First Look: Voula’s Brings a Greek Taverna and a Rooftop Bar to Hawthorn East

Melbourne’s big fat Greek renaissance has been picking up pace for years. Glen Iris’s Bar Sophia has popped off in the southeast, but not a lot of the new Greek dining action has been happening in the east. 

Voula’s wants to change that. The new 160-seat Greek taverna and rooftop bar has just opened in Hawthorn, transforming the two-level former St Cloud site on Burwood Road.

For owner Nick Flaounas, who lives nearby, “There was definitely room for something like this, some more Greek, around here”. His Greek heritage – and his mum Voula – inspired the new venue. “It’s an ode to her,” says Flaounas. “She’s pretty chuffed.”

Voula’s is the latest venture for Flaounas, who’s also behind similarly themed Oakleigh bar Olympia, Armadale rooftop bar Harvie, and Camberwell wine bar and shop Gloria’s. Leading the kitchen at Voula’s is Athens-raised chef Manos Krasadakis, who’s worked at one of the city’s most iconic Greek restaurants: the Hot-Listed Jim’s Greek Tavern.

 Krasadakis’s menu hits all the right Hellenic notes. There’s house-baked bread and dips, from taramasalata to tirokafteri (spicy feta); fried and grilled seafood for days; and shareable meat platters, generous with yiros, biftekia (beef patties) and loukaniko (pork sausage).

He shared notes with Flaounas’s mum to develop a hybrid recipe for pastitsio, the rich, layered, bechamel-heavy baked pasta dish that’s Greece’s answer to lasagne.

Unlike most Melbourne tavernas, Voula’s has a menu section dedicated to saganaki, sizzling dishes prepared in a small frying pan. Greek kefalograviera cheese comes four ways: with lemon and oregano; with apricot jam; in a croquette, served with hot-honey mayo; and with a flaming shot of Metaxa, the Greek blend of spirits and muscat wine, poured over it tableside. 

In the coming months, another point of difference will be traditional Greek breakfast. As well as the rudimentary stuff (proper Greek yoghurt with fresh fruit, spanakopita and other pies), expect colourful breakfast plates. “That could be a fried egg, a block of feta, a chopped tomato, and a warm koulouri,” says Flaounas.

Drinks are no afterthought, with the gamut-running list ranging from Greek beers to Pol Roger champagne. Considered cocktails include a Negroni with Greek amaro Roots Diktamo, and a briny freezer-door Martini that takes flavour hints from Greek salad, much like the one found at Caper’s.

Much like sibling bar Olympia, Voula’s was kitted out to capture the magic of the Greek islands, with walls rendered white to look like rock, and blue accents throughout. Pop into the front bar or up to the weatherproofed rooftop for a drink and a snack, or book a seat in the taverna to feast, where the upstairs dining room has a stage for live Greek music.

Voula’s Taverna

644 Burwood Road, Hawthorn East

0413 970 641

Hours:

Tue to Thu 5pm–10pm
Fri & Sat 5pm–11pm

Sun 5pm–10pm

@voulastaverna

voulas.com.au