Hellenic Republic

What some legit greek food? This is the place. They do alot of sharing dishes which is fun to eat with a group of people. Spacy restaurant that can hold quiet a bit of people. Nice and friendly staff to go with the amazing food

Hello. My name is Jackie, and I am a Greekophile. I love the endless views, the kind and warm-​hearted people, but most of all I love the FOOD. And if you want an authentic Greek meal in Melbourne, you really can’t argue with George Colombaris.
My recommendation for Hellenic Republic is to eat very minimally all day and save yourself for the banquet. For $ 59 you can treat you and your partner to four different and VERY LARGE courses (starters, seafood, meat from the spit and dessert) that show off the best of the best of Greece.
And drinks? You’re in Greece pal, so grab yourself a Mythos lager and wash it down with a Babyannis ouzo. If that’s not to your taste have the incredibly knowledgeable wait staff recommend you a Grecian wine. Delicious.

One of the best Greek restaurants!
The Hellenic Republic in Brunswick is the best Greek Restaurant and one of the best restaurants in Melbourne. I have been going regularly since 2010 and it has not disappointed me till this last visit earlier in the week.
The waitress we had made a series of mistakes, mixing up instructions, bringing out the wrong wine, spilling a little wine around the glass, enough to to cause a stain but not cleaning it off the glass, and then pouring the wrong wine in the wrong glass (we had two different red wines on the day) and she kept pouring me wine despite clear instructions not to pour any more wine as I was the designated driver. The worst is that she argued instead of apologizing, that is unacceptable and it almost spoiled the mood. Ok, now I got it out of my system I have to say that in the close to six years that I have been dining in the restaurant, there was never ever a slip up in terms of service or food.
What I really like about the Hellenic is the fact that they have terrific dishes, big portions, punchy flavours and a great atmosphere. They have taken Greek food to another level. The saganaki with figs is one example of where they have taken a regular Greek dish, added the figs and created an explosion of Flavours. In the winter they often offer fava, a forgotten Greek dish of puréed split yellow peas served with a dash of olive oil, onions and capers. The consistency they have achieved on their fava is one of a kind, creamy almost like velvet. What I love about being able to order fava is that most Greeks and any of the Greek restaurants I have been anywhere in the world do not offer any of these traditional meals, it is a very special occasion to be able to order it. I can go on about so many of the other dishes, the Cypriot salad is a wonderful salad. I had yellowfin tuna that was cooked to perfection during my last visit and grilled octopus that evoked memories of sitting at a taverna on some island in the Aegean!
The desserts also deserve a mention, especially the quintessential rizogalo, served with a twist (caramel, rose water I believe, biscuit and pistachios), I do believe that this rizogalo was created in heaven. The wonderful spoon sweets are also home made and they are among the best homemade ones that I have ever tried.
The selection of wines is really great, an offer of the best Greek wines. I like the Kir-​Yanni ones, I have been a fan for many years and Ramnista is worth a try. The Mavrodaphne is also full bodied red that is worth a try.
As you can tell I am a fan, I have been and I will be. I will outlive the waiter with the bad temper and subpar service, I expect better from Hellenic I this front, I will put it down to a bad day (maybe on the both of us).
Two thumbs up!

When I rang to book they asked if we had any allergies? Yes, nut. They said they would make a note of this. The food is very boring. We ordered dessert, it did not state on the menu it had nuts, when it came it was covered in nuts!!! We bought a very expensive wine, they showed us the bottle then they took it out the back and put it in some kind of copper carafe, we had no idea if we were drinking our wine or something off the back of a truck, it wasn’t good. When we arrived everyone got herded in like cattle, the tables are very close, the ambience is rubbish. We had breakfast there one morning it was boring and the waiter spilled water down my friends back, I kid you not!!! It’s a restaurant where you would go for the novelty. There are plenty of great options in the area, don’t bother with this over priced cattle station.

Beautiful food in a colourful classy environment! This place serves 5 star food in a more casual/​comfortable space. Share some meat, and done forget to try a side. Grain salad maybe? Make sure you make a reservation– this place is popular!

What’s not to love about this place. As a fellow Cypriot the menu is pretty spot on. George knows how to keep it authentic and traditional. We dined here the first week it opened and have been back several times since. George even joined us at our table for a chat when he heard my father was born in Cyprus! The menu just gets better and the takeaway lunches are only 12 bucks. Perfect! Dinner can become pricey when you eat as much as us Europeans do but the taste and experience make it all worthwhile! The wait staff are attentive but not annoying. And the chairs hanging from the roof. So random but so bloody cool. Worth a visit.

