The Best Greek Restaurants in Melbourne

Brunswick East’s Taverna is a love letter to family, traditions, heritage, and the spirit of Greek cuisine. It’s a place for locals and visitors to eat big, laugh loudly, drink, and be merry. Together with Guy Holder, Angie Giannakodakis opened Taverna to embody the essence of an Athenian Taverna, where the matriarch is central to influencing local cuisines.

The seasonal menu is deeply personal to Giannakodakis, who draws on the flavours of her mother’s kitchen to bring a true taste of Athenian cuisine all the way to Brunswick East. Familiar mezze such as taramosalata, fried whitebait, dolmathes and chickpea fritters are followed by small plates like tinned sardines and grilled prawns with saffron butter and ouzo. There’s plenty of meat, too, of course. Find goat in a ragu with Greek-style pasta, pork and orange sausage cooked over the grill, a lamb shoulder slow-cooked until falling apart, beef and herb patties with yoghurt, and a thick 500-gram t-bone with lemon and olive oil. And if you’re lucky, you might find Katina’s signature moussaka on the menu when you visit, made from the cherished recipe passed on by Giannakodakis’ mother.

Tzaki is Alex Xinis’ ode to Athens, which brings woodfired food, Mediterranean drinks, and the essence of lively Greek dining to Yarraville. This walk-in-only hotspot is open seven days a week and serves Greek coffee and pastries, meze and contemporary Athenian dishes. Part of its attraction is its size, or lack thereof. With only 16 seats indoors and 15 outside, landing a table is an accomplishment you’ll feel proud of. 

With a name meaning fireplace in Greek, it’s no surprise the menu relies heavily on the smoky, charry goodness of the woodfired oven, and the seasonal Grecian plates change often. The allure of the blistered flatbread, served with whatever creation the kitchen has come up with that week (could be whipped cheesy butter, kalamata olive and feta butter, or even kumquat and fennel butter), is enough to draw visitors from all corners of Melbourne to the Inner West. And even if you don’t snag a table, you can still get a taste of Xinis’ Greek fare, with his new takeout chicken shop, Kokoras, just next door, now open.

Salona is a Greek eatery that has been run by three generations of the same family for nearly six decades. It is a beacon of heritage and history, community and convivality, and generosity and growth. It may be the oldest Greek restaurant owned and operated by the same family in Melbourne, but in the hands of the next generation, Salona still manages to feel fresh, exciting and vibrant. 

There are dips, olives, pickled veggies and complimentary bread to start. Meze range from spicy cheese croquettes and pork and leek sausage, to pickled octopus and grilled kefalograviera cheese with apricot jam. Mains are hearty and rich, and while undoubtedly Greek in flavour and technique, they focus on Australian produce where possible. It’s no mean feat to have existed as a prominent member of Melbourne’s hospitality landscape for over half a century, and it’s even more impressive for a venue to maintain the energy, focus and loyal following of customers to be able to look ahead to the next however many decades with the same confidence.  

If you’re looking for a real Greek feed, head to Ermou Gyros on Swan Street for the kind of meal you’d expect on the streets of Athens. Generous portions, tasty meats and fresh ingredients, are the name of the game. The meats at Ermou are cooked upright on a rotating skewer, and never over charcoal, just like they make them back in Athens; hence, they are called gyros, which literally means to turn or spin. The meats are sliced thin and stuffed generously into a thick, fluffy pita. 

The pork gyros comes with tomatoes, onions, tzatziki and chips — don’t ask for lettuce or garlic sauce, that’s not the way here. The Athenian wrap is inspired by the meals the owners’ grandfathers loved in Athens back in the 1950s. Traditional beef patties are smothered in a spicy red sauce with tzatziki, onion and chips. If you’re not into meat (“What you mean he don’t eat no meat?” IYKYK, and if you don’t, go and watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding immediately), you can get a haloumi wrap with Ermou sauce or a pita filled to the brim with zucchini fritters, chilli feta dip and sweet potato chips.

Alpha Ouzeri is a family-run, warm and lively venue that embodies the true spirit of an ouzeri — a Greek establishment that specialises in serving ouzo, Greece’s distinctive and much-loved anise-flavoured spirit — alongside meze. The home-style food is influenced by the flavours and techniques of Northern Greece, and pays homage to the owner’s hometown of Kastoria. The extensive menu includes the usual suspects, but also showcases Head Chef Harry’s signature triple-cooked pork belly with peppered Iranian figs, dates stuffed with labneh and served with cured beef, grilled spiced sausage with harissa, feta and caramelised onions, and ouzo-cured salmon with pickled rhubarb. 

What sets Alpha Ouzeri apart is its admirable focus on inclusivity and accessibility. The concept behind the menu is to offer affordable sharing plates to cater for all budgets. You could pop in for a quick ouzo and snack, or settle in and go for the hearty set menu. The venue itself is also accessible, featuring an entrance ramp and other inclusive amenities. The welcoming atmosphere, flowing ouzo and generous food make Alpha Ouzeri a spirited yet easy-going location to celebrate with family or friends. The enclosed courtyard has a capacity of up to 50 people for functions and special events.   

Kafeneion is a lively, good-times Greek eatery on Spring Street that merges modern Melbourne hospitality with the charm of old-school Greek cuisine. Located in the distinctly European, dimly lit, and always vibrant Melbourne Supper Club, Kafeneion has captured the hearts of Melburnians with rustic food, flowing drinks, and an energetic atmosphere. Leading the charge are old-hand restaurateurs Con Christopoulos and Stavros Konis. 

A meal at Kafenion is hearty and wholesome, showcasing home-style comforting food. Drag crusty white bread through whipped cod roe and silky Santorini fava dip, served hot. Taste ouzo-cured kingfish or dry-cured beef with olives and fennel, and dip fried meatballs into thick tzatziki. For mains, there are dishes such as baked, rice-filled capsicum, Greek lamb with potatoes and wild oregano, braised pork with lemon, leek and celery leaves, and a crowd-pleasing chicken with Greek pasta. An order wouldn’t be complete without hand-cut chips and a Greek village salad on the side. Christopoulous and Konis have brought a sweet taste of 1960s cinematic Greece all the way to Spring Street with their family recipes, Greek wines and flowing ouzo, and a nostalgic soundtrack that keeps diners entertained long into the evening. 

Stalactites is a late-night Melbourne institution that’s been owned and operated by the same Greek family since 1978. It’s the number one place to head to in the CBD when you’re after a 1am gyros with fries. But there is so much more to this Greek restaurant in Melbourne beyond late-night eats.

The place is open all day from 11am, and is almost always full. If the footy is on, this place is packed with fans before and after the game. Those seeing a show around the corner will also drop by for pre-theatre dining. It’s a favourite CBD restaurant for so many people — especially gluten-free folks who can order off Stalactite’s extensive coeliac-friendly menu.

Come one, come all to this Collingwood Greek restaurant that offers BYO without a corkage fee that is one of the best group dining spots in town. Jim’s Greek Tavern is renowned for its traditional and fresh Greek cuisine. Opened by husband and wife team, Leonidas and Aphrodite Panagopolous, way back in 1980, it has been delighting residents of Melbourne for decades.

From the whitewashed walls and unpretentious wooden tables to the smorgasbords of meat and seafood, this endearingly rowdy restaurant is the way to go for no-frills, good-food eating. You won’t find menus here, but don’t worry, waiters will run you through what’s on offer that evening. The usual course of business here is to go for the $75 set menu and be guided by the professionals through a generous feast of dips, cheeses, salads, seafood, meats and Greek desserts.  You’ll eat and eat until you can’t possibly fit in any more.