Cape Town foodies and Mediterranean cuisine lovers will be thrilled to know that a new restaurant specialising in Greek and Cyprus dishes has opened its doors in the heart of the city.
Well-travelled chef, Nic Charalambous opened his first restaurant Ouzeri on Thursday, 16 June. Charalambous shares that he drew inspiration from the taverns in Cyprus and Greece from which it derives its name, Ouzeri and it serves up a contemporary celebration of the two countries’ flavourful, regional dishes and culinary traditions.
“What I love about the Ouzeri is I’ve experienced in Cyprus and Greece is that they’re very much local hangouts. It’s the place where you’d go after work for a drink and a bite, and to meet friends and family. Everyone shares meze and drinks wine and ouzo. In fact, they’re so much a part of the community that they’re often named after the towns they’re based within,” he says.
He adds that the plan was hatched during a lockdown he spent in Dubai where he was based to run the kitchen of Natasha Sideris and The Tashas Group’s, Athenian-inspired, Avli by Tashas. He has been operating pop-up food brand, Ouzeri, since late 2020, as per Eatout.
The restaurant is an appreciation and celebration of the food Nic grew up with and that which he discovered on his travels in Cyprus and Greece’s neighbouring Islands. “My dishes are versions of the food I grew up eating. The menu is in many ways my interpretation of the food and culture of my Cypriot heritage,” he says.
The restaurant has a seasonal menu sourced from top local producers and balanced with carefully selected wines. Charalambous promises diners a space which will feel like coming together to socialise and unwind all while enjoying the chef’s magic and a lesson or two on his cultural heritage’s foods and flavours.
Situated at 58 Wale Street, Cape Town City Centre, the restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner and Wednesday through Saturday for lunch.
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