A collection of Greek delicatessens and wine sellers in Sydney and Melbourne:
Alpha’s Food Store (238 Castlereagh St, Sydney) Alpha’s food store offers a broad selection of artisan Greek products featuring premium honeys, traditional pastas, beautiful preserves and regional olive oils. Freshly brewed Greek coffee and Will & Co Espresso are available all day to be enjoyed takeaway or with any of Alpha’s pastries or traditional Greek cakes and biscuits.
Danas Fine Foods Deli (16 Illawarra Road, Marrickville) A Marrickville institution, Dana’s offers a quality range of classic Greek staples from tangy goat and sheep feta cheese to homemade red wine vinegar. In recent years a cafe was also added which serves traditional Greek food.
Earlwood Growers’ Market (Shop 1, 12-16 Clarke St, Earlwood) A Grocer which stocks a great range of Greek products including cheeses, olive oils and more. In season, this grocer also stocks trays of beautiful zucchini flowers and fresh, trimmed vine leaves.
Earlwood Wines (285 Homer Street, Earlwood) Earlwood Wines is not just wines – it has a huge selection of produce, both Greek and Australian from olives and legumes to cheeses and oils including the very excellent Minos brand olive oil. Their homemade dips are the best – the taramasalata is delicious (just like your Ma makes) and the artichoke dip is equally divine. The freezer section is a treasure trove of Greek imports from Bougatsa to Tiropita’s – perfect to stash in your freezer for when unexpected family drop in or when a day out with friends turns into drinks and nibbles at your place. The wine selection of the store is also phenomenal. It is rather difficult to purchase good Greek wines from Sydney’s chain store bottle shops. However, Earlwood Wines has an excellent number to choose from. If you are going for a super traditional souvlaki cook up in the garden or chargrilling an octopus, then you might like to try some Retsina. Although make sure it is well chilled before serving – it’s the only way to have it! There are also some beautiful dessert wines to choose from an outstanding range of spirits from Metaxa brandy through to a range of ouzos.
Lamia Super Deli (278 Marrickville Road, Marrickville) Absolutely jam packed with a very colourful assortment of quality Greek style produce, Lamia Super Deli has everything you need to rustle up a quick round of emergency mezedes. They offer a wonderful range of Greek cheeses, salt cod, vine leaves, okra in tomato sauce, dips and (industrial) sized tins of giant beans. The real highlight is the most amazing array of olives. There is also plenty on offer for those with a sweet tooth with a huge array of spoon sweets and the classic vanilla or mastic flavoured fondant – used to make the childhood favourite, “submarine” – a huge spoonful of sweet vanilla dunked into ice cold water.
Mr Liquor Ramsgate (213 Ramsgate Road, Ramsgate) A good range of Greek wines including Assyrtiko from Santorini and a variety of good Xinomavro wines. They also sell two Greek beer brands – Mythos and (when there has been a shipment in) Fix.
The Oak Barrel (152 Elizabeth St, Sydney) A small but premium range of Greek wines, include some organic and biodynamic wines. Stock levels depend on current shipments.
Olympic Continental Delicatessen & Butchery (38/40 Bankstown City Plaza, Bankstown) Olympic Deli & Butcher is one of Bankstown’s oldest businesses trading since 1956. Owner Peter Karpouzis, still works in his store and continues to smoke his own smallgoods today. Olympic has everything from halva to chilli dried sausages – best of all is the service, they love a chat here!
Sam’s MFC Supermarket (455 Gardners Road, Rosebery) Sam’s MFC Supermarket, on Gardner’s Road in the Sydney is an emporium filled with Middle Eastern and Greek delights. From the amazing “olive buffet” to the help yourself barrel of vine leaves, you can find most Greek pantry essentials and even cooking utensils at this superb supermarket.
Superbarn Sans Souci (24 – 544 Rocky Point Road, Sans Souci) A small, concentrated range of Greek staples from Chocolates and spoon sweets, through to pasta, vine leaves and more. Superbarn Liquor, next door to Superbarn has also started to stock a few Greek wines including a number of Xinomavro blends from Alpha, as well as a range of reasonably priced wines from the Lafazanis winery.
Shire Foods (Unit 1 18 Atkinson Rd, Taren Point) Stocks a great range of frozen products from Greece, such as pita bread, spanakopita and more. Also offers a range of meat products from kontosouvli and whole lamb to loukaniko.
Melbourne:
Athena Delicatessen (Oakleigh Market, 12 Chester St Oakleigh) Athena Deli would have to been my favourite place for Greek supplies in Melbourne, not least because the Gourgoulis family have Zakynthian and Peloponesian connections – just like my Greek family. Athena Deli has a huge selection of Greek products – from olives and rice through to cheeses and oils. Similar to Earlwood Wines in Sydney, they stock Greek brands of rice including Carolina as well as good frozen imports such as Greek artichoke hearts and okra. The best find here (for my mind) is the Dodoni Yoghurt, which is flown in fortnightly from Greece – closely followed by the Epiros Goat’s feta.
Bakaliko (28 Portman Street, Oakleigh) Specialties include imported nuts, dips and a smorgasbord of cheeses. There is also a large range of frozen spinach and cheese pastries from Greece on offer, as well as sweets such as Greek chocolate.
Big Vic Deli (Shop 25-28, Dairy Hall, Queen Victoria Market, cnr Victoria and Elizabeth streets, Melbourne) A Dairy Hall fixture for more than 45 years, renowned for its sheep’s milk kefalograviera cheese, loukaniko sausages and pastourma and house-marinated olives.
Colossus Supermarket (6-8 Stutt Ave, Doncaster) Traditional store stocking everything from fresh yoghurt and Halloumi to dolmades and giant baked beans.
Hellenic Deli (Shop 39-40 Deli Hall, Queen Victoria Market, cnr Victoria and Elizabeth streets, Melbourne) Hellenic Deli is a family owned business that has been operating for over 40 years. Main lines include Extra Virgin Olive Oils, Greek Olives, Wild Oregano, Dips and more.
Laikon Deli (324 Bridge Rd, Richmond) Laikon Delicatessen has been operating since 1976. Since then, Laikon has grown from being a family run deli, to a café and catering business.
