Best Greek Restaurants in Melbourne for Mediterranean Mezze

If there’s one thing Greeks are known for, it’s putting on a spectacular spread. Plus, with experts everywhere espousing the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, there’s no better time to sit down to a delicious Greek feast. 

Built around mezze, fresh seafood, grilled meats and vibrant salads, this moreish Mediterranean cuisine is as bountiful as it is healthy. And lucky for us, there plenty of stellar venues to indulge our cravings. So for next time the hunger pangs hit, we've taste-tested our way around the city to bring you our top picks for the best Greek restaurants in Melbourne. We hope you’re hungry!

Ok Billy

Okay, okay, we're about to give away one of Bayside's best secrets. Ok Billy is the oh-so welcoming place to head to for seriously good Greek eats. 

Traditional and authentic Greek food stars across the menu, from meze to gyros, open plates to salads, dips to desserts. There are homemade specials daily. complemented with ouzo, beers, Greek coffee and cocktails guaranteed to bring forth the good times. 

The best part? It's sitting pretty right by the beach; plus, there is live Greek music most weekends with lots of singing and dancing and ouzo shots. Opa! 

574a Main Street, Mordialloc 

Vanilla Lounge

This large, bi-level Greek patisserie and Greek restaurant, boasting modern décor and plenty of outdoor tables, is one of the icons of Oakleigh's prominent Greek dining scene. Settle in to Vanilla Lounge and get ready to travel to the Mediterranean, one boundary-blurring dish at a time.

Being a coffee and dining lounge, Vanilla has something for everyone. It is a family place, a meeting place, a place where you can come and experience a unique European vibe right here in Melbourne.

From award-winning cakes and pastries like their signature vanilla sponge, to plates heaving with fresh seafood and grilled meats, pita, dips and more, this place is the stuff of Greek legend. Zeus eat your heart out! 

17-21 Eaton Mall, Oakleigh 

Plaka Gyros 

Serving up a hearty slice of modern Athenian street food, Plaka Gyros is one of the best new Greek restaurants in Melbourne to arrive in the past couple of years. Its specialty is perpetual late-night favourite, gyros. Made up of crispy yet succulent spit-roasted meats, chips, veggies and tzatziki wrapped in a pita, it's a blessedly savoury indulgence.

But that's not all. For a more refined eating experience, the generous dinner come with all the parts of a gyro, albeit in an unassembled form. The Greek salad and tirokafteri (a spicy feta dip) on the side are a must. Vibrant, fun, fresh yet comforting - this is street food at its best. 

Shop 5 & 6/673 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

Jim’s Greek Tavern

The term 'local institution' doesn't even begin to describe the stature that this family-run taverna holds in Melbourne's heart. With some 50 years under its belt, the banquet-only restaurant is broadly loved as one of the best Greek restaurants in Melbourne for its anything-goes spirit, with BYO wine flowing as freely as grilled seafood, meats, cheeses and breads. You'll never quite know what's coming next, but that's half the fun.

32 Johnston Street, Collingwood 

Gracie Greco

One of the best Greek restaurants in Melbourne is Gracie Greco. It's a story of two brothers sharing the same love and passion for food from a young age, fortunate enough to grow up working in their family business. At Gracie's, it's all about coming together to be happy and enjoy delicious Greek eats; just make sure you also come hungry and with a big group! Banquet dining is available, but if you dine a la carte, start with lashings of taramosalata and tzatziki, piles of pita and delicious fried saganaki with olive jam. Chargrilled octopus, spicy fried school prawns, sharing plates of chicken gyros and stuffed peppers, and sticky baklava are other menu highlights. As the night comes to an end, pretend you're about to spill out onto the streets of Athens, full of good life and ouzo. 

536 Riversdale Road, Camberwell 

Nikos 

From humble beginnings in 1987, Nikos has grown to become one of the most popular Greek restaurants in Melbourne, now with two locations in Oakleigh and Fairfield. Hellenic enthusiasts flock for the Greek sweets, cakes, croquembouche and eclairs being served up every morning, but the café menu is one to note. You might choose to come for a breakfast of spanakopita, fruit salad with Greek yoghurt and traditional koulouri; with honey and walnut or Nutella-filled loukoumades available on weekends. But their homemade meals at lunch are as comforting and it gets for Greek eats in Melbourne. Think pastitsio and moussaka, arancini and vegetarian lasagne, frittata and chicken and mushroom filled filo pie, all served up with a side salad. Flaky, homemade pastries are also extremely popular with dedicated locals. 

25 Portman Street, Oakleigh

254-262 Wingrove Street, Fairfield

Greca Street

Another sleek Greek restaurant in Melbourne that can be found in the renowned Greek precinct of Oakleigh is Greca Street. Be welcomed in by the warm atmosphere, friendly service and charismatic smile of owner Mike. Offering traditional Mediterranean food and wine reminiscent of a meal in the heart of Athens, you won't put a foot wrong by booking in a dinner here. Especially with the restaurant's commitment to fresh and hand-selected Australian produce matched with regional Greek wines. 

66 Portman Street, Oakleigh 

Bahari The Hellenic Palate

Over the last five years, Masterchef alumni Philip Vakos’ trendy modern Greek restaurant has cemented itself as a Swan Street favourite . The shareable menu of traditional Greek recipes cooked with a contemporary touch across dips, small plates, grilled and roasted meats, colourful salads and dessert, makes Bahari one of the best Greek restaurants in Melbourne.

