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Elyros, Melbourne

Angie Giannakodakis and Guy Holder have teamed up with floor manager Disa Dimitrakakis to open Elyros...
Wendy Hargreaves

Angie Giannakodakis and Guy Holder, owners of Carlton restaurant and bar Epocha, have teamed up with floor manager Disa Dimitrakakis to open Elyros, a Cretan-inspired restaurant on the former Magic City site in Camberwell, tomorrow night.

The trio has done much of the renovation work at Elyros themselves, transforming the space into a smart neoclassical dining room with a hand-carved timber door, marble-topped bar and tables, and a blue and white ceiling.

Chef Yiannis Kasidokostas sticks to the Cretan creed of freshness and frugality. The food is colourful, with bright purple octopus, slow-cooked veal shanks, braised snails and crunchy fresh vegetables sitting alongside what is sure to become one of Melbourne’s great bar snacks, kalitsounia, house-made fillo wrapped around mizithra cheese. There’s also a brilliant take on the traditional Cretan seasonal salad, here a mix of parsnip, kale, cardoons, Jerusalem artichoke, carrot, sour mizithra and barley rusks.

Kasidokostas says his menu will depend on what’s available from local producers, including a forager of herbs and greens whose name and whereabouts he’s keeping to himself.

The wine list, put together by sommelier Thomas Eveno, encompasses plenty of Greek drops alongside Australian, European and African.

According to Giannakodakis, the next step will be a 40-seat function space upstairs. Camberwellians will be kicking up their heels in glee with this new addition to their fledgling food scene.

Elyros, 871-873 Burke Rd, Camberwell, Vic, (03) 9882 8877.

Looking for more Melbourne dining options? Check out our list of the best restaurants in Melbourne.

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