Hellenika

Hellenika was founded by restaurateur Simon Gloftis, who opened the original at Nobby Beach on the Gold Coast in March 2010, and its Brisbane restaurant occupies the first floor of The Calile Hotel on James Street, Fortitude Valley. The room has marble surfaces, brass finishes, arched brickwork, wide windows and timber furniture, with an olive tree-lined terrace and poolside cabanas where diners can also eat. The dining room overlooks the hotel's pool deck, and the mood is relaxed but polished: hotel guests in robes and swimwear lounge a few metres from diners at lunch, and the open kitchen is visible from the main room.

The food is Greek with a modern touch, designed for sharing. The kitchen relies on a few core flavours, lemon juice, olive oil and oregano, and much of the menu is cooked over charcoal or served as dressed raw fish. The restaurant has highlighted produce such as calamari and octopus from South Australia and tomatoes from Noosa. Dishes the kitchen has recommended include kolokithia, crisp zucchini chips, as a snack, anything from the fresh fish market menu, and galaktoboureko, a custard-filled filo pastry, for dessert. The house spanakopita is made with ricotta, feta, parmesan, spinach and herbs in filo, and larger shared dishes have included whole market fish, eggplant moussaka, chicken souvlakia and a slow-baked lamb shoulder. The wine list is long, with many Greek bottles, and cocktails and spritzes suit the poolside setting.

Hellenika opens seven days a week from 7am until late, so it works for breakfast, a long lunch or dinner. Separate breakfast, dining, dessert and banquet menus are published on the website, and the banquet is a good choice for groups who would rather not choose. Bookings are recommended, though walk-ins are welcome, and reservations are taken online.

The restaurant suits couples, groups of friends and anyone staying on James Street. The poolside setting is the main draw for a long lunch. If you are staying at The Calile, it doubles as the hotel's main restaurant. The same hospitality group runs SK Steak and Oyster and other venues in Brisbane.

Same Same, the Thai restaurant run by the team behind Agnes, is directly across James Street, so the street offers two very different dinners within a few steps of each other. Gift vouchers are available if you want to treat someone visiting the city.