This place boasts exceptional quality and variety of Mediterranean cuisine served in a smaller than usual portion sizes that you just can’t get enough of so for that reason would recommend getting an insatiable five course meal… If the budget allows… Family friendly atmosphere just adds to the inviting charms of this great eatery. Whichever meal option you choose, you will not be disappointed in any case. The romantic dining experience or group functions would be best suited as well as a big family get together…

I have to dish the dirt on this one — I was really really disappointed from here the food was wayyyyy overpriced for servings that were insultingly small and lacked flavour, body, attitude or really anything interesting! However the design of the place was beautiful!!! Won’t be rushing back

You can’t not know that it is the creation of George Calombaris, now of Master Chief fame so I was just a little skeptical of what to expect but after hearing reviews from friends we were keen to try it out.
After pouring over the menu for a good few minutes we opted to dive in and grab the $ 60 banquet. It was the best (and Last) decision I made all night. From that moment on, we sat back and enjoyed our night.
I really love the whole concept of ‘food to share’ and it is really a great way to spend a Friday night.
Now, a word of warning: there is a lot of food in the banquet. Really, a lot of food and it all tastes quite good, so pace yourself! You will kick yourself if you can squeeze in the lamb and chicken at the end.
In short, do yourself a favor, make yourself a booking and get down here!

Excessive servings, dismal and massively overpriced wine and only one dish that I would describe as above average. The rest were ordinary. Very hesitant to return.
Not a massive challenge to find superior Greek food in the area either. Looked forward to this, turned out to be very lazy and disappointing. Don’t believe the hype.

Nice interior but food was really boring and dry and i was not impressed. staff were really vague and service was terrible

Laaaaaaaaaammmmmmmbbbb…
Me and the wifey had conversed of plans to visit Hellenic Republic for a long time and then randomly last Sunday found over selves asking to be seated. Bizarrely the lady at the door looked at a quarter empty restaurant at 8:45 and educated us on calling to make a booking. I told her I tried with a 20 minute wait on the phone! She seated us at the corner of the bar and we noticed the quarter of the restaurant that was empty never filled up.
Sitting next to the barista gave us some friendly conversation and we also witnessed the staff having some fun while working which was refreshing.
Highlights:
*oven roasted lamb
*fish roe dip

Moderately priced, excellent service, the best Greek I’ve ever had. Best for lunch when it’s not as busy. Try the lamb!

I popped by on a whim one evening during the week and was really impressed with what turned out to be one of the best feeds I’ve had in weeks.
I was ignorant to the fact that this is owned by a celebrity chef (I know, I fully admit that I live under a rock) until I heard some people near our table discussing it. Oh, yep, this is one of those places where you hear most of the next table’s conversation. *glasses down* Deal with it. But seriously, not great for a quiet meal but more suited for a boisterous group meal or casual date.
The food is focused on modern Greek fare, which dishes that are pretty straightforward without a lot of fuss. There is a big emphasis on sharing and enjoying the meal in an unstructured fashion. The food arrives when it’s ready in kind of no certain order. I really loved how easy it was to try a lot of different dishes here, even with just two people dining. They offer half size portion of the mains and some of the entrees. Our server was fantastic and she actually encouraged us to order half sizes of a couple of things so we weren’t overwhelmed.
The food ranges from good to some serious wow. The warm olives and smoked eggplant dip were good and served to us very quickly. We also tried the horta, saganaki with figs, and cabbage salad — all were very tasty. The highlight of the meal for me though was the chicken from the spit. It was perfectly cooked with a bit of herby crunch on the outside. It was all wrapped up with a sweet little piece of baklava.
Our bill came to a little under $ 90 which included a glass of wine or beer for each of us. We were absolutely stuffed full when we left, so we probably could have gotten away with ordering one less dish or halving a couple. I was pretty pleased with our meal though, and will most definitely be back. Til then, I’ll be dreamin on that chicken.

