This is a great Greek styled restaurant...with a twist. Often there are other influences which are brought to Greek/Cretan dishes which takes food to another level.
Bookings are suggested as it is usually full when you walk in, but like any good host they will do what they can to get you in or suggest a time to come back.
As a regular I have always started with mixed dips and saganaki. The dips are exquisite and for me some of the best that I have had. The saganaki is also of prime quality. Then it becomes interesting.
Having known Phil at the early stages of his culinary journey I have often been a guinea pig for his new ideas. I now simply tell him to feed me and he will give me a range of dishes which are great in isolation but meld well into a dinner. Often they will be a dish that he is thinking about using on the menu and wants my opinion.
When I am with others he will discuss ideas to see if they are suitable for my guests and it makes a very personal and exciting way to dine. Not knowing exactly what is coming out but savoring every morsel is such a pleasurable way to dine.
Sometimes they are dishes that I wouldn't normally order, like vegetarian dishes but he does them so well. The other night he brought out some grilled yellow zucchini with feta and pomegranate which would almost turn me vegetarian...but i emphasis almost.
Phil also suggested some grilled garfish fillets. They were on skewers, lightly grilled and other than some lemon were a simply but pure delight. Again fish/seafood is not high on the radar but they were spot on.
The other dish was a Cretan sausage made out of chicken but with Middle Eastern influences of pine nuts and spices. Grilled to perfection and served piping hot another great selection.
We were too full to enjoy dessert there, but a nice piece of galaktoboureko taken away would finish off the meal perfectly.
The staff are friendly and professional, the chefs cook everything to perfection.
The first time you go there examine the menu and specials and try what you like, but for a great experience simply let Phil or his staff feed you and have a culinary adventure.
Being Greek - I am a very hard critic when it comes to eating Greek food out. Bahari ticked all the boxes for my friends and I. Service was great, atmosphere was warm with Greek music playing in the background, Food was divine we found it hard to choose as all menu items sounded sooooo good. The slow roasted goat was very good, the fasolakia tasted just like my mum makes, the roasted piperyes were perfect, bazanriosalata was a favorite on the table as were the kolokithokeftethes....trying saying that after a few red wines! In summary I will definitely recommend Bahari when I am asked where can I go to eat Good Greek Food! Thanks to the staff and the amazing Chef's at Bahari.
Delicious, fresh, extremely tasty!
I’ve ordered twice in the last fortnight and it’s such a treat. Lovely team and so helpful. Delivering far beyond the reaches of many restaurants so thank you! Veggie and lamb souvas Devine, chips delish, fresh salad and soft crumbly feta. My favourite is the trio of dips. The best in Australia in my view (and I’ve tried hundreds of Greek restaurants searching for authentic flavours ). Thanks and I’ll be ordering again soon!
My previous reviews have been deleted unfortunately. And not by me.
I've been here a few times and the food and service has been excellent. I recently got some home delivery of a lamb shoulder souvlaki with chips, a vegetarian souvlaki 3 dips of taramosalata, smokey eggplant and tzatzaki with bread, some haloumi cigars.
My lamb shoulder souvalaki was delicious, although the chips tasted floury. But overall this was really good as the lamb was perfectly cooked.
My partners vegetarian souvalaki was good, it contained zucchini fritters but there was too much soft cheese.
The haloumi cigars were good but very sweet with lots of honey. They were very tasty and great as a sweet dish.
Of the 3 dips, the smokey eggplant was delicious, and the dips tasted better the following day.
Overall this was a solid experience and definitely worth a visit.
Previous review April 2016.
I went to this restaurant tonight with 3 friends. We all tried the $45 banquet which was amazing. Really tasty food, starting with dips with hot bread, (similar to roti bread) then onto mains with salads and meats then a mixed desert with delicious ice cream and sweets. Yummm haha
If you want to try some great Greek food and an amazing beer, we tried to Greek Pilsener then this is the place to go!
We'll be back!
Went for the set Privè menu which was outstanding. The food just didn't stop coming and it was incredibly tasty. The roast potatoes, trio of dips and Halloumi cigars were a stand out
I have been coming here for years, it is the BEST MODERN GREEK FOOD YOU WILL EVER EAT 😍 Not only is it modern, some of the dishes like the lamb and pork shoulder taste exactly like my yiayia's, which is a HUGE compliment! I honestly think the food here is BETTER than the Greek food in Greece!
