Where Chefs Eat: Vasili Petropoulos Wants To Gatekeep This Tiny Cafe

Last year, Vasili Petropoulos opened Vasili’s Table, his “seventh or eighth restaurant”. After more than 25 years in the business, he’d lost count of the ventures he’s overseen.

A lot of them share similar names. He worked as executive chef for the late Bill Granger’s global restaurant group, Bills. Later, he opened Billy’s Table in Croydon. (Vasili is the Greek form of “Bill”.) Then in 2025, he leaned fully into his Greek heritage to open Vasili’s Table in West Beach.

We asked him to share the local spots that have become his favourites. This is what he said.

Your favourite dish at Vasili’s Table

“Nothing quite screams Greek food like lamb. My favourite dish on the menu has to be our 12-hour slow-cooked lamb shoulder. When you cook lamb that long, it completely breaks down and becomes incredibly tender, juicy and full of flavour. The lamb is so soft you barely need a knife, which is always a good sign.”

Your favourite drink

“My go-to drink would have to be the Ikarian spritz. We use a blue vodka that we import from Melbourne, a squeeze of fresh lime and top it off with tonic. It’s light and refreshing. It feels a little bit like being back on the Greek Islands.”

A quick takeaway

“I love Indian food, and North Indian Cuisine always ticks the box for me. The goat curry is something special. It’s pretty hard to find a really good goat curry, but if you ask me, they absolutely nail it.”

A special occasion spot

“My daughter Ayla loves Chinese food, so she always asks to go to Star House on Gouger Street. She’ll say, “Dad, let’s go fancy”, so we dress up and make a night of it. Personally, I think she mostly wants the ice-cream across the road afterwards, but it’s a pretty good excuse for a special night out.”

A bucket list venue that you'd love to go to

“I’ve been pretty fortunate to tick off a lot of bucket list restaurants around the world. If I had to pick somewhere to go back to, it would be either The Fat Duck or El Bulli. Both were unforgettable experiences and the kinds of places that completely change the way you think about food.”

A bakery

“There’s a little gem in Port Adelaide called Mayfair Bakery. It’s been around for about 150 years and there’s no fuss, no over-the-top branding, just really good baking and a master pastry chef. The pastry is perfectly crisp, buttery and never greasy. The spinach and feta pastry is my go-to. And the signature cheesecake is absolutely to die for.”

A hidden gem you think deserves more hype

“We’re pretty spoiled for choice when it comes to coffee, but Lampshade in Warradale really knows its business. Perfect coffee, freshly baked cake, retro vibes – and it’s a one-man operation all run by Chris. He can chat about everything from vintage vinyl to good art. But let’s just keep it our little secret, shall we?”

A local producer you can’t stop thinking about

“Nothing beats fresh honey. Spiros Honey is amazing. He produces some of the best honey in the Fleurieu, and we’re lucky enough to get fresh honeycomb in abundance. We serve it straight over our kefalograviera cheese. It’s simple and perfect.”

A date spot or romantic venue

“When it’s date night in the city, Clever Little Tailor is our pick. Cosy booths, an impressive wine list and cocktails that are actually worth the effort – that’s pretty much our whole checklist for a perfect night out.”

Best burger

“It’s hard to go out for a burger when you’ve owned close to a dozen burger stores. I know what I like, and it’s hard to find anything that surprises me. Though, if I do go out, it would have to be Burger Boss. They’ve nailed it. It's all in the drip. If you know, you know.”

Best ice-cream or gelato

“When I lived in Sydney, Gelato Messina was always our go-to for ice-cream. Now that it’s in Adelaide, it’s become our regular weekly stop. As for gelato, Gelato Bello is one of my favourites. Traditional, velvety, smooth, just the way gelato should be.”

Best dumpling spot or yum cha

“Yum cha? For us, it’s Star House. Dumplings? Moon Bear Dumpling Co in Fulham. They’re packed with flavour, generous on the serves and reasonably priced. I still haven’t found dumplings as good as the ones I had in China, so every visit feels like a little trip back there.”

Place you’d recommend to a fellow chef

“I have a chef friend visiting in a couple of weeks, actually. I’ll be taking her to Confession. There are shows there on Friday nights, and it’s such a hidden gem. Live musicians, DJs, burlesque, cabaret and more. It’s the kind of spot that really shows off the vibe of Port Adelaide. It's one of a kind.”

Your favourite kitchen utensil

“My spatula. Chefs are sentimental, we can’t let go of certain tools. It might be a special knife or a simple piece of equipment we’ve carried through every kitchen we’ve worked in. To anyone else it might seem meaningless, but to us it’s priceless. My spatula has seen it all, every kitchen I’ve worked in over the last 25 years, and it’s racked up plenty of kilometres along the way.”

Your favourite home kitchen appliance

“My Kitchenaid mixer. I love baking, so it’s always set up and ready to go in my home kitchen. It’s one of those appliances that makes everything easier, from whipping up bread dough to mixing cake batters or making pastry. There’s something satisfying about the rhythm of it running, and it’s become a bit of a creative companion to my cooking. Honestly, for someone who loves hands-on baking, it’s hard to imagine my kitchen without it.”

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@vasilipetropoulos