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Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here.
In fair Glen Iris, where we lay our scene, something of a hospitality revolution has been quietly taking place. Cult provedore Breadcetera is 3146’s preferred caffeine and carb dealer, Central Park Cellars brings inner city wine bar vibes to the leafy southeast, and pizza joint Grazia has become the community’s hub. So perhaps it’s not surprising that hospitality veterans Michael Badr and Marco Tenuta, co-owners of city stalwarts Marameo and Il Bacaro, chose Glen Iris as the locale for their new venue, Bar Sophia. It’s proving a canny decision.
The choice to bring a taste of Melbourne’s Hellenic renaissance to the area ensures Bar Sophia is on trend, while a central wood-fired oven and luxurious front bar tick every box on the ‘Cool New Joint’ checklist. But how does Sophia differentiate itself from its classmates? Just six months into life on Burke Road, it has the surety and steadiness of a venue that’s been around for years, where deceptively simplistic fare is delivered warmly, and tenured pros guide you through a long Athenian lunch.
The vibe
Owner Badr is in his element on the floor, and it shows; a deft touch with suggestions and upselling, and the unflappable assurance of someone who not only knows the menu back to front, but helped come up with it. From the provenance of the prawns to the region of Sicily a pickled caperberry comes from, Badr has the answers: you’re in good hands here.
WIth its sleek marble terrazzo bar, dark wooden fixtures and exposed brick walls, Bar Sophia sets the tone with elegance and comfort, eye-catching ruby resin tables shimmering in the dining room. The vibe is classy calm, but given the vivacity of the menu, Bar Sophia could stand to dial up the fun a touch; the space is slick but lacking in flourishes, downcast waiting room jazz providing an austere soundtrack.
The food
Helmed by chef Nick Deligiannis, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is your usual standard taverna based on the pared back adornment of the plates leaving the kitchen. But a closer examination reveals studied technique and an eye for detail; there’s no gas on the property, so every plate of food that leaves the pass owes a debt to the roaring wood oven. Those gargantuan Queensland prawns ($16 each) are charred and roasted to perfection, basted in an umami bomb of tarama butter. A Loddon Estate chicken skewer ($29) is almost ethereally juicy, superbly scorched, tender and served with sweet and unctuous blistered bullhorn peppers.
There are a few awkwardly priced dishes, such as a plate of roasted squid and fennel that is light on the cephalopod and heavy on salt ($42), and a delicious, but all too small, wedge of housemade haloumi ($25), but overall, Bar Sophia represents reasonable value. Only two desserts are currently on the menu, but both warrant exploration; chocolate mousse ($15) with the malted savoury uplift of melomakarona crumb is a smooth and satisfying finish, and an indulgent cinnamon doughnut ($16) with walnut and salted caramel is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
The drinks
Unlike many such venues with “bar” in their name that are really just restaurants with a spirits shelf, Bar Sophia has bona fide drinks chops, and a team unafraid to go off-menu and smash out a classic cocktail. Pours from an entirely Greek beer list are served ice cold and in expertly chilled stemware. The house dry Martini ($26) is mixed down using Greek Votanikon gin with an aromatic grapefruit twist, decorated with two generous Halkidiki olives. It’s an ornate, ceremonial and befitting way to commence a feast.
A tight but interesting drinks list is broken down into categories like ‘Before Dinner’ showcasing bitter aperitifs and ‘Tears of the Vine’ detailing Bar Sophia’s impressive ouzo offering, while a cleverly differentiated wine carte is separated by minerality, texture and provenance. A real delight for fans of the underserved Aegean and Adriatic regions; factor in an Uber trip home from Glen Iris.
Time Out tip:
The suburban taverna standard of trio of dips here takes the form of three technically assured and flavour-packed besties for blistered wood-charred bread, fermented using whey extracted during the haloumi-making process. Flecks of fatty, pearlescent, fuschia flesh stud a smoked trout dip, and a roasted pepper and feta number is moreishly chunky, redolent of those smouldering embers. Now somewhat of a restaurant standard across town, Bar Sophia’s iteration of tarama is firm, emulsified to a shiny slick, and lathered in spring-green Greek EVOO. You could come here for bread and dip alone and leave satisfied.
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