Not only is the food one of a kind, the customer service is some of the best you will ever find in Melbourne! You honestly feel like you are walking in to a family👏
Do yourself a favour and BOOK a table in asap, you won't be dissappinted!
This
We come here a lot especially for special occasions! The food is always outstanding and the staff are always lovely! Philip is amazing and always treats us so well! Such a great guy and a beautiful restaurant in general 💖
Great food, so tasty and not pretentious. Service is great and so friendly. Had the best meal. The baclava was amazing.
Really really delish Greek food! Ordered the $40 banquet and also the haloumi fries. The haloumi fries are sensational and it’s a must order! The $40 menu includes dips w warm breads 🤤 calamari and haloumi. The mains were this sensational pulled pork and lamb. I don’t normally like pork but this was amazing. It also came with potato and salad. For an extra $5 we get this shared dessert platter which was really delish.
The service was friendly and the Adelaide Hills Rose really hits the spot.
What can really be improved was the calamari- it wasn’t as fresh as it could be and also the haloumi was slightly salty.
Will come back for:
+ Trio of Dips with Pita
+ Fried Whitebait
+ Lamb and Beef skewers
Came here for a bite with some work colleagues, and was pretty impressed with the service and the food. The dips that came with the grilled pita breads were flavourful, and delicious. The fried Whitebait was also great “beer food”. I also liked their skewers; juicy, charred to perfection and smokey. Service was friendly and super quick. Prices are reasonable for what you get. You can see why this place is so popular with the locals. Will definitely be back for more!
Lamb is perfectly cooked, whitebaits are crunchy & not too salty, grilled octopus is divine, chicken is delicious. One of the best in Melbourne!
Best Greek restaurant we’ve been to, and we’ve eaten at many over the years ( parents in law are from Sparta ). We had the $48 banquet in celebration of my daughter Emily’s birthday, and a baklava with candle and a happy birthday song by all staff and the owner Phillip was a huge surprise to complete the evening. The dips, bread, Saganaki, tender tasty chicken and lamb etc were faultless. Highly highly recommend!
A lovely cozy spot on Swan St to get fully satiated with Greek food.
We popped in and ordered the trio of dips which were very tasty, accompanied with soft and light pita bread. Moved on to the eggplant which was absolutely delicious. The textures and flavours were amazing.
Then we had the whitebait and which was perfectly fried, accompanied with a very tasty lemon aioli. The octopus was great too.
We completed the meal with a Galaktoboureko which was light and sweet. A perfect ending to a wonderful lunch.
The staff were extremely friendly and hospitable. Felt like we’d known each other for ages. Will most definitely return.
Came here for a private event upstairs - absolutely stunning venue for functions or a meal. The food was beautiful - I don’t have a photo of the lamb but that was my absolute favourite, as was the desserts, cocktail and the smoky eggplant dip 🤤 very attentive staff as well
Decided to try this place as we were going to an event around the corner, and what a great choice we made! Each dish we ordered was beautifully presented and full of flavour. Definitely recommend saving room for the desserts. Shoutout to the great service we received as well, made for a great overall experience
If I could give more than 5 starts I absolutely would. Fantastic food. Excellent quality, taste and such a big portions. We ordered the banquet (the bigger one) and we have enough left over to bring back home. The entrees were amazing.
Had some really tasty takeaway from here. The serves are a bit small for the price but the flavour of each and every dish was awesome - even once reheated at home. The octopus and calamari are both must tries. Also loved the cheesy eggplant rolls and the grain salad.
Can't rave enough about this place. Booked for a work event last night for 18 people and the service and food were exceptional. Absolutely no-one left hungry. The staff were great and a special mention to Abbey - there was nothing too difficult - thank you!!! Great for a group, will return and would not hesitate to recommend. P.s. get the octopus.
The food is so delicious. Everything was cooked perfectly and had so much flavour. We wanted to take photos but accidentally ate it all before we got the chance!
The staff are so attentive and friendly and seemed just as excited about our order as we did. The owner, Philip, popped by our table for a chat and he was such a lovely guy. You can see how well he treats his staff and that they actually enjoy working for him. That made the experience even better. We can’t wait to go back to Bahari again and will definitely be recommending to our friends.
Great place for authentic greek indulgence. Friendly and attentive staff. Their saganaki, wild mashrooms, lamb shoulders, eggplant,.... are so good. I have been going there for years and i think they deserve all the glory they get. Very well priced too which is even a bonus. I wish they wouldnt close their kitchen so early at nights. I think at 9 it s all game over there. Highly recommend
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