Tzaki, Yarraville

MELBOURNE | Chef Alex Xinis, opened his tiny all-day Athenian Yarraville cafe and wine bar, Tzaki, last year. It’s become a beloved fixture of the neighbourhood in that time, ticking all of the boxes that a local spot like this should. Tzaki has been on my radar for a while, and I finally got around to visiting the other day.

Alex brings a wealth of experience to Tzaki, working with George Calombaris at The Press Club and Hellenic Republic, and spending time in the kitchens of tavernas and Michelin starred restaurants of Athens. The venue draws much inspiration from Alex’s time in Athens, and aims to bring a slice of the kind of dining and venue that’s popular in Athens today.

Tzaki opens as a cafe in the morning, offering coffee and frappes, and Greek pastries like bougatsa, and evolves into a bar as the day progresses. At night, it’s a menu of taverna-inspired meze, with a decidedly contemporary twist – modern Athens and Melbourne in one.

The menu changes regularly, driven be seasonality and what’s good at nearby Footscray market on any given day. Dishes are cooked in a wood-fired oven, which you can see along with the entire kitchen and bar, which are combined into a single space that’s enclosed by the dining counter and bar.

Some of the best, fluffiest pita in town is served simply with salt, or dips like tryokafteri (red pepper and feta butter) and tzatziki tartare (beef, yoghurt, and cucumber). Order one with a dip, and one to mop up the wonderful sauces from your other dishes. Gemista (stuffed tomato with potato), are wonderful, so too the kefte – chicken meatballs in this case, with fragrant tomatoes and feta.

Seafood lovers and those with dietaries are well catered to at Tzaki. Wood roasted octopus is brilliant, as is the fides (angel hair pasta with Goolwa pipis, zucchini, and anchovy). The latter, in particular, transported me back to my trip to Thessaloniki last year. For dessert, a molten, sweet and salty wood-fired burnt feta cheesecake, is a revelation.

To drink, its wines sourced from across Greece, along with Greek-style wines made by local winemakers. There’s also Greek craft beer, and a creative selection of cocktails featuring Greek twists and flourishes.


Tzaki

31 Ballarat Street
Yarraville
Victoria 3013
Australia

Telephone: n/a
E-mail: [email protected]
Website

Open
Mon – Wed: 7:00am to 3:00pm; 5:00pm to 9:30pm
Thu: 7:00am to 9:30pm
Fri: 7:00am to 10:00pm
Sat: 8:00am to 10:00pm
Sun: 8:00am to 4:00pm

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