First Look: The Greek Bar Brings a Taste of Greece to South Austin
Featuring kalamata martinis, saganaki, and braised octopus, the new Mediterranean restaurant opens next week in Travis Heights.
Published: February 19, 2025
Mamma mia! No need to fly to Southern Europe for branzino and baklava: Now, you can simply head to South Austin for authentic Greek fare. On Wednesday, Feb. 26, hospitality veterans Dimitri Karabinis and Daphne Greer will debut their anticipated new Greece-inspired concept, The Greek Bar, at 534 East Oltorf Street.
Growing up in a Greek family, Dimitri was ingrained in restaurant life from a young age. “He grew up in a pizzeria, 5 years old, sitting on the table, opening up tomato cans,” Daphne says. “His father owned restaurants in Florida, his sister owned restaurants, his uncle—typical Greek story.” The husband-and-wife owners combine forces with impressive hospitality resumes: Dimitri was a restaurateur behind several successful concepts including Vines Grille & Wine Bar in Orlando, while Daphne has managed Austin favorites including Juniper and The Peacock Mediterranean Grill at the Austin Proper Hotel.
The Menu
To imbue the spirit of a Greek taverna, the couple wanted their new concept to be elevated yet casual. They enlisted the talents of chef Brian Beach, formerly of acclaimed San Francisco Greek restaurant Kokkari, to create the menu. Guests can look forward to classic dishes such as braised octopus, lamb chops, and saganaki (fried cheese) as well as sous vide pork belly and lahanosalata (Greek slaw). Everything in the restaurant is scratch made, from pita baked fresh daily to the house-made tzatziki sauce. “We don’t buy anything. Everything comes in the most basic products like flour, sugar, water, and then we make everything,” Beach says. Patrons can also enjoy authentic desserts such as baklava and loukoumades (Greek doughnuts).
The Drinks
While the bar program will include classic cocktails, it also highlights several signature cocktails that all feature a Greek spirit or Greek twist: “integrating things like mastika, which is a really cool liqueur from Greece that is essentially resin from a tree, very herbaceous and kind of eucalyptus,” Daphne says. The bar also offers ouzo as well as a kalamata martini.
The Decor
The owners worked with Montreal-based interior designer Luke Havekes, who has been featured in Architectural Digest and Elle Decor, to create a space that features warm colors beyond the typical blue-and-white Grecian decor. “The dusty kind of rose color inside was an inspiration [from] my grandmother, who’s Greek,” Daphne says. “That was the color of her dining room and her kitchen.” Photos of Dimitri’s family are featured throughout the restaurant, along with vintage chairs that look straight out of Santorini. If the shape of the building feels ever-so-slightly nostalgic, it’s because it was once a Taco Bell. The Greek Bar kept some of Taco Bell’s signature arches and terracotta as a nod to the building’s past and also to capture the true spirit of Austin: friendly, unpretentious, and wholly authentic.
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