Meli Brings “Non-Traditional” Takes on Greek Classics to the Adelaide CBD

A group of three cousins and their partners were holidaying on the Greek island of Kalymnos when they started talking about souvenirs. Rather than a magnet or a shot glass, they wanted to bottle the hospitality of local beach bars and bring that feeling home with them.

“We thought, ‘We don’t want to leave this here’, so we said, ‘Why don’t we create a Greek beach bar in the middle of the Adelaide CBD?’” Anthony Nicola tells Broadsheet.

Hence, Meli was born. Venue manager Nicola owns the cafe alongside his cousins and their partners. Nicola previously worked at Mascavado, while his co-owners have backgrounds outside of hospitality.

The venue – which bills itself as a “modern Greek kafeneio” or coffee house – opened last month.

“People have really commended us on the vibe of the space,” says Nicola. The corner cafe is styled with travertine flooring, fluted cream walls, five olive trees that “arch up in all the corners” and a polished concrete counter where Nicola and the team make sandwiches.

Controversially, the menu is “non-traditional”, which Nicola admits is a crazy risk to take. “Greeks love their food the way they love their food,” he says. “We’re not changing the recipes or changing the flavour profiles necessarily, but what we’re really excited to do is fuse Greek food with other cultures.”

This sees spanakopita reimagined as a sandwich and moussaka served in a pie. Other dishes include a lamb backstrap sandwich, a Reuben made with loukaniko in place of pastrami, a saganaki toastie made with four Greek cheeses and more. Throughlines on the menu include thyme-infused honey (imported from Greece) and their papou’s (grandfather’s) secret seasoning.

Meli’s signature drink is Freddo, a Greek-style frappe, which the team has reimagined in various ways – including as an Espresso Martini and a pistachio baklava-inspired serve. Greek beers like Mythos are also on offer.

For Nicola and his family, beyond keeping their holiday dream alive, Meli is about the philotimo, a Greek concept they understand as warmth and inviting hospitality. And that’s something they hope to share with the community.

Meli on Hutt
1/242 Hutt Street, Adelaide
0423 782 324

Hours:
Mon to Fri 7am–3pm
Sat & Sun 8am–3pm

@meli.onhutt