The Greek House

Serving a Mediterranean menu in a vibrant blue, green and turquoise space, The Greek House's food is more far-reaching than its name suggests. There are also Middle Eastern influences; its owners are of Palestinian and Jordanian descent, though raised in Malaysia.

Brother and sister Amjad and Asma Al Said always dreamed of running their own restaurant. The chance came when the spot formerly occupied by Afghan restaurant Samadi became available and they took the leap – along with Amjad’s friend Imran Al Dablan.

Though The Greek house is part of the Point Chevalier arcade, the team has made an effort with the decor. Inside, patterned tiles adorn the floor and there are plush, high-backed teal chairs, offset by blue walls and gold lamps. The trio has just acquired the space next door, so they’re currently in the process of pushing out to create a larger space.

Order the meze platter and you’ll be rewarded with a mosaic of smooth house-made hummus, tzatziki, chunky baba ganoush, dolma and a punchy fattouche salad – all served with Turkish bread.

The menu is broken up into cold appetisers like falafel, individual dips, salads with halloumi or calamari, with other sections of hot appetisers, gyros wraps (there’s the Greek bit, along with moussaka and Greek salad), barbeque, smoke and seafood.

Explore the barbeque menu, as that’s their pride and joy. The chicken in the shish tawook is moist and tender, having clearly been marinaded in its mixture of garlic, yoghurt and Middle Eastern spices for a decent amount of time. Opt for a side of rice and you’ll be served a fluffy, saffron-kissed dish with hints of butter, onion and spice, finished with almonds and parsley. It even goes in the smoker for an extra flavour dimension.

There's no alcohol on the drinks menu; instead, quench your thirst with soft drinks, ayran (a Middle Eastern yoghurt beverage), lemon and mint cooler – or hot Turkish coffee and mint tea.