Note: I was invited to dine in at Kivotos, but all opinions expressed are my own
I haven’t really had Greek food before and have never visited the country. I’m very excited when Kivotos restaurant in Braddon treats us to the Share the Love set menu dinner. Drinks-wise, we follow the theme of the night and Mr FPJ has The Med cocktail with melon, vodka, basil, lime juice and olives. I try the Epsa blood orange soda which isn’t too sweet or sour.
First up, we receive grilled pita bread with three dips. The white cod with garlic lemon is my favourite dip – very unique and tasty. I try not to fill up too much on bread before the rest of the feast arrives.
A distinctly Greek twist on arancini, this version has a filling mixed with green vine leaves and is drizzled with a sauce of black garlic and lemon yogurt. I enjoy the fried ‘Santorini’ tomato balls with feta, herbs and spices, it reminds me a little of a zucchini puff stuffed with grated vegetables.
Kivotos serves their beef and pork meatballs (keftedakia) piping hot, soft, and drowning in tomato salsa, making them simple comfort food.
The saganaki is absolutely delicious with a honey vinegar coating over the top. A perfect balance of sweet and salty.
For one of the mains, there’s a choice between prawn saganaki or char grilled octopus. I opt for the char grilled octopus with fava beans, preserved lemon, and baby cos. The chef nicely charred the octopus, but it turned out a little soft and slightly rubbery. However I still enjoy this with a creamy sauce mixed with preserved lemon. The fava beans make the dish a little heartier.
Next up is a mixed grill plate with Greek-style chicken, pork and lamb, and sides of Greek salad and roast potatoes. The chicken is my favourite – so succulent and juicy. In all honesty, there’s nothing wrong with the lamb but I find that Aussies do lamb better!
There is no dessert provided as part of the set menu, but you can order it for an additional cost. We’re lucky to sample all three. They served the loukamades warm and sticky, which were not as sweet as expected.
I thought the loukamades with honey cinnamon would be my favourite, but the dark chocolate and olive oil mousse is outstanding. One of the best chocolate mousses I’ve had in a long time, this has definitely set the bar in my mind. The raspberry sorbet is to die for, and the whole dish is amazing mixed with raspberry coulis and an espresso crumble. We did lick the plate.
The baklava cheesecake with honey citrus sauce and pistachio ice cream is my least favourite. The baklava cheesecake itself kind of disintegrates in on itself and I’ve had better pistachio ice cream.
At the end of the night, we try an aperitif of Skinos Mastiha (Chef tells us it is taken from the sap from the Masticha tree found in Greece). It’s quite floral and even I enjoy it.
The restaurant itself is small with two levels. We’re seated on the bottom level (almost a mezzanine level) where there’s a bit more privacy. It’s a little dark inside and can be noisy, but I think it’s a great date night option. We had a wonderful night and I’m so lucky to have been able to try this food. I want to go back for those moussaka popsicles, prawn saganaki, lamb chops and more of the dark chocolate mousse. A big thanks to the Chef and team at Kivotos for having us.
A reel of my experience below:
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Kivotos
12/33 Mort St, Braddon, Canberra
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