SPITIKO - NEW MENU LAUNCH

270 Park St, South Melbourne - ph: (03) 9690 2600

Homey Greek food! Is there a better offer than that?

We were thrilled to be invited by the gals at Harvey Publicity for the launch of the new menu at Spitiko.

John and Phil are the dynamic duo responsible for the front and back house at South Melbourne's Spitiko:

John’s enthusiasm for small plates and a home cooked meal is addressed in the name and on the menu, he does his best to make everyone feel part of his “spiti” his home. 

Phil in the kitchen pays homage to the good old days of simplicity and freshness, a great mezze and a home cooked meal. An active specials board compliments the simple menu with such specials as succulent, crispy skin lamb on the spit every Thursday.

Spitiko's John and Phil 

The ambiance at the night was really laid back, yet elegant. Tables were taken out to make way for an open space where guests mingled and indulged in some seriously hearty Greek treats. 

Macedonian sparking 

I loved how the guys at Spitiko made a real effort to make everything Greek that night. All beer and wines served were Greek / Macedonian. The highlight for me was the Karanika sparkling wine. I was pleasantly surprised. Although a little bit on the sweet side, it had a very nice crisp finish; something that I would have again. 

We'll give you the food highlights here: 

Crumbled kalamata olives 

The olives were fantastic. It's a pity I couldn't find them in the normal restaurant menu. They were crispy, warm and really tasty. I loved the texture and slightly sweetness of the crumble mixed with the salty olives. I probably ate a few (too many!) of these. 

Lightly fried calamari 

Again, tasty and really well made crumbled food! The calamari itself was very well cooked and soft. Hubby and I didn't take long to devour our cone. 

Spinach and cheese pastry puffs 

Suckling pig (normally needs to be ordered 1 week ahead) served on rice 

Lamb souvlaki served with tomato, onion and tzatziki mustard 

Hats off to Spitiko's souvlaki. I'm normally not a fan, but this one was outstanding. The bread was tasty and very fluffy, the lamb cooked to perfection and the spicy tzatziki added good depth to a dish than can so easily be just a greasy hangover cure. I would be happy to drive to South Melbourne on a week night just to get one of Spitiko's souvlakis. 

And desserts: 

Caramel profiteroles and Greek inspired macarons (one of the flavours was ouzo) were nice, but I couldn't find either of them in Spitiko's regular menu. I know there were some other desserts served on the night that I didn't get to try - maybe they were the regular menu items...

Big thanks to the team at Harvey Publicity, John and Paul for the invitation! Great food and it was great to talk to the guys about their passion for food and Greece, friends and family. I did feel welcomed into their family home at Spitiko.