A great Greek philosopher once said, ‘Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become.’ I’m 99% sure that means I’m doomed to morph into a slab of baklava one day, and I’ve made my peace with it.
Like the scholars of ancient Greece, we’ve pored through menus to bring you the best Greek restaurants in Brisbane.
Opa Bar and Mezze
Brisbane City
From the mouth-watering food to the dreamy interiors, Opa will have you picking your jaw up from the floor from the moment you first step foot in the venue. The arched windows, cosy white booths, and stunning river views will have you feeling like a Greek god as you wine and dine on their amazing selection of Greek delights. Indulge in pillowy pita bread and tzatziki dip, grilled octopus, fresh oysters, cheesy grilled saganaki and so much more goodness—you’ll want to order one (or five) of everything.
Nostimo
South Brisbane
Since throwing open their doors in 1975, South Brisbane’s Greek Club has been winning hearts (and hunger) as a Brisbane Greek food icon. Now, following a serious facelift in 2018, this Greek legend is better than ever. If you’re ticking off your Brisbane Greek food, Nostimo’s brisket pastitsio, fried eggplant and halloumi chips in honey are non-negotiable.
Little Greek Taverna
West End
Have you reaaaally lived in Brisbane until you’ve stumbled into Little Greek Taverna for yiros at an ungodly hour? This Brisbane Greek restaurant is famous for its prompt annihilation of our hangriest days. Hot tip: enter with your belly rumbling, and expect to leave in twenty minutes with a serious case of the I-need-to-lie-downs.
Hellenika
Fortitude Valley
After winning hearts on the GC, the younger James Street sibling was like a siren’s song to Brisbane foodies. Within the Calile Hotel, Hellenika boasts its own signature Greek restaurant (a must for those baked lamb and moussaka cravings) and a smaller, bites-focused pool menu. We’re not really sure where evolution is meant to go from here.
Lefkas Taverna
West End
West End, you beast. With another entry to the must-do list of Brisbane Greek restaurants, here’s a warning, other ‘burbs: pick up your game. The team at Lefkas won’t steer you wrong, so settle in for an evening of char-grilled mussels, boards of dips to share, and entirely too many felafels. If such a thing exists.
Lemoni Greek Cuzina
Tingalpa
This Tingalpa spot will treat you like you’re one of the family, with a round up of Greek cuisine that tastes like it came from yia yia’s kitchen. Handpainted murals adorn the walls and ceiling, while live music and entertainment livens things up on Friday and Saturday nights, so book Lemoni early if you’re planning to head in on a weekend. The zucchini fritters and saganaki with caramelised figs are a must, and pasta lovers should opt for the pastitsio—pasta layered with mince and topped with bechamel. Can’t decide? Their meat, seafood and vegetarian share platters were made for the indecisive diner.
Yamas Greek
West End
From the team behind the city’s riverside Opa Bar + Mezze comes Yamas Greek, another stunning Greek restaurant dishing up hearty Agean fare. The glam spot is decked out in terrazzo tables, rust-coloured seating and rose marble benches, with circular booths for larger groups. Fitting in with those giant booths, the menu is of course all about sharing. Start things off with warm pita bread with dips and mezze like halloumi chips, flash fried calamari and of course, gooey saganaki. Larger plates include rich moussaka, braised beef pasta and the extravagant dry aged t-bone, or there’s lamb and chicken from the souvla menu.
Santorini Restaurant Grill Bar
Newstead
Taking its cue from the Greek island of the same name, Santorini Restaurant Grill Bar has an entirely blue and white interior, with half-moon window-like murals of stunning Santorini vistas, so you’ll feel like you’ve escaped to the Mediterranean. The menu is a who’s who of Greek classics, featuring zucchini chips, stuffed red peppers, dolmadakia, souvlaki, yiros, spanakopita and so much more. They’ve also got lengthiest dessert menu we’ve seen at a Brisbane Greek restaurant, so don’t skip out on the last course.
Kafe Meze
Graceville
As Plato once said, ‘When in doubt, order more dolmades.’ (Alright, it was us, but we stand by it.) Parked in the leafy streets of Graceville, Kafe Meze is a sneaky standout in the Brisbane Greek restaurant game. From mezze platters through to end-of-the-night baklava, this little number will have you hooked to the end.
Greca
Brisbane CBD
Settle those Big Fat Greek Cravings with a day trip down to Howard Smith Wharves. Here, under the Storey Bridge, you’ll find Greca, a haven of Mediterranean delights—and, no-holds-barred, one of Brisbane’s best Greek restaurants. Let the ouzo flow freely and brace the table for plates toppling with saganaki (that's cheese fried in honey for the newbs), octopus topped in green chilli, and fresh seafood by the river.
Zeus Street Greek
Multiple locations
When the belly’s rumbling like rolling thunder, follow the crowds to Zeus Street Greek. In the CBD, South Bank and Chermside, these minions of the thunder god are fixing Greek food cravings with pitas stuffed with tender chicken and tzatziki, crispy halloumi chips and their famous snack packs.
The Yiros Shop
Multiple locations
Problem: you’ve hit Code Red (that means hangry AF) with a Tier 5 halloumi craving. Solution? The Yiros Shop. With spots in South Bank, the Valley and a few in the ‘burbs (there's even a drive-through location), this team fronts the perfect Greek food fix for those half-hour windows.
Had enough of Greek restaurants around Brisbane and want to switch to a different international flavour? Find our fave Japanese eateries here.
Image credit: Hayley Williamson, Greca , Yamas