Top local Greek eatery sticks to the classics

The warm service, matched by the well-executed dishes and friendly atmosphere, makes this restaurant an ideal night out for small and large groups, writes TasWeekend’s Alix Davis

Interior shot of Urban Greek. PICTURE: Luke Bowden

The Greek island of Chios lies in the northeastern Aegean. It’s the fifth largest island in Greece (your pub trivia team can thank me later) and it’s where Urban Greek’s new owner Andreas Argys spent time during his compulsory military training and it’s the only place in the world where the mastic tree grows. Each year, the mastic trees of Chios are carefully harvested of their sap – the “tears of Chios” – to make a digestif called mastika. We like to finish a meal at Urban Greek with a shot of mastika and for me, it’s become a symbol of Greek hospitality that I’ve now learned ties in neatly with Argys’s past.

Fans of Urban Greek – and there are many – will be relieved to hear that Argys is not planning any sudden moves with regard to the much-loved menu. In fact, he’s so dedicated to the classic dishes, that he brought back the restaurant’s original chef – Dimitri – to work in the kitchen for three months with Argys’s wife Rania, who is now Urban Greek’s head chef.

“Hospitality is in my blood,” says Argys, who was born in Athens and grew up between there and Hobart and who has owned and operated cafes and bakeries around town previously.

I’m a big fan of sizzling-hot melted cheese and Urban Greek’s saganaki cheese ($19) is one of the best. Served in a red-hot cast iron pan with a side of sweet fig jam and a lemon quarter to squeeze over, it’s the perfect combination of hot, salty, sweet, crunchy and soft.

Urban Greek’s Saganaki, served in a hot cast-iron pan with a side of sweet fig jam and lemon is the perfect combination of hot, salty, sweet, crunchy and soft. Picture: Mireille Merlet

Our other entree (though it’s easily large enough to be a main) is the garides pilafi ($28) – a creamy pumpkin-based risotto featuring prawns and topped with strawberries and mint. I wasn’t convinced about the strawberries, but the flavours work well together and this is Greek comfort food in a bowl.

I resist the temptation to order our usual mixed grill and instead opt for a classic moussaka ($41) – billed as a “vintage plate” on the menu. Rather than plated as a slice from a tray, here it’s served in a hollowed-out eggplant half which makes a very neat main-course size portion.

Urban Greek’s moussaka which features a rich, cinnamon-spiked ragu of Tasmanian beef. Picture: Mireille Merlet

A rich, cinnamon-spiked ragu of Tasmanian beef (rather than traditional lamb) is topped with mashed potato and bechamel before being flashed under the grill for a perfectly golden top.

Sitting inside an old warehouse building, the Urban Greek dining room is always busy and buzzing and, with a number of banquet options available, it’s ideal for larger groups. You can sit back and relax and let the kitchen send out the best of their favourite dishes.

One of Urban Greek’s fresh, zesty salads. Picture: Mireille Merlet

Our second main was the Cretan bifteki ($42), a trio of generously proportioned beef and lamb meatballs charred over the grill and served with garlicky, lemon potatoes. There are also triangles of fluffy pita bread for mopping up the juices from this and the moussaka. Tangy tzatziki on the side is a creamy counterpoint to the hint of spice.

It wouldn’t be a Greek meal without a Greek salad and we order the Cretan version ($21) which includes the hard, barley rusks that are a staple of Cretan cuisine. This salad feels like it’s been freshly chopped and is wonderfully crisp with more-ish black olives and crumbled feta. I wouldn’t have minded a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar, but enjoyed it anyway.

Urban Greek’s Ekmek ice cream. Picture: Supplied

Portions here are generously sized and we take a moment to pause before dessert. Much as my husband loves a galaktoboureko (Greek vanilla slice) and I enjoy baklava, we decide on a dessert from the specials menu – Ekmek ice cream ($16). This is a variation on a classic Greek dessert – ekmek kataifi – a bed of kataifi pastry strands baked and then soaked in a lemon syrup before being topped with custard and whipped cream. Here the kataifi nest – crisp and sweet – is topped with wonderfully chewy ice cream that reminds me of Turkish dondurma, made with the sap of those mastic trees of Chios.

The warmth of the service here is matched by the well-executed dishes and friendly atmosphere, making it an ideal night out for small and large groups.

Interior shot of Urban Greek. PICTURE: Luke Bowden.

URBAN GREEK

103 Murray St, Hobart

Opening hours: Weds – Mon, 5pm – 9pm (Fri – Sat, 9.30pm)

On the menu

Saganaki cheese, $19; prawns with pumpkin pilaf, $28; moussaka, $41; Cretan bifteki, $42; Cretan village salad, $21; ekmek ice cream, $16