Vasili Petropoulos had a vision: to combine the island ethos of his mum’s birthplace, Ikaria, and the mainland style of his father’s hometown of Kalamata.

The result is Vasili’s Table. It’s one of eight restaurants Petropoulos (ex-Bills executive chef) has opened in just about as many cities, from Tokyo to London. 

The Greek taverna is truly farm-to-table, extending into an adjacent lot that Petropoulos transformed to grow fruit and veg, raise chooks and keep beehives. Plus, there’s a stage for live music on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s like something straight out of the Aegean Islands.

The menu changes almost daily. It’s a go-to spot for charcoal chicken and seafood, particularly octopus. In true Ikarian style, vegetables also play a big role; Ikaria is a blue zone with staples like snakebean stew (fasolakia) and boiled greens (horta).

Everything except meat and seafood is produced in-house: pita (to mop up taramasalata or eggplant and zucchini dip), olive oil, pork sausages (loukaniko), even ouzo-flavoured gelato.

Drinks include an ever-changing list of South Australian wines, a few house-made spirits including mastiha, and cocktails inspired by Petropoulos’s parents, including the Aegean Spritz, a limoncello twist on the classic Aperol cocktail.