George Calombaris will soon be back in the restaurant game, opening a two-storey Greek restaurant in Highett next month serving everything from takeaway to rustic home cooking.

The Hellenic House Project in Melbourne’s south is split into four different spaces that play on the idea of the Greek home, right down to The Good Room, the most elevated offering of the 120-seat venue.

There, head chef Anthony Thalassinos will be serving home-style (or “spitiko”) dishes with a twist, such as tarama with salt and vinegar hash browns, wild greens braised in lemon and olive oil, or Greek yoghurt soft-serve.

In The Backyard and The Kitchen, both downstairs, there’ll be quick and casual souvlaki, salads and cans of beer for dine in or takeaway. The fourth space is a balcony inspired by seaside bars of the Aegean, serving snacks such as dolmathakia (stuffed vine leaves).

Calombaris says he was drawn to Highett because of its community feeling with an “ever-growing food scene” that he likens to the Brunswick Street of Bayside. Chilpa by La Tortilleria opened in early March just a few doors away from his venture.

Thalassinos has experience at Grossi Florentino and St John in London, with his most recent cooking gig at Hotel Sorrento, where Calombaris is culinary director, a role he says he will continue for two days each week.

This is Calombaris’ first new restaurant of his own design since Elektra, which replaced Press Club in mid-2019 before Calombaris’ Made Establishment group went into administration in early 2020, forcing 12 venues to close. The collapse followed the business identifying $7.8 million in underpayments to 515 employees, which have been reimbursed, and for which Made Establishment was fined $200,000.

Hellenic House Project occupies a former butcher shop linked to Phil Hatzikourtis and Ivo Baldari. Hatzikourtis, who has run several food businesses from the premises, appears to be Calombaris’ business partner in the project.

Hellenic House Project will open on April 18.

515 Highett Road, Highett, 03 9531 8855

CORRECTION - An earlier version of this story said George Calombaris was fined $200,000 for underpaying staff. In fact, the fine was given to Made Establishment, who also reimbursed employees.