New addition to the beautiful Marina Pier in Glenelg, Ellenika Taverna brings their A-game on Greek deliciousness, making it such a strong contender to other Greek eateries throughout Adelaide. They primarily offer a Meze option which is a shared platter on their menu. We always love a scrumptious shared platters and we experienced just that when we tried their Bottomless Brunch.

First of all, may I say that this spot has the advantage of a beautiful view. I imagine once their new deck is built guests can opt to sit outside with a glass of champagne to accompany their brunch while looking out towards the beautiful Marina Pier with it’s fabulous yachts as the sun hits the water and makes them sparkle. Pure bliss.

We arrived for the 10am invitation and was greeted by the Owner/Chef, Damian Vasilevski. We felt welcomed with sincere hospitality as he proudly showed us around his beautiful restaurant. Enriched with paintings of the popular blue rooftop domes in Oia made you feel like you were somewhere in Greece. Faux flower and leaves hanging on the ceilings were also a nice touch and not to mention the giant letter E for Ellenika right in the middle of the restaurant which really catches your eye for a fun photo prop. What a fantastic entrance! We were offered the choice of a mimosa, champagne or a refreshing apple mocktail to begin with then the crowd of VIP invitees started to arrive and even though there were plenty of seats to accommodate everyone, we were too excited to sit down as we mingled our way through the crowd.

Fresh from the oven Spanakopita was among the first platters to be served around. We were very impressed on how crisp and tasty they were and for those that don’t know, Spanakopita is spinach and feta cheese in filo pastry which can be found on their menu. So, whatever you decide to order when you dine here, please keep this one in mind, we promise it will be worth it.

Following spanakopitas was a platter of Haloumi and figs on the table. What a beautiful combination that was! Definitely a crowd pleaser. There were also the Meze, a shared platters of pita bread, grilled sheep milk cheese (yes, you heard that right and yes this was so delicious), chorizo sausages and the classic toasted bread and dips enough to feed all that attended. These platters were such a hit. Then, there was the dessert, the traditional filo pastry with custard. I’ve lost count on how many I had all I know is I finished them in no time without any regret.

Damian had prepared a short speech on how grateful he is to all the staff, from his executive Chef Chris Argent, to the marketing teams internal and external that helped his vision of Ellenika come to life. We could truly tell that the people behind this restaurant had really thought everything through to accommodate everyone’s need. This place can hold up to 140 pax and for a smaller group, be it a birthday or a meeting lunch, they are happy to provide their smaller function room that holds 20-25 pax. If you come on the weekend they will bring you live Greek entertainment where guests are welcome to sing along or even dance! And as we mentioned earlier, they are also investing on building a deck. It will be ready for the summer and I have a hunch that this will be such a popular destination for people to come, relax and enjoy the beauty of the Marina Pier as it should be.

To celebrate the official end of winter and to welcoming the spring of 2019, the Marina Pier is collaborating with Ellenika and other vendors around the area to create a fun and entertaining event called Kidchella (yes, Coachella for kids) on Sunday 15th of September. How amazing will this be! Bring your family and definitely bring your kids, nieces or nephews, as there will be so much happening in Kidchella. I know we will be there, kids or no kids!

Words by Dee Pene from Adelaide Food Authority

WHERE: Marina Pier, Lights Landing Holdfast Shores, Shop 6/3 Chappell Drive, Glenelg