MELBOURNE | Harry and Rosie Tsiukardanis originally opened Alpha Ouzeri in Fitzroy in 2008. While always a bit under the radar, the restaurant was a hit with locals and Melbourne’s Greek community, who enjoyed Rosie’s warm hospitality, and Harry’s fresh take on classic Greek taverna fare.
Looking for a change of pace, and something closer to home, Harry and Rosie sold their stake in Alpha Ouzeri in 2016, and opened Essendon café, ROSEM1LK. The café was one of Melbourne’s lockdown casualties, and the difficult decision to close it left Harry and Rosie wondering what to do next.
They both missed the connection to their heritage that they had at Alpha Ouzeri, and Harry missed cooking Greek food for a wider audience than family and friends. When the former Small Axe space in Brunswick became available, Harry and Rosie decided to resurrect Alpha Ouzeri.
The space is homely and welcoming. The location might be new, and nine years might have passed between both versions of the restaurant, but it feels like a place that’s been here since day one. Rosie’s warm hospitality sets the tone, making you feel like you’ve been greeted into her home. The fact that you’ll hear conversations from regulars making a return from the original days, says it all.
The menu features a selection of meze and larger share plates. It’s food that evokes the tavernas of Thessaloniki moreso than those of Athens. It’s not surprising, given that Harry hails from Kastoria, in northern Greece. The town is around an hour’s drive from the villages that my grandparents are from, so it’s food that’s particularly nostalgic for me.
I highly recommend starting with the ‘Alpha Ouzeri Favourites’. It’s a platter of tzatziki, baba ganoush, feta, kefalotyri, pickled octopus, toursi (spicy mixed pickles), olives, pastourma, village-style garlic bread, and koulouri.
For larger share plates, the boneless, compressed lamb shoulder is a great option. It pulls apart with a mix of tender meat and crispy ends, and is served with eggplant puree, pistachio salt, potato rosti, garlic, and pomegranate molasses. You might also want to try the krasomezze. It’s a grilled pork sausage with harissa, feta, and caramelised onions.
If its grilled meat you’re after, the grilled meat platter of lamb cutlets, lemon lamb, chicken skewers, sausages, baked potatoes, and Greek salad is a top choice. Be sure to take note of the specials, too. When I visited, I was wowed by perfectly charred king prawns with chilli oil, spicy capsicum, and squid ink mayonnaise.
For dessert, its dishes like rizogalo crème brûlée, semolina and ricotta bougatsa with honey and yoghurt, and olive oil chocolate mousse. To drink, there’s Greek and local beer and wine, a selection of Greek-inspired cocktails, plus ouzo and tsipouro, of course.
Alpha Ouzeri
281 Victoria Street
Brunswick
Victoria 3056
Australia
Telephone: (03) 8851 9471
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Tue – Sat: 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Sun: 11:30am to 3:00pm