Hellenic Republic Kew

26 Cotham Road, Kew
Date visited: 16th March 2014

I wasn't a big fan of St Katherine's when I visited in 2012.  Now, it's no secret that MerlinFan and I love Hellenic Republic Brunswick, so we were excited to learn that they had transformed the space that once housed St Katherine's into Hellenic Republic Kew. 

The Kew branch is easily accessible by tram or car - conveniently, we parked at the carpark in Fenton Avenue behind the restaurant.  

The Kew counterpart is a bit different - murals grace the walls and the space is darker and smaller than the bright restaurant in Brunswick.  Staff seemed slightly more under the pump as well and we were left kinda hovering around the entrance when we arrived.  Our waitress, although friendly enough, didn't even explain the a la carte or sharing menu to us, which was done so wonderfully by their counterparts in Brunswick the first time we visited.  Not that we didn't know, but it would have been helpful if it was our first time here.

There were only two of us, so we didn't order much, just our usuals, so the photos will do most of the talking.

Chargrilled Pita with Taramosalata

Taramosalata $6 (half serve), Pita $5

We opted for the half serve of taramasalata, the white cod roe dip.  This one had a stronger, fishier flavour.

Saganaki with peppered figs.  

Saganaki $15

It is never a visit to Hellenic Republic without the love of our lives, the saganaki.  Awesome.

Whole fish of the day 

Snapper

We're not huge fish fans, but Hellenic Republic is one of the only places we order fish.  The chargrilled snapper is so good.

Not leaving without dessert or Greek coffee either.  The waitress rushed off before we could order coffee, and we had to order it when she returned with our cutlery.

Chocolate mastic tart, strawberry, vanilla marshmallow

Chocolate mastic tart $12

The tart was doused with liquid chocolate at the table.  We loved the thin pastry of the tart and I liked the added tangy freshness of the strawberries inside.  MerlinFan added the chocolate was light rather than the thick, rich chocolate she had expected.

Loukoumathes

Loukoumathes $6 (half serve)

We ordered the loukoumathes at the waitress' recommendation.  Now why had we never ordered this before?  The Hellenic doughnuts were amazing!  OMG salivating just writing this.  They were hot, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside, covered with honey, cinnamon and walnuts.  Yum!!!  I had one first and the other after we finished the tart, and the second was still crunchy.  As beautiful as they were, these doughnuts were pretty sweet, so it was good the waitress suggested a half serve for two.

Cappucino for me.

Cappucino $4

Greek Coffee for MerlinFan.

Hellenic Coffee $4.50

The food at Hellenic Republic Kew was quite consistent compared to Brunswick - the main difference was more in the ambiance as well as the service.  Despite Hellenic Republic portraying itself as a casual taverna, MerlinFan stated it felt more "fine dining" at Brunswick than at Kew, which I cannot help but agree - the restaurant space feels more open and airy, and staff at Brunswick are just stellar.  Given a choice I would still go back to Brunswick, but the Kew branch is only new, so they can only get better.





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