Mini Restaurant & Wine Bar

Ph: (03) 9650 8830; 1/141 Flinders La, MELBOURNE 3000 www.minirestaurant.com.au

Modern Greek, $$
Open Lunch Mon-Fri Dinner Mon-Sat; Licensed; AE DC MC V
Chef Perry Peters (7-11-07) Owner Charlie Sirianos, Perry Peters & Paul Lumicisi (7-11-07)

Mietta's Review
Two rooms, partially below the pavement, a high communal table, plain timber tables and chairs and banquets along the wall. It may not be flash but it's comfortable. As is the food - good Greek style dishes with some but not too many corrupting modern influences. Service can be difficult if you don't find the right flavour of waiter to take your order. The wine-list is vast, as you'd expect from a section of the Syracuse stable. This a well run, reliable, restaurant that's not too expensive and not too cheap.

Other published opinions

Herald Sun 24-06-08 Score: *** "The name comes from a popular brand of ouzo and the move towards a modern Greek cuisine, now centred on The Press Club, began here"

Age Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 14/20 "There are no bouzoukis in this funky subterranean bolthole, named after a brand of ouzo. Chef Perry Peters has done a commendable job preserving the essence of traditional Greek cooking, but he's gone beyond predictable classics to concoct some creative combinations without relying on gimmicks"

Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian Restaurant Guide "From its basement setting to its contemporary fit-out featuring preloved marble and French oak, Mini is quintessentially Melbourne"

Herald Sun Dining Out, Stephen Downes, 28/2/06 Score: 17/20 "You'll eat delicious, sophisticated, Greek-leaning tucker at Mini. Indeed, you'll see here some of the best cooking around. It will cost you a bit, but you'll enjoy it, and service will be faultless. A huge wine list is hugely expensive. I might be wrong, but I searched hard and couldn't find a bottle for less than $40. Luckily, six table whites and the same number of reds come by the glass."

Herald Sun Eat, Bob Hart, 25-2-06 "Mini is a popular brand of ouzo, the aniseedflavoured Greek hooch that puts hair on your chest and, I suspect, your back.But consumed in this place - with a few bar snacks, perhaps - it is more likely to put a smile on your face.Or at least, that's what happened when a mate and I settled in for lunch at Mini, starting with a couple of tumblers of ouzo, marinated olives, pickled octopus, Turkish bread"

The Age Epicure John Lethlean 6/2/06 score 15/20 "Indeed, it is in many respects the quintessential Melbourne restaurant: the almost hidden, semi-basement laneway space; the proprietors with a track record (Syracuse); the subtle, comfortable interior design; the wine list that works hard to give you something refreshing for your dollar; the chef (Perry Peters) with runs on the board at some of our favourite haunts (O'Connell's, Syracuse, Attica). The crack-an-egg-with-a-teaspoon approach. And Mini, if you don't already know, is the first wave in a small set of new modern restaurants with a Greek edge."