Spitiko: 270 Park Street, South Melbourne, 9690 2600
My score: 2.5/5
When a restaurant doesn’t get the basics right, any good elements will struggle to outweigh the bad. I arrived alone at this attractive Greek tavern, a joint venture between experienced operator John Ghionis and 2010 Masterchef contestant Philip Vakos. I was shown to a table then left to founder without water, menu or the offer of a beverage. If that wasn’t uncomfortable enough, Spitiko was chilly. I arrived in coat and scarf and was reluctant to remove either. A broken heater blew cold air, which the manager knew (‘Oh, yeah, someone else said that’) but didn’t rectify. After my friends arrived, so did menus listing standard Greek dishes: there’s nothing wrong with classics when they’re done well. There was also a sheet of specials – scallops, soft-shelled crab and other fancier stuff – but it was later whisked away because ‘everything had run outâ€. Then don’t tempt us: it’s only once you know what you’re missing that you rue it. The mostly Greek wine list was a partial mystery to our waiter but he managed to recommend a bottle. What a shame it wasn’t available. We chose another, which he then sloshed onto my plate and the table and didn’t wipe up. An untuned TV in the corner added to the careless feel.
The food was okay. A trio of dips was unremarkable and came with not-enough bread (extra pita is $3.50). I’ll trust the dips were made in house but they didn’t taste a million miles from something you’d peel a foil lid from. The lamb gyros, carved from the rotisserie, was fine when it was hot, but quickly cooled to a fatty lump on its cold plate. Chopped salad was tooth-achingly cold. Some dishes were better. The kataifi prawns – fat, firm prawns wrapped in shredded pastry then fried to a golden crunch – were as good as they sound. Saganaki (fried cheese) was baked in a foil parcel with tomatoes and capsicum in a juicy twist on a taverna classic. Sliced pork sausage braised with wine was rich and peppery. Among the desserts, the galaktoboureko (a filo custard pie) was marred by overset custard but the yoghurt ice flavoured with mastic resin was refreshingly smooth and sour.
I wish this restaurant was warmer, more efficient, better stocked and felt more inspired. It’s fine to promise old-school Greek food but both food and service need to be better than blah to hold Melbourne’s attention.
Visit their website.
More South Melbourne:
Dead Man Espresso, 35 Market Street, South Melbourne, 9686 2255
Creative daytime offerings and amazing coffee are a given; Friday nights is now given over to burgers on brioche with crinkle-cut fries.
Garamerica, 230 Dorcas Street, South Melbourne, 9696 2192
Come for cheap, fast home-style Indonesian food in a no-frills setting. The ayam bakar (marinated grilled chicken) and the perkedel (potato fritters) are worth trying.
The Montague, 355 Park Street, South Melbourne, 9690 9044
South Melbourne is blessed with lots of old pubs and this backstreet beauty does a good job of being both local boozer and nice place to eat.
First published in The Age, September 9, 2012
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