The food is absolutely first rate and service is excellent. I possibly had some of the best saganaki and dips of my life here! The ambience is interesting with an open kitchen and rather strange frescoes on the walls, some of which depict violent scenes. The blue and white tiles while very Hellenic indeed give a sort of clinical air to the place. Still, it was a fun night out and the food makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
Hellenic Republic is a modern contemporary establishment with a Greek twist by George Calmonaris (think: Press Club, Gazi and Masterchef). The decor is open-kitchen inspired and the staff are friendly. We had a farewell lunch for my friend and found the tasting menu to be well priced at $58 for lunch and there was a large selection of shared items from dips and pittas, saganaki (fried cheese oozing with goodness) and lamb. The ingredients were all extremely fresh and high quality and the olive oil for the dipping bread was extremely crisp, simply devine. Could not find fault with our dining experience at all!
The Kew location is easily accessible by public transport (no.48 and no.109 trams from Collins St) which comes in handy if you are kicking off to a big night from here.
