El Greko Greek Taverna

If you haven’t tried authentic cuisine then you may enjoy the food. We were visiting from Adelaide and have eaten a lot of Greek food in our time and unfortunately this place did not meet our expectations- we agree with the points raised by Michael Bly in his review below. The meat was not cooked on a chargrill and overcooked so lacked any authentic Greek flavour and portion sizes were small for the price you pay. The Loukomades were also flavourless and overcooked. I’m sorry I cannot give a more positive review but I hope my review serves as constructive criticism to encourage improvement as I appreciate the hospitality business is tough. Best of luck

We dined at El Greko last night for the second time during our 10 night holiday in Palm Cove. We loved it so much the first time we just had to return for another delicious meal. The atmosphere and service at El Greko is fantastic. The food is delicious and could not be faulted. The flavours of the food were so nice and portion sizes are very generous. Special mention to Carlo and Lisa for their friendly and welcoming service. An added touch was James (owner/exec chef) taking time to sit and have a chat with us. We will definitely be back next year when we return to PC. We would highly recommend El Greko for anyone who loves delicious Greek food.

Me and my family were excited to book at El Greko as we are here on a trip from melbourne, and myself being greek i always appreciate some traditional food on any trip im on. The team at El Greko were so accomodating, even the chef we were able to have a chat with about the food and its preparation etc - it was 10/10 - quality, service, friendliness and overall experience was amazing. Thanks to the team for making it a special night.

Update ** unfortunately I have woken up with a dodgy stomach, not great right before our trip to the reef. I’m usually a 5* reviewer and love giving good reviews, however we didn’t have a great experience. Firstly we ordered a glass of Merlot which was totally stale (and at $17.50 per glass we weren’t happy to let it slide), when we asked for a fresh glass the waitress told us the bottle was opened this morning- curious because the restaurant isn’t open in the morning and who’s ordering Merlot for breakfast? They then proceeded to pour us a fresh glass which tasted great. But only after stating how the manager had tasted the stale wine and thought it tasted the same as the fresh wine? If it was my restaurant and the wine was stale I’d just apologise take the glass and bring a fresh one, it’s awkward enough without a debate. This first part of the evening was unfortunate but I wouldn’t normally rate any less for this as mistakes happen. Moving on, we had some pittas and dips to start which was nice with some delicious flavours, and I also had the skewers as a main. Unfortunately the skewers were raw, the lamb was totally charred on the outside but raw on the inside not sure if it was perhaps taken from the freezer straight to the grill. Anyway after the awkward complaint about the wine we didn’t want to complain again and left without dessert. Photo attached of the raw lamb, hopefully I don’t get sick🤞🏼 waitress were otherwise helpful and smiley no complaints there. One shared starter, one soft drink, one glass of wine and a main came to $120 for the two of us.

One of the best food experiences in Palm Cove! Food was absolutely delicious, everything felt and tasted home made and fresh. We loved our server Carlo too who was great to speak to and who went above and beyond! Can't wait to come back in the next few days and try some other dishes too!

Perfectly cooked meat! With so many flavours in the enteee of mussels. The cocktails we’re absolutely beautiful, mixed so well. The oasis colada being our favourite and the beers were so light. To top it off the customer service was so welcoming and the owners and main chef were decent genuine people.

As a Greek, I really wanted to like this restaurant. Unfortunately, it fell short. We visited on a Saturday night for dinner. The restaurant was full and reservations were a must. - Wine: very small selection of Greek wines. Not even any Assyrtiko. We ordered a Sauvignon Blac from NZ, which was very good. The server didn’t bother to have us taste it. She opened the bottle and poured it into our glasses. - Food was uniformly under-seasoned. Maybe they dumbed down the flavors for non-Greek customers. The collection of dips was well presented, but totally bland. Taramosalata tasted like nothing. Certainly no fish roe in there. Skordalia, the name literally means garlic, lacked garlic. It was just boiled potatoes with a hint of garlic. Likewise for the melitzanosalata, which looked and tasted like it came out of a can. And the tzatziki, was totally lacking in garlic as well. Maybe there is a lack of or aversion to garlic in Australia. Tyrokafteri, the name means hot/spicy cheese, lacked spice altogether. The loukanika and the saganaki were well prepared and flavored. The spanakopita was a surprise. As much for its presentation as its price. $20 for 2 handmade triangles, filled with spinach and onion, but without any feta that could be seen or tasted. They looked and tasted more deep fried than oven baked. And why is it served with a tub of tzatziki and a wedge of lemon? How do those things go with spanakopita? And a side salad of some sort? The Paithakia, lamb chops, were the best dish we had. Well seasoned and perfectly grilled to a medium. The accompanying tasteless boiled vegetables were a total miss and were a soggy bed for the chops. Suggestion for the chef: serve grilled meats with a side of chips. Cheap, fast, and delicious. If you want to be fancy, try roasted lemon potatoes. Toss the watery boiled veggies. The restaurant is obviously very popular and filled to capacity. But for me, the food was average at best.

The moussaka was rich and perfectly seasoned, and the grilled octopus—tender with a smoky char—was the best I’ve ever had. Don’t even get me started on the tzatziki and warm pita... divine! The staff were incredibly warm and welcoming. Our server helped us choose the perfect wine pairing and made sure we felt right at home. The atmosphere was cozy and authentic, with Greek music playing softly in the background. It felt like a quick getaway to the Mediterranean. Whether you’re a fan of Greek cuisine or new to it, this place is a must-visit. I’ll definitely be coming back soon!