A few weeks ago Steve took me to Elyros to celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary. Located in the heart of Camberwell, the restaurant and wine bar was awarded 1 Hat in The Age Good Food Guide 2017.

Upon walking in the restaurant that was converted from a 1920s old bank building, I was wowed by the elegant interior. After a phase of dining at funky restaurants, I suppose Elyros, with its brass-wrought chandeliers and clean lines were a breath of fresh air. The dining area is separated from the wine bar and on that night we were seated in dining area.

Elyros has an extensive wine list and a Cretan-inspired menu. There are a selection of meze or starters, small plates to share, mains and desserts. Elyros also offers a three course or four course sharing menu. The four course menu was what we selected for the night and it was a feast.


For starters, we were served a selection of meze that include a basket of warm bread, eggplant dip, creamy feta dip, Greek house marinated olives, cured kingfish and olive oil. When our waitress brought the tray of meze to us, we were beyond excited. We could've simply dined on the soft bread and dips alone, but there was more food to come.


Our second course was the fish special for the night: grilled salmon served on squid ink risotto. The salmon was cooked well, but I thought the creamy squid ink risotto was the winner of the dish. After the fish, we were served the slow cooked lamb and patates cooked in lamb fat and rosemary salt. I believe those are Elyros' signature dishes as I read many rave reviews about the lamb and patates.


Naturally, it did not disappoint. In fact, while Steve and I were enjoying the lamb, we thought it tasted familiar. It took us a while to realise the slow-cooked lamb tasted almost exactly the same as the lamb Steve's yiayia cooks for Christmas and Easter! However, my favourite dish of the night has to be the patates cooked in lamb fat. It was cooked to golden perfection on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside.


Our anniversary dinner ended on a sweet note with a slice of the Cretan cheesecake with carob and walnuts. It was a lovely surprise when staff took the time to decorate the plate with the words "Happy Anniversary". Considering Steve organised the dinner, the little touch gave him some brownie points.

Overall we enjoyed our dinner. It was not anything groundbreaking but the food was classic flavours done well and perfect for our anniversary dinner. I would definitely recommend Elyros for a low-key and relaxed night out. But if you are one for food trends and fashionable dining spots, you will be better served elsewhere.