Took my baby niece out for dinner. Gen Z loves a camera and a flash, so I took her somewhere that delivers on both counts. Howard Smith Wharves is one of the most vibrant spots in Brisbane, and @grecarestaurant, sitting inside a beautiful old warehouse space, was the easy call.
It has been a long favourite. The menu is simple, honest, and built for sharing, and the experience has been consistently solid every time I have walked through the door. This visit was no different.
We started with the taramasalata, and it set the tone immediately. Silky, restrained, with just enough salt to keep you coming back to it. The bread did not last long, so we got more. Then the saganaki arrived, crisp and golden at the edges, soft through the middle, honey pooling into the plate. That dish alone is worth the trip.
The seared tuna was clean and well-handled, and the octopus came with fava and pickled chilli that added some welcome sharpness. Both solid, neither a standout. The lamb chops, though, were the real moment of the night. Charred properly, fragrant with oregano, with that slightly funky depth that only good lamb delivers. They disappeared fast.
The souvlakia held its own alongside, the yoghurt and sesame doing quiet but effective work. And then the potatoes. The roast potatoes deserve their own sentence. Ultra crispy, punchy with garlic and I could have easily had more of those. The village salad was fresh and light, exactly what you want to cut through the richness of everything else.
Service was fun, energetic, and genuinely speedy. The kind of floor team that makes a meal feel effortless without you noticing why.