Opa! Canberra’s best Greek restaurants
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If you have a craving for Greek cuisine but a flight to the Mediterranean is off the cards, you’re in luck.
Canberra’s Greek dining scene is steadily on the rise, and for good reason: the meals hit the perfect sweet spot with fresh, vibrant ingredients that still leave you feeling deeply satisfied. From slow-roasted meats to olive oil-drenched salads, saganaki and souvlaki, expect wholesome, flavourful ingredients and generous portions.
To save you the plane ticket, we’ve rounded up the venues that will (almost) make you feel as if you’re dining at a seaside taverna in Santorini. Whether it’s fresh seafood, a loaded gyro or a comforting moussaka that you’re after, this is where to get your Greek fix in Canberra. Yamas!
Asteri Taverna (Swinger Hill)
Located at the Swinger Hill shops, this freshly opened suburban gem aims to replicate the warm spirit of a lively evening in Greece, with a generous outdoor area reminiscent of a taverna, Greek music and soothing Mediterranean interiors.
Traditional Greek dishes are elevated by using authentic, aromatic herbs picked straight from the family garden. Do yourself a favour and try the slow-baked lamb shoulder or prawn saganaki—trust us, you’ll be back for more!
Swinger Hill Shops, 85 Ainsworth Street, Mawson | facebook.com/astericanberra/
Olive at Hawker (Hawker)
This long-standing boutique Mediterranean restaurant is built on decades of local hospitality experience.
Featuring a mix of robust Greek and Italian dishes, the balanced menu is the perfect winter warmer: try the moussaka or the souzoukakia (lamb meatballs in a rich sauce) for the ideal comfort meal.
2a/78 Hawker Place, Hawker | oliveathawker.com.au
Kivotos (Braddon and Woden)
With two venues to choose from, co-owner and head chef George Giannoulis is onto a winning formula, serving a menu that’s rooted in heritage but heavily forward-looking.
Standout dishes include char-grilled octopus with fava, dolmadakia (herbed rice wrapped in vine leaves) and a mouth-watering baklava cheesecake with pistachio gelato. There’s also a $59 all-you-can-eat Sunday lunch buffet, packed with fresh seafood and housemade loukoumades.
33 Mort Street, Braddon or Hellenic Club, 1 Matilda Street, Phillip | kivotoscbr.com.au
Zeus Street Greek (Manuka, Gunghalin and City)
A trip to Greece isn’t complete without a loaded gyro. Perfect for late-night food runs, Zeus Street Greek’s signature gyro (or “Tzimmy”) is packed with all the ingredients a good gyro needs: choose from meat or falafel, fresh salad, and tangy tzatziki wrapped together with salty chips inside warm pita bread. Every bite delivers the classic taste of after-hours street food in Mykonos.
s7/21 Genge Street, Canberra City or The Marketplace, 30-33 Hibberson Street, Gungahlin or Shop 009, Manuka Terrace 18 Flinders Way, Griffith | zeusstreetgreek.com.au
Aegean Pantry (Fyshwick)
This new hybrid boutique Greek café and gourmet specialty grocer specialise in fresh, inventive Greek-style salads, like their signature prawn Aegean or freekeh-based Cypriot salad. They also serve hot, traditional comfort food like Pastitsio (Greek lasagna), vegetarian Moussaka and lemon garlic chicken and traditional sweets. To really feel like you’re in Greece, try the speciality freddo cappuccino or browse through their extensive olive oil collection. Opa!
Shop G21/36 Mildura Street, Fyshwick | instagram.com/aegean.pantry
Feature image: Aegean Pantry.
