Hellenic Republic

Text: Adriana Giuffrida


Over the weekend, I went back to Melbourne, in which I always relish trying some new restaurants that may have opened since my last visit. This time it was Hellenic Republic, the second restaurant of George Calombaris, who I later found out is actually a family friend, very exciting! This left many opportunities for my parents to discuss this amazing coincidence with every waiter that crosses our path, anyway, lets get back on track. I’m not going to lie, I’m not as big a fan of Hellenic Republic, as I am of The Press Club and their amazing value for money lunch that they offer, BUT it still has its high points.

The decor is amazing, with a quite relaxed cafe style set-up with many ‘Evil Eyes’ around to ward off any bad vibes that might be coming their way. The tapas style menu at the start is incredibly delicious, my favourites being the beetroot salad and of course the saganaki with peppered figs, so delicious! The mains were a little bit of a let down, the snapper wasn’t cooked very well, but the lamb was delicious with a tzatziki sauce. The desserts were also great – the Loukoumades (doughnuts) weren’t as good as my Nonnas, but that is tough to beat, but the custard filled pastry was absolutely delicious.

The Hellenic Republic is definitely worth a visit, and you can tell that George is really honouring his family a bit more with in restaurant, with more true to form Greek food than the modernity of The Press Club. Enjoy!

Hellenic Republic

This week, Adriana steps in for CC Bakes who is on a three week gourmet tour of the globe. Check back next Wednesday for another delicious taste from Adriana Giuffrida