I was really hesitant when a colleague booked this restaurant for dinner. I thought it might be all hype and no substance. So I was expecting to be underwhelmed. Was I wrong!!! We arrived on a very busy Tuesday evening and immediately greeted by staff. Loads of choice on the menu and staff were so helpful suggesting sides that worked together and even suggesting we split a dish as two the same would be too many. I actually felt as if I was in someone’s home, such was the atmosphere, service and staff attitude. It is no wonder is place is rocking every ice — they know what they do well and stick with this. I would not hesitate to recommend this place. Go there, be amazed at the quality if the food, and feel like you have come home.

I’m a fussy eater. I eat around things and I get a bit anxious when I see a menu full of foods that I don’t usually eat. So I was a bit hesitant to try much at Hellenic even though I had been hearing such great things for a long time. I have the tastebuds of a child but it was for a family birthday!
I was blown away by the food. There was 8 of us and we ordered lots and lots of appetizers including: the saganaki, blue eye, potatoes, fava with pita, horta just to name a few. They were all really delicious and well presented.
For dessert I had the baklava, the bougasta and the donuts. I only stopped eating the savory food to allow room for the desserts.
The service was great and the wine drinkers (two days after NYE, no thank you!) seemed very happy with their choice. Everyone was so full and so happy with their meal — the bill was extremely reasonable also.
I can’t wait to go back!

I went here famished with a few homies, and after whinging about how far away it was, we all had a seat and my flatmate (who’s part Greek) started ordering while the rest of us starting drinking. From the first appetizers of hummus and tzatziki to the mains of «I can’t really remember because I was stuffing my face while drinking,» everything that was put in front of us was delicious!
Inside, the restaurant definitely has a Greek vibe going on, but it’s not too fancy and it’s not too casual. It’s quite a nice mix that makes you feel relaxed and the service is great!
I will likely return one day if someone can beam me there, but I’ll also make sure to have some dollas in my pocket as this place isn’t cheap! Maybe I’ll just make my date pay… ah yes, I’ve got my next Greek dining experience all figured out!

What is there to say about this establishment that haven’t been said before…
I know!
1. This place is actually good for kids. They are kid-​friendly unlike previously ticked recommendation… Yes, it can get loud and pricey, but kids under 12 are charged half price so nothing that comes to my mind that would deter parents.
2. There is a cool graffiti wall outside
3. Good service by the young and confident wait staff which you come to expect when you’re being charged the prices here.
4. Staff are happy to accommodate to dietary requirements or the outright fussy, … ehem… (they were happy to substitute meat in my banquet for my preference of seafood and veg)
5. Why hasn’t anyone mentioned their cauliflower dish??? it was creamed cauliflower with florets, dressed in pomegranate, (some type of nuts). Not in the menu but the waiter explained that it was one of their dish of the day and often makes an appearance. Make sure you ask about it!!! … Find the hot guy with lots of tattoo and he might make one specially for you ;)
Disclaimer: I can’t guarantee that the hot guy with lots of tattoo will actually make one for you but one can hope…

The food here is delicious, and the serving sizes reasonable. It’s not the cheapest Greek eatery around, but it’s a really pleasant space to sit in and the kind of place you can take almost anyone — good for the family, good for a bit of romancing, my man and I even took his boss there.
It can get a bit noisy when it’s busy, but that mostly depends on the individuals in the restaurant and how much they love the sound of their own voice. Also, the music is sometimes, well, really really bad euro-​pop, and being played far too loud. Mind you, I would consider any volume level too loud for that kind of music.
On the other hand, the time that my man and I had dinner at HR with the boss, there was live music — two musicians playing traditional Greek instruments — and it was the perfect aural accompaniment to the wonderfully delicious meal we enjoyed.

Despite the fact that I loathe the concept of the ‘celebrity’ chef — ‘celebrity’ anything for that matter — and this place is Masterchef’s George Calombaris’ little East Brunswick eatery, I love Hellenic Republic and can’t recommend it highly enough. Outside of the (obviously) Greek-​inspired food, they just have the formula right. Wait staff are casual yet attentive without being pushy, children are welcome, the kitchen is right out in the open and the atmosphere is always grand.
The trick if you haven’t been before is to order a banquet, which is a relative bargain at $ 50 and comes with a glass of something nice. Through the tasting plates you experience here, you get a pretty good feel for the place and will be able to make educated choices the next time you go. And there will be a next time. There are plenty of vegetarian dishes but for the carnivorous, the meat plates and fish dishes are quite simply extraordinarily good. Be warned though, it’ll put you off your neighbourhood souvlaki joint forever.