Greasy Zoes

The Verdict

The best dinners aren’t always found at high-ceiling restaurants with pristine white tablecloths as far as the eye can see. Sometimes, there’s nothing more special than having a dinner party with your close friends, and Greasy Zoes serves up those vibes to a tee in their intimate, 8-seater fine diner. 

Opening its doors in 2017, the joint serves only 32 people a week, making it an ‘if you know, you know’ kind of place. Co-owned by couple Zoe Birch and Lachlan Gardner, their mission is easier said than done; making a menu that changes weekly, completely dependent on seasonality and locality.

Working in tandem, Zoe and Lachlan are a two-person machine, with the eponymous Zoe in the back cooking up the courses and Lachlan acting as the front of house. Together, the duo create an ever-changing, 16-course degustation, that fully highlights the fresh, high-quality produce they have access to. 

Both of them aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty either—they forage for their produce at local farms, as well as make their own soft cheeses, preserves and dehydrations. “Instead of telling the farmers and producers what we want to cook, they tell us what’s ripe, seasonal and tasting the best,” says Zoe. 

Looking at Greasy Zoes, the space looks like a dreamy 70’s living room, complete with warm exposed brick walls and timber ceilings. The floating shelves feature the homemade preserves neatly bottled and lined up, and the semi-open kitchen makes you truly feel like you’re in someone’s home, instead of a sterile restaurant. 

Locality and sustainability are key factors in the operation - the couple was long frustrated with food wastage in the industry, as well as environmentally damaging practices such as shipping or flying produce in. Instead, they opt for a much more community-based approach, where minimising their environmental footprint to create a transformative menu is paramount. 

Image credit: Greasy Zoes (supplied)