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Eleni’s Kitchen & Bar
28a Anderson Street, Yarraville.
Earlier this year, I found myself at a modern Greek joint in Yarraville called Tzaki, I absolutely loved it, but I had SO many people telling me there was also a traditional restaurant down the street that was the best traditional Greek food in Melbourne.
If Tzaki is the trendy new kid across the street, Eleni’s is the beating heart, the one everyone seems to have a story about. With family photos lining the walls it’s not hard to imagine the walls themselves telling you tales: this place was built by two sisters, Anatoli and Eleftheria Amanatidis, who wanted to honour their Yiayia Eleni and bring back the warmth of traditional Greek dining to where their family’s culinary legacy began.
The Amanatidis family are Yarraville locals from way back – Yiayia Eleni, who was there in the kitchen the night we dined, ran the suburb’s very first Greek restaurant opposite the Sun Theatre back in 1971, at a time when Greek films lit up the big screen and the air outside was thick with the sound of jukeboxes and laughter. Their great grandfather was the founding priest of St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and the family have owned just about every type of business nearby, from delis to butchers to coffee shops, each venture turning neighbours into regulars and regulars into honorary family members. These days, Eleni’s Kitchen is run by the granddaughters, with legendary chef Christos Katopodis at the helm – a man who’s logged more than 35 years in some of Melbourne’s great Greek kitchens, and who’s known just as much for his singing as he is for his seafood.
But what’s Eleni’s really about? Memories and meals – especially if you opt for the Eleni’s Banquet, which is pretty much a greatest-hits parade of Greek comfort food. Here’s what the banquet had to offer when we visited:
The Dips are the primer. Four dips and wrap, fresh bread come out to start with. Their chefs can roll a hundred loaves in just twenty minutes, and have them golden and ready to hit the table in another twenty. The bread’s so good it’s become a staple not just in the restaurant, but next door at Jimmy’s Deli, where it frames their chicken rolls with the same soft-chewy perfection. Let’s get into the dips; Tzatziki: You know this one – garlicky yoghurt with cucumber, fresh and cooling. Tarama: A silky, pale pink dip made from cured cod roe blended with olive oil and lemon, salty and addictive. Melitzanosalata: Charred eggplant whipped with olive oil, garlic, and lemon. Think smokiness with a creamy finish. Tyrokafteri: A spicy feta dip with roasted peppers and chili – it’s bold, tangy, and a little fiery. Also on the side is Florinis Piperiés- sweet, red-roasted Florina peppers dressed in olive oil. And some saganaki, sizzling seared kefalograviera cheese – golden and crisp with a gooey inside.
Then out came the platters; Seafood Platter was a medley of fried calamari, charred king prawns, and the fish of the day. By far the win of the night was the meat, the gyros – as it should be sliced lamb and chicken gyros, smoky lamb cutlets, Greek rissoles (keftedes – spiced meatballs with herbs), and loukaniko, a pork sausage scented with citrus and fennel.
Sides round things out- roast lemon potatoes (soft and caramelised), crunchy horiatiki Greek salad with slabs of feta, and chef’s choice dessert – for us, it was a decadent flourless chocolate cake that’s proof positive of their commitment to awesome gluten-free options. Even the pita had a gluten-free version, so nobody’s left out at the table.
But it’s not just the bread that makes Eleni’s Kitchen feel like home – it’s the Friday night tavern vibe when the back alley comes alive with live Greek music and the joyous clatter of plate smashing. For a few hours, Yarraville is transformed: laughter spills onto Anderson St, Zorba’s arms stretch wide across the walls, and locals transform into dancers and honorary Greeks. It’s loud, it’s celebratory, and if you’ve never joined a circle of strangers to belt out “Yia mas!” over the crash of broken crockery, you haven’t really done Eleni’s.
And whether or not you have Greek heritage, by the end of the meal, you’ll feel like you do.
Eleni’s Kitchen isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a tribute – to Yarraville, to family, and to the kind of food that brings whole suburbs together. Get the banquet. Stay for dessert. And don’t be surprised if by the end, someone raises a glass and says “Yia mas!” and you’re answering back.
