Demitri's Feast
| Where | 141 Swan Street, Richmond, 3121—View map |
Contact | 03 9428 8659 |
Website | www.demitrisfeast.com.au |
Open | Breakfast Tuesday to Sunday 7:30 am to 5:00 pm |
Payment | Cash |
Diet | Soy |
Seating | Inside and outside |
Kids | Welcome |
Pets | Unwelcome |
Demitri's Feast is a cracker of a way to start the day
Francesca Fogarty 4 October 2010
With hipster kids taking over the café scene with the voracity and speed akin to Melbourne's approaching locust swarm, it is refreshing to go to Demitri's Feast, where the smiles are real and the food is a reflection of the love and energy of the café's owners.
Good food is truly all you need. Location, space, charm, they all add to it, but if the food isn't up to scratch the whole experience is wasted. Demitri's Feast gets that. Whilst the staff are affable and welcoming and the space is more than adequate, it's the food that shines.
Melbourne seems to be having a bit of a Greek breakfast epiphany at the moment, with the likes of George Calombaris setting up camp at Little Press and Hellenic Republic. But as far as Greek inspired breakfasts go in our lovely city, Demitri's Feast is right up there. They cure their own salmon with ouzo and dill for an impressive start and it's the little touches like this that make Demitri's food stand out. The stools are custom built, made out of olive oil cans. Warm, inviting ingredients like thick Greek yoghurt, rose jam and orange honey syrup all add to the charm, and carry the quality of the dishes to the next level. Stand outs include the Greek rice pudding 'rizogalo' - a sticky sweet concoction served with a gently spiced fruit compote and the zucchini fritters with free range bacon and oregano roasted tomatoes. The coffee is superb and when I last visited, I could even get a car park right outside (although that's probably more of a reflection of the culinary waste land that is Swan Street on a Sunday morning).
But best of all, breakfast at Demitri's Feast is a casual affair. Any feeling of tension or stress seems to leave as you enter the building. Customers all exhibit a demure, knowing smile of a morning well spent. I left with the same look. Oh, and if you need any more encouragement, Demitri's Feast is even licensed. What more can you ask for?