato alone is worth a visit, and we hear the lavender white chocolate is sensational.
Dips and flatbread might be a classic starter, but Kivotos Wine Bar elevates them to the divine. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Beginning in Braddon before opening a second location in Woden’s Hellenic Club, Kivotos Wine Bar serves elevated traditional Greek food. Chef and co-owner George Giannoulis has created a menu that spans the best of Greek classics – hello charred octopus and divine dips – while also showcasing a few creative fusion dishes like the spanakorizo arancini (herby, deep-fried rice balls topped with black garlic aioli).
There’s a wide range of imported Greek wines – take a recommendation from co-owner Anita Ling – as well as a few spirits which are well worth trying. And the lukumedes (Greek doughnuts for dessert) are simply divine.
Olive Oil and Sea Salt is just one of the creative flavours the Mavi team have created for the Hellenic Club venue. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
You’ll find your classic chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavours at Mavi Gelati, but that’s not what makes this little gelato bar special. Located in the Hellenic Club next to Éla Cafe (another Greek venue worth a visit!), Mavi specialises in nostalgic Greek flavours. Fresh baklava is crumbled through an ice cream base and mixed with honey for a twist on the favourite dessert, and mastika (made from the sap of the mastic tree) is a uniquely Greek flavour.
My personal favourite is olive oil and salt drizzled over a creamy base, which brings out the oil’s floral notes and delights the nerdy chef in me.
What’s better than olives? Deep-fried olives! Photo: Olive at Hawker.
As a well-loved, family-run neighbourhood restaurant, Olive at Hawker is also a love story.
Aleka and John once ran a restaurant in Patras, south of Athens, but fell in love with Australia on their honeymoon. Greece’s loss is Canberra’s gain, with Olive at Hawker offering a taste of authentic Mediterranean hospitality. Peloponnese-style slow-cooked lamb, saganaki, and ekmek (traditional bread pudding) are all menu highlights.
A love of olives goes beyond the restaurant’s name: they also serve a killer entree of deep-fried olives.
What are your favourite places to grab a taste of Greece in Canberra?
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
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