Kafenio West End | Must Do Brisbane

Kafenio is a traditional Greek/Cypriot café restaurant in a bright blue and white workers cottage adjacent to West End’s Cypriot Club.

At the blue and white check table cloths on the verandah, Greek men gather to play tavli and cards, just as they have done for decades at their former digs at Hellenic House. For since its demolition in mid 2015, Kafenio has become the new heart of the Greek (and Cypriot) community.

But you don’t have to be Greek to be welcomed here, and Kafenio is well worth a visit for the most authentic, great value, Greek and Cypriot food you’ll find anywhere in Brisbane. Rock up daily for the hearty cooked Kafenio Breakfast - bacon, sausages, eggs, grilled haloumi and tomato, toast and coffee or BLT, haloumi and tomato, or ham and cheese toasted sandwiches.

Table and chair on verandah at Kafenio West End

The lunch/dinner menu includes a range of delicious house-made dips (tarama, tzatziki, tirokafteri), pita bread, keftedes, chargrilled calamari and baby octopus, haloumi, traditional Greek salad, and more.

Basket of pita bread with two dips on table at Kafenio West End

As for mains, pretty much everything comes cooked traditionally on charcoal, including souvlaki (chicken, lamb or pork) served with Greek salad and chips for just over $20, or you can have it served wrapped in pita bread with tzatziki, onion and tomato for $10.

Plate of two slices of haloumi at Kafenio West End

On Friday night and Sunday lunch, the traditional souvla oven on the deck churns out house specialty souvla lamb on the spit, while on Saturday nights, the wood-fired oven on the rear deck is the source of the house Cypriot specialty dish Klaftiko - a slow-cooked oven-baked lamb with potatoes and vegetables.

Desserts at Kafenio are all house-made and to die for - try the traditional Baklava with a Greek coffee, Rizogalo (Greek rice pudding), Loukoumi (Greek Turkish Delight) or the delicious Galaktomboureko (semolina custard in filo pastry).

Kafenio is licensed and serves a small range of beers (including Mythos, XXXX, Carlsberg and Heineken), house wine, scotch, vodka, ouzo and Greek liqueurs (Zivania and Komandaria).

Four men playing backgammon on a table at Kafenio West End

In addition there’s rose, orange or lemon cordial, iced tea, soft drinks and frappe, plus a range of coffees including Greek, flat white, latte, macchiato and more.

Good to know – Kafenio is wheelchair accessible.

Need to know – Bookings are recommended, especially on weekends and evenings.

See our full list of the best Greek restaurants in Brisbane HERE