LOCATIONIn bustling, cosmopolitan Brunswick East, only a few kilometres from the CBD.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThis is the Brunswick cousin of the Press Club, which is city Greek, modern and sophisticated. The Hellenic Republic is a more casual restaurant, and more stereotypically Greek. The venue itself is sizeable and is dominated by a large bar at which you can perch for a drink or a meal and watch the chefs working their magic with the frying pans and grills.
The food here is authentic, healthy and entirely delicious. Healthy, you say? There are lots of salads, plenty of vegetable dishes and a considerable range of grilled fish and meat, all of which are presented with sharing in mind. For a traditional taste of the motherland, try the spanakopita, formed into a scrunched circle in the Cypriot style (rather than a square or triangular pie), and the saganaki (grilled cheese) with tiny, peppered figs. Of the grilled fish and meat dishes, the swordfish is particularly good, and comes with a bottle of egg and lemon sauce on the side. The best way to eat here is to order a few things for the table, and then perhaps a few more according to your appetite. The drinks list is not huge but there’s a good choice including wines by the glass and some Greek beer. The staff are dressed in blue (not the exact shade of the blue in the Greek flag, but close) and are good-humoured. Note that groups of 10 are required to have a set menu. That’s no hardship.
Rita Erlich, December 2008
