Brisbane’s best souvlaki
One does not simply eat ‘a bit’ of Greek food. You eat a lot of Greek food. And despite how great it tasted at the time, you now felafel. But it wasn’t the waiter’s fault – nobody wants tabouli you into eating their food. It can only be said that the rich, Mediterranean goodness of Greek fare violently throws away all hope of self control.
And we love it.
The Greek culture Ouzos with luxury and sophistication – but what we love most (second to haloumi) is the souvlaki. Tender meaty goodness whisked up in a world of exotic spices and put to rest in a fresh pita wrap – who would want anything more?
Luckily for us, a number of these Greek feasts have popped up around Brisbane. Take a sneak peek at our favourites:
Lefkas Greek Taverna | West End
Step out of the real world and into Brisbane’s picturesque Greek cafe – white walls, bright blue trim and the aroma of honey-soaked baklava. If you didn’t know any better, you’d be convinced that it came straight from a travel magazine. But the highlight here is not the wall paint – it’s the tender house marinated lamb skewers (featuring a fresh burst of spices) that will have your tastebuds dancing the Zorba.
Go Greek Cafe | Fortitude Valley
Whether you’re strolling through the Valley’s dining precinct in search of the perfect bacon and eggs or a quick bite after a night on the town, this versatile Greek hideaway will soothe your cravings. Start by sinking your teeth into a flavoursome chicken souvlaki – filled to the brim with veggies, lavished in tzatziki sauce and sprinkled with parsley. Oh, and don’t worry if you’re running late due to souvlaki-daydreaming. Go Greek Cafe is open 24 hours over the weekend. Opa!
SVL Souvlaki Bar | Capalaba
SVL takes the souvlaki classics and twists them with modern charm. Our ultimate fave is Chicky’s Caesar souvlaki. With creamy caesar sauce, tender chicken and (wait for it…) bacon, this Greek wrap is almost as smashing as their plates.
The Greek Club | South Brisbane
How could one go Greek restaurant hopping and miss The Greek Club? Standing strong since the 1920s, there is no doubt that goers of Greek cuisine have been spoiled for generations. If you’re not in the mood for a little fine dining, dig into the Greek Yiros wrap – meat of the day roasted on a vertical spit (practically falling off the bone) combined with onion, tomato, tzaziki, in pita bread with a generous amount of chips. Yes.
Kafe Meze | West End
In the heart of West End lies a family-run Greek Cafe. The ties here are strong, but the smell of haloumi is stronger. When you sit down for a killer souvlaki, you move away from the original chicken and lambs wraps and into the world of Keftedes. These Greek meatballs burst on the tastebuds with exquisite flavour. Not to mention, they’re lathered in tzatziki.
Gyradiko | Fortitude Valley
New to the Greek scene, Gyradiko is quickly becoming a Valley fave, with wraps that are less greasy 2am kebab, more fresh, gourmet gyros. But if you do want a side of grease with your souvlaki and salad filled gyros you’ll get it, in the form of crisp chips wrapped up right there with them. If that doesn’t sound like a hangover cure, we don’t know what is.
Greek and you shall find!
Words by Julia Hulbert
