Triakosia, Clifton Hill by Foghorn Leghorn

Once upon a time, Clifton Hill was quite Greek – around 25% at the 1971 census. There are still a few club-houses left from those days, as well as some restaurants and cafes. Along Queens Parade, probably the best Greek restaurant is Triakosia, a recent addition.

Stuffed squid

On our most recent visit to Triakosia, we were greeted by the fragrance of a spit roast over the large charcoal grill – a mixture of chicken and lamb. All that meat was a tempting sight, but we knew what we had come for: the lamb kleftiko.

Kleftiko is a Greek classic: a chunk of lamb, usually leg or shoulder, cooked very slowly in paper or some other wrapping to ensure that the meat doesn’t dry out. It’s accompanied by potatoes, and sometimes by cheese.

The Triakosia version is one of the best I’ve had. It’s seasoned generously with salt, garlic, rosemary, and oregano. The garlic aroma in particular is well infused in the meat. The photograph of this dish does not do it justice – you can’t photograph an aroma, nor can you capture the soft texture of the meat. The photo shows a piece of meat with melted cheese on top – that can never look graceful.

To accompany the kleftiko we had stuffed calamari (see first pic). We were expecting a baby calamari stuffed whole, but what we got was a piece of large calamari partially cut into rings. It lacked zing (if “zing” is a culinary term), due to the essential blandness of calamari.

Charcoal grill

Since it was a pleasant evening, we decided to sit outside. That part of Queens Parade is not a busy restaurant strip, so it’s a bit quiet, but it’s nice to sit under the historic veranda roof that somehow survived Melbourne’s various modernisations.

Nearby Greek social clubs

Verdict

We really liked it.

Mid value.

Overall

Triakosia offers some very good food at a reasonable price. They’re fully licensed, but they also allow BYO. When we’ve ordered their red wine, it’s been served unpleasantly warm, but that’s a hazard in many Australian restaurants. I’ve even met people who prefer it that way(!).

The interior of the restaurant has been nicely fitted out, and there are some artisan touches, including the plates. This is not an old-style dark room with retsina bottles on the wall, it’s an airy modern space.

As for the restaurant name? The restaurant is at 300 Queens Parade, and my Greek-speaking friends tell me that “triakosia” means “three hundred”.

Find it at

Triakosia
300 Queens Parade
Clifton Hill VIC 3068
Phone: (03) 9482 4931