8 East Coast Spots That Capture Europe in Summer Vibes

Conjure up a long, lazy lunch in the Aegean, and you’ll find yourself floating through the doors at Georges Mediterranean Bar & Grill. Perched on Sydney’s King Street Wharf and refreshed in 2024, this waterfront staple delivers modern Greek charm with just the right amount of polish. Think daily caught seafood, unfussy classics done beautifully, and a drinks list that leans sun-drenched and spritz-ready. 

Tucked along South Wharf with the Yarra glittering out front, Ruby Riviera feels part waterfront haunt, part coastal holiday. The menu is ambitious in the best way – you’ll spot nods to Greece, Italy, Turkey, and Spain, spanning the spice and smoke of the Mediterranean with Victorian produce playing a starring role. Order the mejillones, stay for the slow-cooked ribs, and let the house-made sangria do the rest. 

Tucked between Caloundra and Mooloolaba, Bocca Italian feels like a postcard from a southern Italian summer, just with better parking. The kitchen serves up house-made pasta, piping-hot pizza from a Moretti oven imported straight from the motherland, and golden-crumbed cutlets that could make a nonna cry. The vibe? Unpretentious, breezy and built for good company. Pair it with a crisp white from the mostly Aussie wine list and let the coastal air just over the dunes transport you.

Bringing a breezy Mediterranean elegance to South Yarra, with a menu that speaks fluent French bistro, Bistro Gitan is also punctuated by subtle nods to Spain, Italy and beyond. Run by the same family for generations, this Yarra mainstay’s menu is grounded in classic bistro technique but branches into warmer coastal flavours – the garlicky escargot or the baked French goat’s cheese will give you Euro summer in a heartbeat.  

This former army barracks turned French hideaway feels about as far from Sydney's hustle as you can get without leaving the postcode. L’Heritage leans fully into its charm: harbour views, crisp linen, and a kitchen that honours the classics. Our menu pick? The bouillabaisse is layered and deeply satisfying, thick with seafood and tradition. Steak frites and duck à l’orange offer the kind of comfort you’d cross the city for. And the Champagne? Fairly priced and always flowing. Come for lunch, stay till golden hour. 

Bringing Spanish energy to Brisbane’s Little Stanley Street, Olé has all the warmth and rhythm of a summer soirée in Madrid. The menu leans traditional with a side of flair: golden patatas bravas, salt cod fritters, and slow-braised goat you’ll argue over finishing. Designed for sharing (and lingering), it’s best tackled with friends, a jug of sangria in hand, and nowhere else to be. And yes, you’ll want the paella for two.  

Here, at Buon Ricordo, the music is ambient chatter, the lighting filtered sun, and the mood somewhere between an Italian family lunch and a backstreet secret. The menu is old-world trattoria. Go for the Fettuccine al tartufovo – rich, earthy, unmistakably luxe. Even the olive oil has its own origin story, pressed from owner Armando’s Wollombi Valley olives. There’s a sense that everything here means something. And that makes all the difference. 

At Florina’s Greek Tavern, you’re not so much seated as adopted. The mood is warm light, charcoal smoke, and plates that never stay full for long. There’s no need for decision paralysis either, the team is more than happy to feed you as the Greeks would: with dips, saganaki, barbecue octopus (because nothing spells a Euro summer more than these morsels), and slow-cooked meats. This is village-style dining with inner-city ease, and if you leave hungry, you’ve done something wrong.