177-179 Swan Street, Richmond

Stalactites

Ending a big night with a hot Stalactites souvlaki is basically a rite of passage in this city. This 24-hour icon of Melbourne has been operating for over 40 years, doing simple, classic Greek fare across dips, giros platters, grilled meats and homey comfort food just like yiayia makes. Let’s be real though, the souvlaki is the main calling here – fluffy pita wrapping crisp lettuce, tomato, onion, homemade tzatziki and your choice of lamb, chicken, spiced bifteki or veggie and feta patties.

177/183 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

10 Greek Plates 

Say hello to 10 Greek Plates, where Greek food and simple, beautiful flavours shine, making for memorable dishes and an even more memorable dining experience. We recommend gathering a large group so you can snack on one of everything on the menu. Enjoy dip trios and souvlaki, saganaki and zucchini fritters, large Hellenic platters of mixed lamb and chicken and all the sides, while sipping on ouzo and yelling out 'Opa' at every opportunity. 

136/138 Martin Street, Brighton 

Demitri’s Feast

A few years ago Jim Karabagias, tired of smashing avocados, turned his brunch-focused café into a sleek, Greek mezze bar – and he’s never looked back. At Demitri’s Feast you’ll familiar dishes cooked with organic produce and an experimental hand, as well as favourites like saganaki, spanakopita and pastitio all making an appearance. 

141 Swan Street, Richmond 

Agapi

Richmond’s Swan Street is ground zero for the best Greek restaurants in Melbourne, and family-owned Agapi has been doing its thing here for over 50 years. Known for their rustic cuisine and relaxed atmosphere, they’re a go-to for lovers of Mediterranean food. The kitchen bangs out delicious meze, grills, souvlaki and a wide variety of fresh seafood seasoned lightly and given just a touch of flame to bring out peak flavour and texture.

262 Swan Street, Richmond 

Ammos Greek Tavern 

An abundant menu of dips and meze, oven-baked moussaka, chargrilled and fried seafood, mix grill plates, salads, baklava and loukoumades await at Sandringham's Ammos Greek Tavern. Authentic Greek food from the heart (hello, lamb and chicken roasted on the spit), you'll be drawn in not just for the succulent dishes and droolworthy flavours, but also by the friendly service and warm ambience. Like a real Greek taverna by the sea, the serves are generous and the plates of fresh seafood shine. 

66 Station Street, Sandringham

Yassas

For stellar Greek food head to Yassas on Southbank, where they’re cooking the fresh and flavoursome food of southern Kalamata. Here they cook over a coal fire pit, as they do traditionally in Greek homes and street stalls, resulting in smokier, crispier and all round more juicy cuts of meat. Supplement the table with pomegranate-dotted grain salads, oozy grilled saganaki and a few rounds of ouzo, and you’ve got an easy dinner winner from one of the best Greek restaurants in Melbourne.

4-9/3 Southgate Avenue, Southbank

Salona

Local institution and one of Melbourne’s best Greek restaurants, Salona has been trading for over 50 years, but you wouldn’t know it thanks to a recent top-to-bottom renovation. The menu keeps it OG, with dips, meze and shareable mains – think roast lamb, lemony spinach rice and hearty beef pastitsada – accompanied by Greek inflected cocktails like a mastiha-spiked ‘Moscow Moulari’.

260A Swan Street, Richmond 

Tsindos 

Tsindos has been open since Lonsdale Street’s glory days as the Little Greece of Melbourne. Over 35 years this family-owned restaurant has fed Prime Ministers, Presidents, tennis players and footballers, as well as countless Melburnians after a taste of their warm hospitality and generous Greek food. Their banquet menus are known to best even the hungriest of patrons, overloaded with meze, grilled seafood, souvlaki, sides and topped off with loukoumades and ice cream.

197 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 

Eleni's Kitchen & Bar 

This authentic Greek restaurant in Yarraville has been cooking up a storm in Yarraville since 1971 - and shows no signs of stopping! Super authentic, the flavours here are incredible - all slow-cooked and chargrilled meats, seafood, banquet dining and traditional and continental desserts. 

28 Anderson Street, Yarraville

Mykonos Taverna 

Much like the island, Mykonos Taverna is all about Greek passion, charm and creating a place for all to enjoy. Step in to an island oasis where the walls are decorated with contrasting elements of bright white with turquoise, bringing the place to life. The food is modern Greek cuisine created with old-school recipes served for the modern palate.

58 Portman Street, Oakleigh 

Elia Greek Taverna

A festive but unassuming Greek restaurant, with traditional blue-and-white décor, Elia Greek Taverna is cooking up homestyle food with flavorsome and hearty aplomb. It's a charming place where you can gather with friends or family, to share plates of  traditional Greek food and let the good times flow. From zucchini and feta croquettes served with a lemon infused yoghurt to chargrilled octopus with fava bean puree and capers, slow-cooked pork belly with grape molasses to chargrilled chicken with lemon labneh and salsa verde, the menu delights at every turn. 

57 Burgundy Street, Heidelberg

Theodora’s Bar and Grill

This inviting South Melbourne restaurant is a go-to for simple, unfussy Greek favourites served with typically generous hospitality. A favourite for big family dinners and celebrations, you’ll find tables at Theodora's filled edge to edge with dips (the taramasalata is a must), dolmades, saganaki, grilled meats, salads and homestyle classics like moussaka and spanakopita.

Temporarily closed

270 Park Street, South Melbourne 

Now that you’ve tackled the best Greek restaurants in Melbourne, continue your gastronomic world tour with our top foodie picks, these are the most delicious Japanese restaurants, Korean BBQ and Italian spots in town. In between meals, you’ll find us playing tourist for the day – checking out cool street art and discovering hidden gems all over the city.